My first "real" vacation since I started working 2.3 years ago was a trip to NY and LA last week.
friend: "you're taking a long vacay to visit places you've frequently been to?"
me: "si"
Vacations don't necessarily need to be some big planned trip to an exciting and/or exotic destination. It doesn't always involve getting lost and going to famous places. Sometimes you don't need a buddy or need to plan it over a week in advance or have it cost you an arm and a leg. Sometimes you don't need to take one single picture. Not a single one.
When you return to cities you've been to a hundred times, you can skip all that (plus have free housing). Central Park in the fall-- it's beautiful, but I've got my pictures of it last year. The world famous Rockefeller tree lighting-- what a zoo, no thank you! Beverly Hills, Hollywood-- eh, been there done that. What I loved more was shopping in SoHo at 10am on a Monday morning, discovering a Whole Foods the size of Costco, browsing 1200 flavors of soda pop, and walking back and forth across a street of food trucks just to see the menus. It was a true luxury not having a plan and having so many aimless moments in the week when I was looking to just kill time. Such a change from the 12+ hour days at work + 2+ hour commute.
More important than relaxing, this trip was chance to say, "Hey remember me?" to (almost all) the people that are important in my life that I hadn't seen in 6 months to a year. The phrases I expected: "It's so good to see you", "Thank you for letting me crash", "Don't you dare pay for this meal". Some phrases were a bit more unexpected: "Congratulations!", "OMG you're WHAT?!" (engaged, going to grad school, pregnant...).
Friends of NY and LA, THANK YOU again for eating, catching up, listening, talking, recommending, advising, housing, entertaining, wandering, and walking (and driving) with me.
Who I saw and what I ate, because you know traveling is all about the food:
Sat: lunch with V at the Meatball Shop, coffee at Joes, shopping, dessert at Christine's with her hilarious friends, drinks at Raine's Law
Sun: brunch with V and Grace at Keste, coffee at Joes (again), shopping (again), Redeemer Church, dinner with V at Malatesa
Mon: Coffee and pastries at Balthazar Bakery, Shopping (for real this time), lunch with Jen at Totto Ramen (it's no Ippudo c'mon now), dinner with Jonna at Momofuku Noodle Bar and deserts at Milk Bar
Tue: Lunch with Parilee at the Green Table, feeding my banana cocaine addiction with Richard at Magnolias, coffee/wine/cheese at Eataly, church small group, dinner with Gabby at Blue Smoke
Wed: Coffee at Joes (yes again because it's the best in the universe), lunch with old team at the office, cupcake at Billys, catchup with Wilken, manipedi, dinner with Donna/Aneesh/V at Shake Shake in Midtown
Thu: Breakfast with HyunJin at Clinton St. Bakery, flight, LA traffic, dinner with Eunice at Din something in Chinese (soup dumpling place)
Fri: Coffee at the Starbucks in LA Live (don't know what the hype was about...it's just a Starbucks), lunch with Tim at Daikokasomething, Scoop, random driving, more LA traffic, dinner with Dima at Manchego
Sat: Breakfast at Alli's, wedding dress shopping and lunch with Mel/Julie/Alli at the Hat, LA traffic, Santa Monica mall, a little more LA traffic, flight
Next time:
- Tater tots and bacon wrapped hot dog in E Village
- Somewhere schmancy, Michelin-y
- IPPUDO
- Eataly (for the pasta)
- Mozza
