As I write this post, I may or may not be sipping on my second glass (let's be honest, my third) of Viognier and waiting for my clothes to dry. On a Saturday night. What? you're thinking, How can this be so? You live in New York City! Well darlings, I'll tell you, it's been a fun-filled month and even after a 2-hour power nap this afternoon I don't feel as though I've fully recharged my batteries yet.
just tea at the Plaza, it's how I do.
What happened this month? Let's see, there was my birthday on the 5th. Nothing too exciting to talk about, actually. (Though I did get not one, but two Edible Arrangements.) Turning the big Quarter Century in NYC, you'd think I would've painted the town red. Yet living in the big city can't exactly substitute the need for my gal pals and family. Plus it's hard to beat my birthday in Turin last year - surprise visit from Ricarda (who came all the way from Austria), badass brunch made by all my roommates, renting a rickshaw in the park, drinks at our apartment, "Mexican" dinner with 19 of my buddies from school, etc. Though I managed to have a nice time this year. I went to the MoMA with Phyllis and we had a lovely afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel. I thought about asking her to hit the clubs with me, but then I remembered it was a Monday night and she's 78. Also, there's just something about turning the big 2-5 that gets a girl thinking. Where is my life going? What are my marriage prospects, if any? Should I be popping out babies? Which are questions that only come to mind when considering the relationships and lives of the women around me - engaged, married, full of babies, etc. I gotta figure that shit out at some point.
me at The Armory Show… solo!
So alongside this mini quarter life crisis is the fact that for the past 2.5 weeks I've been living sans Phyllis, which is rough. Not only because now I have to forage for food all by my lonesome, but because this apartment is so lonely without her. I think living alone in New York City must be the most alienating experience possible, yet considered by some to be reserved only for the very "fortunate." I figured out that I've never actually lived alone before. Sure, I've had days by myself without roommates, but this just made me sad. I ate breakfast alone, and there was no one to summarize the Times articles I hadn't read yet. I came home from work to an empty house and my attempts at sustenance were laughable at best.
best pizza in New York (so far) : Kesté
Luckily March was full, and continues to be full, of friends passing through the city. After Phyllis' departure, my old pal/old restaurant boss Reagan came into town and we met up with another former coworker to taste the town. It was great to see him, catch up on his life and new additions to the family, plus try some badass restaurants/coffee shops/bakeries/wine bars that I otherwise wouldn't have known about. The thing about seeing old friends is that no matter how much time has passed, you can always seamlessly pick up where you left off.
bleu cheese burger and rosemary garlic fries at The Spotted Pig!
A week later I was preparing for the arrival of my two college roommates, some of my oldest friends. Nicole and Madison came for a long weekend overlapping St. Patty's and it was such a blast. Nicole came up from San Antonio and Madison from Los Angeles. It had been a year and a half since we'd all 3 been together. We made rice krispie (whisky) treats, caught up on each others' lives, and relived our glory days (aka college). We tried to do a proper New York trip - bagels, Times Square, bike ride through Central Park, theatre, hot dogs, The Met, brunch, cabs, Bloomingdale's, FAO Schwartz, corned beef, you get the picture. Again, I can't express enough how having your friends around really makes a difference in life. It's a refreshing feeling and it reminds you of where you come from, who you are.
these are my friends, and thus, this is me.
you guys should try this: whisky and cinnamon will revolutionize your rice krispie treat experience
As per a suggestion by Madison (via Neil Patrick Harris) we participated in an interactive street theatre performance called Accomplice. We were called by the actors a day before to set up a meeting point in Manhattan, then we met fellow accomplices and our top secret contact. We then helped with a shady scavenger hunt/mystery that took us on a downtown walking tour on the evening of St. Patty's. For over 3 hours we traced clues, got the skinny from our "sources", drank beers and made our deliveries for The Boss. It was so much fun, definitely a crazy New York adventure we'll be telling for years to come.
Madison deciphering one of our clues
Nicole and Madison, on the trail during Accomplice
I took a long walk through Central Park today, admiring the few cherry blossoms and delighting in all the people who also wanted to enjoy the springtime air. I thought back to my friends visiting and us riding our bikes through the paths, those are already great memories. It's strange how you can be living in the most sought-after city in the USA but if you don't have anyone to share its beauty with, somehow it just doesn't seem as special. Certainly I can't already be jaded because I haven't been living in this city long enough, yet I have understood some fundamental truths. Plain and simple you've just gotta have friends. If you don't, who's going to share the story about being an accomplice, and for that matter, who's going to be there to bail you out if you ever do get caught up in a life of crime? Food for thought…
fresh mozzarella, Eataly, New York
