From Canceled Birthday Plans to the Trip of my Dreams | 74 Hours in NYC

When life gives you lemons, what do you make? Lemonade! 🍋

For my birthday this year, I booked a trip to Bermuda, which I was beyond excited for! To know me is to know that I have such a love for traveling and experiencing new horizons. Unfortunately, a storm was heading towards Bermuda right in time for my trip! Such a bummer! But, instead of sulking in my sadness of unmet plans, I did what Canicka would do, make last minute flight changes to New York City!

A Beautiful Stay at St Regis NYC

We were able to book our stay at the St. Regis hotel—such a beautiful and luxurious experience! If you're traveling with a little one, be sure to request a crib in advance. The hotel was super accommodating and had it set up and ready for us upon arrival, which made settling in with baby so much easier. It’s the little comforts that make a big difference when traveling as a family! A special shoutout to our concierge, Lisa, who was absolutely incredible—her thoughtful touches and personalized recommendations truly made my birthday trip magical.

📍 Tip for Mamas: Did you know that you could request a separate WiFi account at hotels during your stay? Many baby monitors aren’t able to connect to public WiFi, and hotels set up separate WiFi for business trips and events, and they’re able to do it for you too! I would highly recommend requesting it prior to your trip just in case any kinks need to be flushed out! Another hack to get your baby monitors working. Order this router HERE! It lets you create your own private wifi account to connect your monitor!

Sight Seeing the Big Apple 🗽

As any tourist would, during our trip we attended two broadway shows: The Lion King & Aladdin. We bought our Lion King tickets through StubHub without knowing where the seats were, and we ended up with front row seats! Such a blessing. I had seen Aladdin on broadway before, but it was so amazing to see who they casted as the genie in this show. He was specular! I smiled and sung my way through both shows!

We also visited Central Park and the Central Park Zoo! The park was so beautiful, and I was so happy to stroll my baby girl through its peacefulness and to take her to the zoo! It was a breezy and quick walk through, and we were able to see the ferocious bear and some other fun animals at the children's petting zoo! The zoo of course was super baby friendly, my baby girl and husband had the best time and so did I!

Of course I couldn’t come to NYC and not do some shopping! Fifth Avenue is truly a girl’s best friend! From the Louis Vuitton luggage and multiple story store, to the Chanel and Van Cleef store— I was in LOVE! 😍

📍 Tip for Mamas: Since so many of you have asked—yes, the Doona is that amazing! It’s hands-down one of my favorite travel essentials as a mom. From the car to the airport, through security, onto the plane, and back again— it transitions seamlessly from a car seat to a stroller in seconds. No extra equipment, no stress. It made navigating NYC (and traveling in general) with my baby girl so much smoother. Highly recommend for travel-loving parents! Visit my LTK link HERE to get yours today!

For the foodies! 🍕

During our time in the city, we were so blessed to be able to dine at some of the top restaurants in New York (and the world) that I’d been wanting to try! Here’s a recap on all of the restaurants we tasted!

Per Se: This is one of the top five restaurants in New York City (it has three Michelin stars)! I was beyond excited to try it! The synchronized service and restaurant choreography and timing was impeccable! They have perfected the art of removing food in perfect timing so that no finished food was siting on your plate for too long ensuring seamless, uniform experience for every guest. The restaurant had such a calm, joyful and relaxing atmosphere, and can’t even be described in words! They surprised me with a birthday candle and a gift bag directly from the chef that was personally signed wishing me a happy birthday! Our visit was one to remember. 💞

Avra: We were planning to visit a Korean restaurant, but as we were walking there, rain came pouring down. And I’m so glad it did! The food at Arva was so amazing and the ambiance was so fresh and bright. Their team was so nice and the service was amazing— they serviced us with black gloves and white jackets, it was so serene!

King Cole Bar: Our hotel (St. Regis) held the famous King Cole Bar where the Bloody Mark drink originated! Fun fact, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, and Salvador Dali are all celebrities who have been guests of the luxury bar. The drinks and jazz music were beyond amazing!

Don Antonio’s Pizza: You can’t go to New York and not stop for some NY pizza! Before our broadway show, we stopped by one of the top 50 pizzeria’s in the world! The food was so good and seating was super easy to get in and out.

SAGA & Overstory NYC: What a God-sent experience. We’d hoped to dine at Michelin-starred SAGA, but it was fully booked—until our concierge pulled some strings and surprised us with a reservation. Throughout the trip, we kept hearing about Chef James Kent’s incredible impact and legacy, so ending our journey at his restaurant felt divinely aligned. From our stunning table on the 63rd floor, we savored a nine-course meal, and soaked in the beautiful atmosphere. We spent nearly four hours there—so long we almost missed our Overstory reservation! But our waiter quietly escorted us up, and the rooftop view was beyond anything we imagined. The perfect ending to an unforgettable trip.

All in all, we had such amazing and kismet trip! It was clear that God had intended for me to spend my birthday in New York and all of the tiny miracles were just a testament to it. I’m so blessed to have celebrated another year of life, and this time with my husband and baby girl right by my side. Cheers to another year to living and loving out loud! 💞 Enjoyed this post? Make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter— and don’t forget to share this with a friend! 💌✨

Sometimes, when our best-laid plans fall through, it's not disappointment—it's divine redirection. What feels like a setback can become a setup for something even more beautiful. Trust the detour, lean into the unknown, and let joy surprise you. Often, the most unforgettable moments are the ones we never saw coming.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

— Romans 8:28