Hanging out in Hampden

My morning started out with coffee and crab cake cornbread eggs benedict from Dooby's. WOW. I've never really liked crab in my younger years. Our family has a tradition of eating crab for dinner Christmas Eve. And as they sit around the table cracking crab, dipping it in butter, and thoroughly enjoying themselves, I would eat chicken strips and rice (my dad's specialty-"white dinners"). But I'd heard a lot about crab dishes and oysters in Baltimore being amazing, so I tried it and was blown away. 

I spent my second day in Baltimore in a neighborhood called Hampden, which I read about from Design Sponge.  I loved this area. It's full of antique shops, boutiques, amazing restaurants with fresh and local foods. I spent most of my day there wandering and exploring. 

I read about this show called Trohv on the Design Sponge guide. It was toted as a place to get paper products, and if I am anything it's a sucker for stationary and stamps and washi tape and ALL THE THINGS. Let me tell you...I was NOT disappointed. I swear this shop was never ending. Rooms off to the side, stairs leading to a basement with even more goodies. I found a mug there for my older brother, who has a birthday coming up, that's just perfect as he is a huge history buff. I also got a notepad for myself to write down all of my to-do's and grocery lists and notes. I love grabbing little things like this to remember my trips and specific experiences. 

I ate lunch at a fabulous place called The Food Market. I got these amazing tacos with a little side salad in a dish. 

Finished off my afternoon in Hampden at Artifact Coffee.

xxo

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A Quick Jaunt to Baltimore

My first day in Baltimore could be summed up by two words: hot and sweaty. Oh boy am I not used to such humidity. I literally felt myself melting into a puddle as the day wore on. I left New York around 6:45am on Amtrak. The ride wasn't too long. Only about 2 1/2 hours. And the Airbnb I stayed at was within walking distance of Baltimore's Penn Station, which was super convenient (and cost efficient). The neighborhood I stayed in is called Mount Vernon. Lots of statues and historical buildings. I mostly followed the guidance of The Every Girl and my Airbnb host for what to see and how to get there. 

From Mount Vernon I made my way to Fells Point and Federal Hill. Both neighborhoods are on the water of the inner harbor. I used Lyft to get there as the public transit in Baltimore didn't seem as easy to navigate as it is in Manhattan. I'd never used Lyft before, always Uber in the past. But my girlfriend I'm staying with in New York sent me a link to sign up that gave me five $10 ride credits, which totally sold me. The whole time I was in Baltimore I only ever paid the driver a tip because the cost of the ride was covered by my credits! (I still don't know how I feel about the option to tip though...to me that's part of the ease and convenience of Uber, not having to worry about tipping...). But if you're new to Lyft too, use this link or this code: KELLY238516 to get free ride credits too! 

Through the recommendation of my Airbnb host Amy I made my way over to the American Visionary Art Museum. I loved it! So many different mediums of art. 

From the museum I made my way back (by way of water taxi) to Fells Point to check out the bar where supposedly Edgar Allen Poe was seen for the last time before mysteriously dying a couple hours later. To me, it mostly just reminded me of Old Sacramento and the saloons/taverns there. But it was still a fun experience and a much needed cold beer on such a hot day. 

I finished off the evening sharing a bottle of wine with my host Amy and great conversation for like two hours before heading out for a later dinner. Through The Every Girl post I linked above, I decided on Sugarvale. It was so amazing. My drink was a spin on an old fashion, but even better. The ambiance was intimate and charming, and the burger that I got...holy cow (literally, see what I did there?). Especially the brioche bun it was on. I had very serious thoughts about going back my second night there to get it again...

xxo

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Brooklyn Bridge

I spent the other day walking over the Brooklyn Bridge and melting taking in all the amazing city views.  I've seen New York from so many different perspectives during this trip, and they're all breathtaking. 

