New frontier....New York City (and beyond)

Three months after moving to Manhattan I am still just as enthralled as the day I arrived. OK, the day after I arrived since I arrived late at night with a horrid cold and admittedly a little overwhelmed and emotional. But once that was out of my system, my adventures in the City began!

I write this looking out my office window at rain blowing sideways with a probability of 100% wetness when I have to venture home later this afternoon. And I love it. I don't love the rain but I do love the intensity with which it falls here in New York. Same as the intense heat and humidity we experienced during the summer. Being sweaty and looking like a drowned rat is probably my LEAST favorite state of being but it was part of an east coast summer and with all the distractions of the city, it only really got to me when stuck underground waiting for a subway in the stagnant air of the B train tunnel. And secretly, I still loved that.

Swoon: to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy. A word I've used infrequently, if ever, but which is totally a pro pos in describing my elation at living in New York. Every day I can go to work a different way, whether it is walking through Central Park (pictured at left) or walking to Midtown and past all the high end shops on 5th Avenue & Madison. On the weekends, I have ridden my road bike to Staten Island, Greenwich (CT), Long Island (we almost made it to Montauk save for Huricane Danny), Bear Mountain and Nyack. I've met some great new friends as well as reconnected with old ones. We've taken weekend trips to Nantucket and to Montauk and have set my sights on trips back to Boston to visit my good friend and her newly arriving baby and down to Annapolis for the arrival of baby Farrar.

<---that's my apartment building...we are on the top floor.

The culinary experience is absolutely intense...if you eat poorly in New York, it's your own fault. It's like throwing a target at an elephant...the probability of a miss is miniscule. From the grilled corn cuban cafe on the corner to the upper crust likes of Convivio and Per Se, food is an event...and so are the libations that accompany it. Whenever my best friend would come home to San Diego and ask where we were eating and if it was any good, I just thought maybe she was picky or being snobish, but now, I get it. My family and friends are visiting over the course of the next few months and I can't wait to introduce them to some of the fantastic eateries the city has to offer.

Daily someone asks how I could have left San Diego and moved to New York. I just did and I have never looked back. San Diego offers beautiful beaches, my parents (and their lovely home where they graciously let me live for 8 months), my best friends (Jim, Saba, Erin), gorgeous and challenging mountain ranges, and the laidback lifestyle of Southern California. I don't take that for granted, but it's not appealing to me at this point in my life. I know I will always go back to visit but am not sure I'll end up there.

Riding the subway or just walking down the streets forcibly establishes the diversity of the world that surrounds us. As a blonde, I am unique in this city (love that). I bring my current book or New York Mag on the train with me but find myself more intrigued by people watching than the text in front of me. It reminds me of my year in Madrid where I found every one stared and now I'm that creepy person! It makes me smile. The streets are filled with the aromas and languages of so many different ethnicities and the retail stores and restaurants are representative of the same. A silly smile constantly creeps up on my face as I wander around doing errands, running to the gym or to work or simply strolling slowly home.

Last weekend was an intense bike riding weekend...my great friend from college has introduced me to many of her cycling friends and they conjured up a pretty challenging ride on Saturday. It was 75 miles with over 6,000 feet of elevation, 85 degrees and humid and really freaking hard. We rode from Manhattan through New Jersey to Bear Mountain (that's us at the top...VERY happy to have made it) with three huge climbs in the middle and a ride through Harriman State Park (beautiful). We made it to the end...possibly because I was focused on the "prize" in Cold Springs: Dogfish Head beers! And then took the Metro North train back to Grand Central. What a fun adventure! We rode again on Monday and did River Road (Lance Armstrong has been known to do repeats on this hill) and if I hadn't done the Saturday ride, I would have thought it was very challenging (shows you how HARD Saturday was) and ended up in Piermont. The East Coast towns are so cute and charming...great little coffee shops and stores to explore. We stopped for great muffins and coffee before heading back to the city.

This week we went to the US Open and were fortunate to see Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal play...the Nadal match from last night was suspended due to rain and given the view out our window, I doubt they'll resume play until tomorrow at the earliest. Regardless, it was a phenomenal experience and so much fun. Donald Trump, Nicole Kidman/Keith Urban, Michael Phelps, Tony Bennett, etc. were in attendance (although sitting very far away in superior seats).

My parents come next weekend, which will be fun - can't wait to introduce them to my life in the city and take them to a few fun restaurants for dinner and show them my petite apartment. My bed is a spectacle in itself...I have my rack raisers from college and my bed is lifted literally 5 feet in the air. To get in I have to hoist myself up from my nightstand! A small family could live under my bed and I could put some really tall/skinny family on the shelving above my bed...ah, New York City living....

Tonight I'm off to evening cocktails at the W in Union Square and tomorrow will be a bike ride (or gym if this sideways downpour continues) and then Brooklyn Bowl with a group of friends in the evening....the adventures continue.

Till the next one.....JEG.

The Magical World of Disney....

Disney World for a Bachelorette Party? I was equally as dubious but it turned out to be a fantastic choice. There are plenty of options for adult activities and you can still twirl yourself sick on the teacups like you did as a child!

