01/ 12/ 2020
If asked what I dreaded most when I was a teenager and twenty-something, I would have said confrontation. It didn’t matter what type of conversation: a fight, a break up or something as simple as telling the Starbuck’s barista that I’d ordered an iced pumpkin spiced latte, not a hot one. It’s not that I didn’t want to speak up. I simply felt too afraid to do so.
After eight and a half years of living in New York City, my mindset on confrontation has shifted. This shift is in part a result of NYC’s ecosystem. New Yorkers are more intense and stubborn—a perfect storm for heated conversations. Confrontation seemed to happen every day, and I had to become comfortable with it in order to feel more at ease in the City.
Looking back, I wanted to identify how exactly my mind shift had changed. Here’s what I learned and what helped make confrontation feel more natural:
Read more »08/ 07/ 2017
I’m sure there are people on this planet that love to pack, but I’m not one of them. I had to move out of my last apartment (aka the Zen Garden) on July 31. The move itself was a logistical puzzle as I still hadn’t found a job. I thought my time in NYC had come to an end, but just as I had the thought, my friend offered to let Harlow and I stay with her, and my neighbors offered to store my stuff since they were going on vacation. Needless to say, I am feeling all the gratitude for their kindness.
With this move, I wanted to cut down on the number of things I owned. The goal was to live minimally, and more nomadically. So, I streamlined my stuff, and the past six years of my life fit neatly into 14 small boxes, 2 IKEA bags, 2 rolling suitcases and 2 carry-ons.
01/ 23/ 2017
10/ 11/ 2016
Last month, I learned that I actually enjoy hiking. A bit shocking, yes, but I knew this love was for real when I wanted to venture outside the City for a day hike last weekend.
I did some research, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are numerous trails easily accessible from Manhattan. My friend Jacomina and I settled on part of a 358 mile trail called The Long Path. It starts at the 175th street subway station in Manhattan, runs through New Jersey and ends in Albany, New York.
We decided to hike the first 4.8 miles of the trail, which starts just north of the George Washington Bridge and runs along the Hudson River. The website says these directions are out of date, but they are excellent and will make perfect sense once you’re actually on the trail. The only note is that the trail marker color wasn’t listed for The Long Path, which was a little confusing. We ended up following the green markers the whole time.
Crossing the George Washington Bridge
It’s an interesting path. When it starts, you’re surrounded by concrete and tall buildings. But after climbing some stairs just off the bridge in New Jersey, you literally step into the woods.
