A month of almost constant traveling did this girl some good. I definitely benefited from a change of scenery, (and perspective), and I am both grateful and content to be back home.
It feels good to have our big travel plans for 2014 completed. More than ever I've been a home body, and while it has been VERY good for me to break free of that, (I am very good at holding myself captive), I also feel ready to get some things done, especially around our home.
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All along I've planned to do up my fast approaching 50th birthday with a week of activities. And then this summer it seemed better to have a quiet birthday celebration this year. A nice dinner with my family, a nice present that we purchased when we were in NYC. (I love that it's the first completed item on my new list.)
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Despite feeling like more of a California girl than my usual NYC self, our hotel and all of the food we ate on this trip were amazing. It's not easy to find a hotel with two queen beds, let alone any space. Our midtown hotel had both and the extra bonus of being very quiet and clean.
And the food friends...
I mentioned the Branzino, and we had another meal at the same restaurant, (lunch this time), later in the week and it was great again. M's two friends are both attorneys, both work in TriBeCa, (which makes sense as the courthouse is nearby), so Odeon was a perfect choice.
When we first arrived we went to this sweet bistro for espresso and prosecco. The next morning we went back for breakfast and it was just what we needed. (As you can see, we randomly spent a lot of time in TriBeCa and really enjoyed it.)
We had an amazing lunch in a restaurant I've long wanted to eat in, The Spotted Pig. M's meal was more incredible than mine, but my burger, (a speciality of the place), was worthy of its praise.
Drinks here were festive and strong, (always a sign of a good bar), and dinner here afterwards was so good, even if I might have had more to drink than eat.
And we had the best Indian food on our last night alone. Lexington Avenue in the 20's is the oft overlooked section of Manhattan for Indian. We walked into this place because there wasn't a wait, and I'm fairly certain we found the best one.
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I made my usual pit stop to Uniqlo, which carries amazing hiphugger smalls, found out the hard way, oy. Uniqlo also carries great lightweight down outerwear and while it isn't practical for L.A., I was happy to pick up a new vest to replace the one that was ruined by wearing it to a massage.
We had time to kill and wandered into a Gap where I found a denim snap down the front like a shirt, tunic that I love.
I am very predictable in the clothes I chose/always choose when I'm shopping these days, including: denim shirts and trackie style pants. (These pants, friends, are amazing! As comfortable as PJ's or sweatpants without looking sloppy, they're also a great price point.)
+++++++++++
Despite feeling like more of a California girl than my usual NYC self, our hotel and all of the food we ate on this trip were amazing. It's not easy to find a hotel with two queen beds, let alone any space. Our midtown hotel had both and the extra bonus of being very quiet and clean.
And the food friends...
I mentioned the Branzino, and we had another meal at the same restaurant, (lunch this time), later in the week and it was great again. M's two friends are both attorneys, both work in TriBeCa, (which makes sense as the courthouse is nearby), so Odeon was a perfect choice.
When we first arrived we went to this sweet bistro for espresso and prosecco. The next morning we went back for breakfast and it was just what we needed. (As you can see, we randomly spent a lot of time in TriBeCa and really enjoyed it.)
We had an amazing lunch in a restaurant I've long wanted to eat in, The Spotted Pig. M's meal was more incredible than mine, but my burger, (a speciality of the place), was worthy of its praise.
Drinks here were festive and strong, (always a sign of a good bar), and dinner here afterwards was so good, even if I might have had more to drink than eat.
And we had the best Indian food on our last night alone. Lexington Avenue in the 20's is the oft overlooked section of Manhattan for Indian. We walked into this place because there wasn't a wait, and I'm fairly certain we found the best one.
+++++++++++
I made my usual pit stop to Uniqlo, which carries amazing hiphugger smalls, found out the hard way, oy. Uniqlo also carries great lightweight down outerwear and while it isn't practical for L.A., I was happy to pick up a new vest to replace the one that was ruined by wearing it to a massage.
We had time to kill and wandered into a Gap where I found a denim snap down the front like a shirt, tunic that I love.
I am very predictable in the clothes I chose/always choose when I'm shopping these days, including: denim shirts and trackie style pants. (These pants, friends, are amazing! As comfortable as PJ's or sweatpants without looking sloppy, they're also a great price point.)