Our adventures included a day at the Magical Kingdom followed by an evening of "Around the World" embibing local drinks, fireworks and late night rides at Epcot. At 90 degrees with 100% humidity, the absolute soak we received on "Splash Mountain" was readily welcomed by all of us. "Soarin", one of the rides at Epcot was phenomenal and I would highly recommend it. You are strapped in to a harness ride suspended in the air in front of a huge IMAX screeen and literally soar through different places around the world. We even "flew" over San Diego - it was really unique and fun for everyone. 

The following day was spent poolside at our Disney resort and followed by dinner at Todd English's Restaurant, Blue Zoo. Not only was the decor fabulous but the service and food were phenomenal as well. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting DW. The Bachelorette Festivities continued at the Deuling Piano venue, which turned out being a total blast. 

There were a lot of "interesting" sights at Disney....from elderly gentlement with spiked glitter hair in scooters roaming around the park to children adorned in the latest Disney character gear, I guess the magic is distinctly personal. Just the sheer number of people at the parks was slightly overwhelming especially given some of relative unexpected populations that were exploring all the surprising treats the parks had to offer. 

We had a wonderful time filled with great friendship and tons of laughs; I think it will be a few years before I need another dose of Tinker Bell's pixy dust. 

Heading Home to the Native Land...Minnesota

This past weekend I headed back to the Midwest, the place of my birth, for my best friend's bridal shower. It's been about four years since I was last in the land of over 10,000 lakes and I always forget how wholesome the experience is. 

Despite spending the first 13 years of life there, I am always struck at the immense flatness of the Midwest. Flying into the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, I was able to identify many landmarks of my childhood. One included Buck Hill, a "ski" area we frequented in Middle School for skiing adventures and the locale of the high school ski race team's practice runs. I was shocked at how small it was...I guess Buck "Hill" is aptly named. 

People frequently refer to Midwesterners in a mocking tone with stereotypical adages of "You Betcha" and "Dontcha know" mostly coined from films like "Fargo" (filmed in Minnesota despite the North Dakota title). And I am totally a culprit of throwing in my MN accent for entertainment purposes. Being from there, I sometimes assume I'm entitled. 

Regardless, the charm and sincerity of Minnesotans, especially in a tough economic year like this one, is so refreshing. I was hard pressed not to smile at how nice every one was; whether I was at the Pharmacy or at the airport, every person I encountered was kind, gracious and hospitable. It brought a smile to my face. 

Part of my enjoyment was returning to a place that represents where my family comes from and my formative years as a person. The other part was enjoying the beauty of Minnesota in the Spring, the fabulous architecture of St. Paul, the amazing mansions on Summit Ave, and the humor of Minnesotans out in shorts in 55 degree weather! 

My trip was summed up with an unfortunate loss...in my hurry to catch an earlier flight back to San Diego, I lost my sunglasses in the security check (they got caught in the x-ray machine). Not until the next day did I realize they were gone. Blast! Not only did I love the glasses, but I didn't want to foot the bill to replace them. So, Monday morning I called TSA in Minneapolis without much hope. The nice (of course) gentleman on the phone asked me what brand they were. When I said Prada, he immediately said, "Sure do have 'em! I knew glasses that nice would be claimed." (I, on the other hand, thought glasses that nice would surely be stolen! - that's the cynic in me).  

So, my glasses are in the mail on their way home...I thanked the kind man and his parting words were "You betcha!" The stereotypes aren't too far from reality.

Newport Film Festival

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Newport Film Festival. One of my friends is doing PR for the event and got me VIP access to some amazing films....and one not so amazing film!  

Newport is a fun place to visit in Southern California...it's quite surreal and totally in-line with all the reality tv shows you see on TV. Amazing homes with unprecedented views of the water, high-fashion shopping, elaborate apparel worn for the most mundane tasks, and the home of the Newport Beach film festival! Shows were previewed at Fashion Island and at The Lido theater on Balboa Island. All sorts of celebrities were in attendance for the showings and the fabulous post parties.  

We drove up on Saturday and Sunday to check out the "scene" and see a few shows. It was quite entertaining! Two shows that I must recommend are "That's It, That's All" and "Rudo y Cursi". 

If you are a snow fan - skier or snowboarder, you'll appreciate "That's It, That's All" - the movie is a breathtaking documentary about snowboarding done with a fantastic soundtrack and the most amazing cinematography. I found myself grasping my seat and moving my feet as if I was riding the Alaskan glaciers and New Zealand terrain with these masters. Check out the trailers to see for yourself.  

For those who enjoy the Cuarón brother's (Carlos & Alfonso) films (i.e. "Y Tu Mama También", "Children of Men"), you'll love this new film with Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, "Rudo y Cursi".  This is Carlos's directorial debut and he couldn't have had a better pair of actors. The film is about two brother's plights to get out of the 'campo' and obtain fútbol stardom as professional soccer players in Mexico City. Gael and Diego are phenomenal together, as always, and the Argentine narrator and talent scout adds a soothing continuity to the movie. Even if you speak Spanish fluently, you still may need to defer to some of the subtitles as the Mexican slang is, as usual, quite prevalent! 

Now I better get on booking a flight for heli-skiing...where to go?! 

PS - the movie NOT to see.... "Made for Each Other". I wanted to poke both my eyes out!