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Currently: October 2015

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Reading: I just finished All the President’s Men, which was a nerdy trifecta of my interest in history, journalism, and current events. I loved it, and that’s making it tricky to pick my next conquest. I just got Going Clear from the library, and a rifle through the Strand‘s dollar racks last week yielded Dead Wake (my favorite author’s latest – score!) and French Coast, which I’d never heard of but has the words “Vogue editor” in the summary, so of course I bought it. Luckily I have a couple 16-hour flights in my near future during which to read!

Wearing: Pink sweatpants and a white t-shirt – because I’m writing this in bed at 11 p.m. Also my brand-new Revlon glasses. I have vision insurance now, y’all!

Buying: My list of fall basics to acquire just keeps getting longer, but for now I’m sticking to gifts for my sponsor child in Swaziland and a handful of other last-minute things for that trip – in fact, I just took a little blogging break to order a power adapter.

Listening to: Nothing at the moment. It’s been a lot of worship music on repeat this week though!

Eating: I had barbecue for dinner, because when you put me in charge of a community group that’s what happens. I had brisket and (mediocre) cornbread and a Shiner Bock (duh) at Mable’s and it really just tasted like home.

Watching: The only shows I’ve been keeping up with this fall are Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Mindy Project, both of which I’m obsessed with. I also caught parts of the Saturday Night Live premier last weekend, and I’ve been rewatching Parks and Rec. But most importantly, Amazon Prime finally added Sex and the City to their instant prime streaming service, so that is constantly on in the background.

Planning: Just a little trip to Africa! Obsessively. I wish it could just be next Monday already, if only so I could stop remembering little things to do and pack and buy…

Also planning exciting things for my community group to do this fall!

Excited for: Africa. Shocking I know.

Cherishing: ONE NIGHT ONLY with my sweet friend Misha, who ended up stranded in NYC for about 12 hours and is crashing at my place. Poor thing just came in completely jetlagged from a week in Italy and was immediately bombarded by my hugs and stories and questions.

Hoping: I can make all these little travel plans in the back of my brain come to fruition in the new year. Let’s just say 2016 could be very exciting!

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A visit from my person

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“You are my person.”

This is what my spirit animal, the fictional Dr. Cristina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy, says to Meredith early on in the show’s run – and repeatedly throughout the series until she moves to Switzerland. What’s a person? The person who would bury the body if you murdered someone. Everybody should have a person.

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I met my person six years ago. Jordan and I had overlapping shifts at the local newspaper, and on our off days we sat next to each other in Intermediate Reporting (the course generally regarded as being so difficult it weeds out the students who aren’t serious about journalism). We bonded immediately and over the years have shared absolutely everything – helped each other through break ups, provided a couch when roommates were insane, stood side-by-side at graduation (we finished a semester early and were the top two students in our class, if that gives you any indication of our personalities).

Since I left Phoenix – see, I’m always Cristina – Jordan and I have caught each other on the phone every few weeks and talked for hours. During my trip to Phoenix in December, I spent three days on her couch watching Will & Grace, cuddling her dog and generally being in her boyfriend’s way (she loves me more). This week, Jordan came to NYC for a work event, and spent several days with me in Brooklyn! It was her first trip to the Big Apple and we had an absolute blast.

Fall foliage in Brooklyn

Fall foliage in Brooklyn

African Innovations exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum

African Innovations exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum

Seasonal donuts at ABC Kitchen

Seasonal donuts at ABC Kitchen

The view from the 230 Fifth rooftop bar

The view from the 230 Fifth rooftop bar

Sunset at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Sunset at Brooklyn Bridge Park

There was a stroll by the water at sunset, and barbecue with some of my dearest friends. There were two days of working in the home-design industry, which I tagged along for because everything is fun if you’re with a friend. There was dinner at my favorite restaurant, ABC Kitchen, and at some spots in Brooklyn I had never tried before. There was a full day of walking around Manhattan until our feet were screaming. There was a trek to the Brooklyn Museum, my first visit there even though it’s practically in my backyard.

