Back to New York

Long walks down memory lane

The first destination was Maman—my favorite coffee chain in the whole wide world. Maura and I split the piña colada croissant cube and a slice of zucchini bread that made me add “bake zucchini bread” to my summer bucket list. Once we were full, we took a little thirteen block stroll down 6th Avenue to my alma mater. Took some selfies because Maura missed my graduation last year (she got COVID the day before) and we never got to celebrate the moment together. Hopefully this’ll do. 

We went our separate ways, and I walked to Chelsea to meet up with my friend Molly. We caught up over her lunch break, and she took me by some fancy art galleries and into an art bookstore where they were selling a zine full of pictures of Wawas in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Sadly, it did not come home with me. Once the sun finally came out we stopped into La Colombe to cool off, and then we bid adieu. 

I had some time to kill before my next rendezvous, and because there’s nothing like a Hot Girl Walk in the New York heat, I strolled down 6th Avenue once again and into the West Village. Treated myself to some Muji pens and couldn’t pass up the disco sponges from Big Night’s Manhattan outpost. I also got some fancy chocolate covered dates from a brand called Date Better because I just had to buy something else. They carry so many cute things! 

Then it was back to The New School to relive the glory days one last time and into Washington Square Park. I met up with Abby for a late lunch (a dutiful Beli user) at 12 Chairs, and we split the hummus and each got a lamb burger, which were complete with one of life’s greatest luxuries: a thick slab of salty feta. She inspired me to write this newsletter after telling me her cousin Sinéad has noticed I haven’t written in a while. So this one is dedicated to you, Sinéad. 😝😝😝

New York needs no explanation, yet it’s so hard to describe to those who don’t “get it” or think it’s too busy to actually live there. My walks to and from my old school buildings the other day felt so comfortable and familiar, but at the same time I felt so distant from the girl who used to walk on that exact stretch of West 12th Street multiple times a week. Since graduating I feel as though I’ve lived so many different lives. The unemployed graduate who thought she was destined to fail. The recent grad who was so excited to have a desk job. The girl who learned she hated sitting in front of a computer all day. And now the girl who’s back to working in the restaurant industry until the next adventure starts.

“On any person who desires such queer prizes, New York will bestow the gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy.” –E.B. White

Heading back to New York was a great reminder of who I used to be and who that version of myself wanted to become. Certain corners reminded me of the loneliness I experienced throughout college, and others reminded me of the contentedness I reached once I became comfortable with myself. It’s quite a wonderful place to return to.