After a few cozy, sun-soaked months back in California, you and Lauren were itching for something new again—someplace fast, iconic, and completely different from your laid-back L.A. groove. So when the idea of New York popped up, it didn’t take more than a “Let’s just do it” before you two were booking the flights.

Now here you were: the second your boots hit the pavement outside JFK, Lauren was already bouncing with excitement. Beanie on, hair perfectly curled despite the chill, she took your hand and said, “Babe… we’re in New York City. Let’s take it all in.”

You spent your first day bundled up in thick coats, walking through Central Park as the leaves crunched underfoot. She kept dragging you over to squirrels, saying, “Look at that one! He’s chubby!” and then pretending to be offended when you said, “Kinda reminds me of you after that bakery run last night.”

Later that evening, you hit Times Square. It was packed, loud, blinking, chaotic—and Lauren loved it. She made you stop every two minutes to snap pics, do cute little couple TikToks, and ask strangers to take Polaroids. She even climbed onto the red steps and declared, “This is my city now,” while you stood below shaking your head and laughing.

The food was next level: pizza slices as big as your face, hot dogs on the street, bagels in the morning, and one fancy candlelit dinner she’d been looking forward to for weeks. You were tired and jetlagged, but when she looked across the table at you in her black turtleneck and gold earrings, sipping her wine and smiling like the whole city belonged to her, you forgot about everything else.

You ended your trip on the Brooklyn Bridge at night, the skyline glowing behind you and the cold wind whipping past. Lauren stood close, hands in your coat pockets, and whispered, “Can we come back again in the winter? I want to see it snow.”