But most importantly, there were late-night conversations about the things in life that really matter. There was a ridiculously powerful service at my home church. There were four days of just being together in a way we haven’t been able to be together in a very long time.

Also we met Jane Seymour, but Jordan is better

Also we met Jane Seymour, but Jordan is better

It was a really wonderful weekend.

NYC from the water

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As much as I love seeing cities from above, for my friend Emmie’s birthday this summer we decided to see our city from another perspective: The water! Three of us grabbed tickets to Circle Line Sightseeing’s Harbor Lights Cruise and set off on the most exciting after-work adventure any of us had had in a while.

As soon as we got going and were allowed to roam about, we made a beeline for the front of the boat so we could stand outside. (Pro tip: wear water proof shoes. Trust me.) Inside, there were food and drinks and guides pointing out the landmarks, but we were perfectly content out in the elements, providing our own commentary to bewildered tourists.

The cruise took us from 42nd Street on the Hudson river, down south of Manhattan, and up the East River to Long Island City before looping back. On the way back we sailed out to the Statue of Liberty, perfectly timed at sunset!

Midtown and the Financial District

Midtown and the Financial District

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Had literally never seen the downtown skyline from this angle before!

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Bridges: The Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground; the Manhattan Bridge behind

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The Williamsburg Bridge with midtown behind

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Midtown Manhattan, including the Empire State Building

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Long Island City, Queens, as the boat was turning around

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Sailing under the Manhattan Bridge, with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, downtown Manhattan and a stunning sunset

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Downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge

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The Statue of Liberty

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Downtown Manhattan

If you want to go, and I highly suggest you do, you can purchase tickets here, or at Pier 83 (walk west on 42nd Street until you get to the Hudson River). Our tickets were $36 each, which we agreed was great value for a sail that lasted about two hours, but there are less expensive options available. I also have to give a shoutout to Circle Line’s customer service: We originally booked for a day that turned out to be rainy, and although the cruise still went on, we were allowed to swap our tickets out later in the week, no questions asked.

This cruise is my favorite thing I’ve done in New York so far (and I realize I use the term “favorite” a lot, but it’s true!) I already can’t wait to do it again!

Lately on Instagram: 8/30/15

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These posts were getting a little tedious to write every week, especially those weeks I don’t post as much on Instagram. Instead of scrambling every Sunday, I’m going to be posting whenever there’s enough content – probably closer to every two weeks – and supplementing with more Currently and Day in the Life posts. Sound good? That’s a real question – let me know what you think!

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Last week I was invited to an event in midtown where I didn’t know anyone. I’m a big advocate for saying yes to things, and it’s rare for me to be outside my comfort zone since I developed a close group of friends here in NYC. So I went, stayed about 30 minutes, and ducked out fashionably early (that’s a thing, right?) Luckily I was just a few blocks from my favorite part of the city – Rockefeller Plaza – so I wandered over to see it all lit up, read a book, and laugh at the fact that someone at the event called me brave. Would you ever have thought?!

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After over a year, I still can’t get over Bryant Park. It’s the most random park filled with suits and squeezed between skyscrapers just a few blocks from Times Square – yet it always feels like the most peaceful oasis.

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My church hosts quarterly gatherings for the whole team, and they’re always catered. Usually it’s mediocre Italian food but last week we had a taco truck! If you’ve read anything on this site at all, you probably know that tacos are one of my love languages. I made sure Emmie, Kelli and I got there 30 minutes early and didn’t even complain about sitting on the sidewalk. Because tacos!

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Brunch is forever my favorite meal, and one I indulged in twice this week – at Petite Abeille in Flatiron and at Colina Cuervo in Crown Heights. I’m partial to sweet, high-carb treats, as you can probably tell!

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Yesterday was a quintessential New York summer day, and it bums me out to think that summer is coming to a close. There was a rooftop barbecue in Hell’s Kitchen, followed by a spontaneous trip uptown (181st Street!) to see my friend Kelli’s place in Washington Heights. A solid hour away from my neighborhood in Brooklyn, it was like going on vacation – without even leaving New York City!

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