It's good to be back.

downtown Manhattan/Brooklyn Bridge

It's been a whirlwind week but we're here! We made it! Family was in town through yesterday helping us get settled and unpacked (thanks, family!) and things are really starting to take shape around here. We are loving our new place and really loving being back "home" in our city. 

The other night we made a trip to Ikea in Brooklyn (not the smartest idea for my pregnant body after a long and tiring day -- that place is HUGE and exhausting!). On our way back we stopped in Brooklyn Heights for dinner and a quick stroll to the Promenade....sigh....those views! This city! Makes my heart melt every time. It's really good to be back :) 

Farewell, Boston...

The Charles River

So much that I wanted to say in my final weeks here in Boston, but too little time/too much busyness prevented it, I guess. And now here we are....our final weekend before loading up and heading out on Monday morning! 

It's been a grand adventure, a fun year of living a "new" life and exploring something different....exactly what Dan and I had always talked about ever since meeting/dating/marrying....our desire to live a life outside the box, a life full of adventure. There were some hard times, for sure, but I think it is safe to say that this past year fits that bill of adventure and fullness pretty well! And I am incredibly thankful for our time here. 

Now onto the next adventure! (will try to post from NY once we are settled, whenever that might be :) 

Boxes galore.

hello boxes

It's official. We're really moving! I mean, of course I've known that, but wow. The reality of it all is has really set in. Living in a fortress of boxes will do that, I guess. (ps: didn't we just do this?!). We had an amazingly productive weekend of packing thanks to Dan and a dear friend who came all the way from New York to help out (a million thanks, my friend!!). I really don't know what we would have done without her because these days I am no longer capable of of lifting, carrying, bending, etc. (big belly + low blood pressure issues + doctor's orders). So yeah....slightly limiting. Thankfully we will also have (parental) support on the other end to help us get everything in order. I will be so happy to finally be back and settled and ready for Baby in New York!  

Things I'll miss...

Even though I am so happy about heading back to New York, there are definitely things I will miss about Cambridge.
Little things, like seeing this church on my way home each evening:

...which also houses a ballet theater and has this beautiful statue (that makes me want to dance) out front. 

The weather has been so dreamy lately (this city really is so beautiful in the summertime) and I am realizing how quickly this chapter is coming to a close....that I won't be walking these Cambridge streets for much longer. Feeling a tad nostalgic these days about it all. 

(but then I think of last winter, and reconsider :)

Some news!

Boston skyline on the 4th of July

Well, I think it's time to finally (officially) spill the beans on here. We are saying farewell to Boston in a few weeks and moving back to NEW YORK!! It's a loooong story, but I will attempt to share the cliffs notes version here now :)

We really had no idea what would happen post-Harvard -- whether we would move or stay and where would be going if we did move. And I honestly had no idea if New York would ever enter the picture again. Dan had been working on developing a new business venture during his time here that got a lot of traction throughout the year, but it was an up and down roller coaster ride not knowing whether they would receive funding or get the idea off the ground. In the meantime, he was applying for jobs all up and down the East Coast as back-up. 

Then we got the best news last month -- a group of investors decided to invest in Dan and his team and their idea! Amazing! They've been up and running ever since -- so exciting and I am SO PROUD of him.

Although there will be a team based up here in Boston, they needed a team to get things rolling in New York for a number of business reasons, and so we decided to move back (a no brainer, really -- we love New York (obviously!), not to mention it's much closer to family and friends and with a little one on the way, the last thing we wanted was to be isolated and far away from everyone). 

Sooooo, it's back to the Big Apple for us! So so excited. It was pretty much a nightmare trying to find an apartment (but we finally did! UWS!!) and there have been so many details and glitches and hang-ups along the way that I was nervous to even say the words out loud let alone in writing. But now it appears that everything is in place (at least, we think so!) and we are scheduled to leave at the end of the month! 

Not really looking forward to moving at 7 months pregnant. Or finding a new doctor and hospital (anyone have any recommendations? seriously? :). BUT...am SO looking forward to being back in a community of people who know and love us. And being back in a city that makes my heart sing....!  

And there you have it...our big news! The next few weeks should be interesting with all the packing that needs to be done (and I move like a snail these days) and all the Boston/New England fun we'd like to experience before heading out. We'll have to see what we can do -- and I will try to capture some of that on here as we go! 

We're here! And have internet!

Charles River ~ taken during our last visit to Boston
Just a quick post to let you know we have arrived safe and sound in Cambridge. And...so far, so good! No major meltdowns, no intense bouts of homesickness, just working hard to get the apartment organized and ready. This is actually one of our first breaks since getting here -- we've been unpackin' fools! But now we are relaxing a bit, sitting in our newly put-together living room (which looks awesome, thanks to Dan) sipping wine and watching The Bachelorette (he is filling in for my NY friends who used to stop by & watch with me. sigh...).