The weather was pretty awful interesting. Cloud coverage and even a bit of sprinkles while I was crossing the bridge. But it made for some great pictures, so I'll endure it! Once I got over to Brooklyn I walked along the water and through the neighborhood a bit. 

I had every intention of checking out a couple breweries a friend told me about, but I got slightly confused on the subway and was hot and sticky and did not feel like waiting another 14 minutes for a delayed train. So I made my way back to the UWS to relax and lay naked on the bed with the AC blasting cool off. Solid day. 

xxo

Quick Quick, Slow Slow

Get ready for an onslaught of pictures, because that's basically how I spent the majority of my Monday this week-with my camera stuck to my face (I'm sure I looked like a real New Yorker and not some out of town tourist...).

I started out downtown in the Financial District. It was a little eerie because of the holiday. The streets were basically empty aside from the tourists. But it made for some great shots.

I made my way through Battery Park, and then over to the Staten Island Ferry. Seeing the Statue of Liberty was definitely surreal. I've seen it countless times in movies and t.v. But to see her up close and in person, made me so happy and patriotic.

Last time I was out here I walked through Washington Square Park, so I made my way uptown a bit and got a picnic from Dean & Deluca to enjoy in the park. It was perfection in that hour I sat in the park. I ate my lunch, wrote in my journal, enjoyed the jazz trio playing close by, and really just sat in my surroundings. It was beautiful. So many people out enjoying the weather. It really reminded me to slow down. 

xxo

Wandering Through Williamsburg

It's been a whirlwind of a start to my time here in New York. I started out in an interview with a preschool on the Upper West Side, and walked away with a job offer. I was excited and thrilled, but at the same time felt like I was either going to throw up or pass out. My head was swirling for the rest of the day. It's one thing to have a fantasy about moving to New York and working here. But when presented with the actual opportunity, my whole perspective shifted. There was the emotional side of it-exciting to move somewhere new and take on a new adventure; it would be fun to live in the same city as my best friend; and it would allow me to get away from the heartache and pain I've felt the past two months away from the kids I nannied. But then there's also the logical side of it-how the heck am I going to afford living in New York on a preschool teacher's salary?! how will I manage going back home and packing up my apartment (which I've lived in and loved deeply for the past eight years), how would I find a studio or one bedroom that I could afford on my own?...

I got a keychain last week that says "trust your gut," and I've written about that idea of following your heart and intuition recently. In the midst of all the back and forth in my heart and mind about taking this job and moving out so New York so quickly, I tried really hard to differentiate between what my gut was telling me, and what I felt "society" would tell me to do. I spent over an hour on the phone with my mother, sitting on a bench outside central park, crying intermittently...and although I felt like a crazy lady, this is New York and no one even cared. And something felt so right about actually being out in the city I've come to love so much talking through the situation, rather than being holed up in the apartment I'm staying at, completely detached from my surroundings.

It wasn't until I was at dinner later that evening with Elaine (the angel of a friend I'm staying with) that I had a bit of clarity. Elaine asked me, "Are you at a point in your life where you would be ok to work at a job you didn't feel fulfilled by?" My response was automatic and confident, "No." This fact was a major player in why I decided months ago that it was finally time for me to leave nannying. I felt like I needed to be working with adolescents. The second question Elaine asked was if this job was in Sacramento, would I take it? And my answer was the same, "No."

I want to work in a way that will fulfill my desire to work with adolescent girls. I want to feel like I am making a difference in their lives and acting as a mentor and guide to help navigate the crazy time that is adolescence.

So I'll hold out for something that fires me up in a way that this preschool offer did not. It's incredibly hard to reconcile the heart and the head though. I feel like people might see me as lame, or not doing anything exciting with my life, because I've lived in Sacramento my whole life. I never went away to college, I never studied abroad in college, I tend to be a homebody, and I like feeling rooted. And there's obviously nothing wrong with that. I need to get out of my own way and be happy and proud and content with the life I've created for myself. Because for the most part, I am. And I'd say I'm pretty damn lucky to feel that way.