Girls Just Want To Have Fun In New York City

“As you get a little older and are in college, you’re in this saving money mindset. And I think saving is important, but I also think you should have money set aside to make memories with your friends and do spontaneous things,” Abby Porter, a senior digital media communications major, said.

“This should be a priority for everyone’s life,” Porter added.

Her words left me unsettled. It made me question if I have used my time in college wisely. Have I made memories worth cherishing for the rest of my life?

When indulging in conversation with this group of lovely women and hearing about their 12-hour New York City experience as roommates, I sat back for a moment and watched as joy filled their entire room as they shared their favorite parts about the trip. The love they each have for each other radiated off the walls of the dorm room. In that moment I was inspired and driven.

So much so, that I even looked into booking my own trip to New York City.

This all started when Porter and Abbigail Adkins, a senior elementary education major, decided to grab a quick bite to eat in Cobo. Adkins and Porter discussed their desire to travel somewhere as roommates before the end of their senior year but financially did not know if it would work out.

At the end of the day, we’re all just broke college students surviving off Cook Out and juggling homework, stress and lack of sleep. We hope to invest time in creating memories and moments that will last a lifetime.

“We looked to see if there were any cheap flights, and when we did, we found one day where we had no classes and the flight prices were doable,” Adkins said.

The stars aligned and the price was just right, so Adkins and Porter created a PowerPoint to present to their other two roommates: Kenzie Webb, senior digital media communications major, and Emma Koffman, senior psychology and sociology major.

“College is very short and you truly don’t have that much time,” Webb said.

In my mind, I was reminded of what my grandmother always told me: “Sleep when you are dead because you will blink and it will all be over.”

Swaying Webb and Koffman to embark on this spontaneous trip was no hard task, as the PowerPoint consisted of each of their favorite places (like the world’s largest Barnes & Noble), and an affordable budget.

The word “affordable” is a sweet melody to a college kid’s ears. It means there is a possibility.

“I have learned that it’s just not that serious and that you can go do fun things and have fun with people,” Webb said.

With limited time to save money, friends and family came to the rescue with support to make the trip possible. Porter, Adkins, Koffman and Webb also each had airline points and gift cards.

The roommates even became entrepreneurs and opened a small pop-up shop in their tiny dorm. They did an early spring cleaning and cleared out any unwanted clothes that they could resell to pocket some extra change.

It ultimately came down to whether all this hassle was worth just 12 hours. Was being spontaneous and exercising free will necessary in this moment? Or would an impromptu Jackson shopping trip suffice?

“You don’t have to go to New York or do anything crazy like that, but start small, and spontaneously go on a 20-minute drive somewhere unknown,” Koffman said.

I looked into doing this too.

Sitting there and listening to them share their stories stressed me out, even though I was not a part of the trip. It made me feel like I was a senior in high school again trying to figure out how I was going to pay for college. Yet I made it happen, and so did they!

“I never imagined that we were going on this trip, but then it happened and it was one of our highlights of senior year,” Adkins said. “It is just sweet to think back on, and we hope to make this a tradition even after we graduate college.”

With a 9:45 a.m. departure time and an arrival time of 9:45 p.m., these women had exactly 12 hours to make their New York City dreams come true.

The 12 hours consisted of a carriage ride in Central Park where they visited the famous “Friends” fountain and the “Home Alone” house, a pit stop in Sephora to freshen up their makeup and a visit to Times Square.

“We went to Times Square but did not stay long. A homeless man threw a shoe at me,” Webb said.

I guess that’s the perfect way to spend a 12-hour trip in New York City.

Porter filmed the entire 12-hour experience on TikTok and was sponsored by Southwest Airlines who provided gift cards for their next trip. The famous TikTok had gone viral and even caught the attention of New York City itself.

“Doing something spontaneous was fun and not something I feel like I do often,” Koffman said.

Those 12 hours in New York City were not only a spontaneous experience but a story each one of them hopes to be able to tell their kids one day.

So to answer the question, the hassle and lack of sleep were worth it.

“You never know what saying yes can do,” Porter said.