There have been some emotional moments, for sure, especially pulling away from our apartment on Saturday morning. That was hard. But overall, this transition has been easier than I thought it would be (so far, that is -- I do realize it's only been 2 days!). For starters, I LOVE our apartment. Seriously love it. Coming from several years of tiny, old Manhattan apartments (that were charming, yes, but OLD), this apartment is a nice and welcome change. (And the years before that included: living in the attic of an old house outside of Newark, New Jersey; sharing a crumbling, old house in Ann Arbor, Michigan with four other girls (one shower); and living with multiple roommates in an old, former U.S. Air Force dormitory during my time in Lakeside, Montana. The theme here: OLD). So yeah, this is great :) Not to mention there is more cabinet & closet space than I have ever had in my adult life! Wahoo!

I would like to be able to post city photos each day this week, but not sure that it will happen. So far we haven't gotten out much to explore, just quick errands here & there, and we are trying to get as much done as possible before we leave for vacation next week. But I will try!

So until next time....

Farewell (for now)...

girls' night out
Instead of a New York City photo tonight, I thought I'd do a little photo medley of people. My people. My friends. The friends who have made this whole experience so much richer and more fun.

Tonight we had one more night out on the town, hitting up three of my favorite New York establishments on the Upper East Side, my old stomping ground: Cilantro, Elaine's and Brandy's Piano Bar. And they did not disappoint. It was the perfect way to wrap up my time here: w/ friends, laughter and singing!

Tomorrow we pack up the truck and scrub down the apartment, and then Saturday morning we head out very early in the a.m. Goodbye, New York....hello, Boston!

I may be offline tomorrow because, well, we will be crazybusy, but also we are taking the cable/internet boxes back to Time Warner. So...I guess this is it...! I will see you on the other side! Thanks for sharing in my New York journey with me. Really. It's meant a lot...

ps -- & I am not sure what our internet situation will be like up there the first few days, so I will connect again as soon as I can...! Until then...

and the packing continues...

a pretty Upper West Side building
It is late. Very late. (2:45 a.m. to be exact). And I am sitting in our now unrecognizable living room surrounded by towers of boxes.

We spent most of the day cooped up inside packing and building these box towers {minus three very lovely breaks: 1) lunch with a good friend in Hell's Kitchen; 2) dinner out with Dan -- we had a gift certificate for Tea & Sympathy that had to be used stat -- and what a charming little place! very cute, authentic-feeling British restaurant tucked away in the Village); and 3) a late night visit from a friend who helped me pick out my new headshots (which I had taken the other day!) and kept us company while sorting/packing, etc.}. Okay, so that sounds like I wasn't really home or doing much packing at all, but truly! A lot really was accomplished and I am absolutely pooped now.

And so the Deep Thoughts I had planned to share with you tonight (on moving, New York, yadda, yadda) must be put on hold. But here's a crazy twist: why don't you share with me, instead?! I would love to hear from you, my readers, my friends. I started this little blog in 2007 as a way to develop the habit of writing more regularly and also to keep friends and family in the loop of my goings-on in the big city. But now it seems like I have picked up a few New York-lovers along the way (which I love!) so I'd love to hear about you in the comments section below...where you're from, how you found me, your favorite New York story or experience, or even just some words of wisdom on moving/transition :) Anything really! It'd just be nice to connect.

And in the meantime, I am heading off to dreamland. 'Night.

The Journey.

beautiful Chrysler
I am thinking about the journey tonight....what led me here to the city initially -- the changes, maturation and LIFE I was seeking at the time -- and all that has happened and unfolded since then (all of those things and more).

What is it about New York? Why do so many people (including me) flock to it, craving a fresh start? A new beginning? It seems to be the symbol of so many things: dreams and ambition, for sure, but also growth and enrichment, possibility and freedom. But sometimes you reach that point of enrichment and growth, and then it is time for new experiences, new opportunities of growth.

This week has been really hard for me, thinking (nostalgically) about the girl that I was when I first moved here, knowing that I will never have that experience or feeling again of heading into the Big City all by my lonesome, the terror and excitement and anticipation all mixing together, my dreams and hopes for what *could be* looming so large inside of me. (Not that I am ruling out the possibility of moving back here one day -- it could be a possibility -- but the circumstances would be so different the second time around).

But I have to remind myself that THIS is what I was after when I came here. All of this, that I have now. And when I think back over all of the New York experiences I have under my belt -- the off-broadway show, the gigs, the classes I participated in, all of the wonderful friendships made, etc., I am proud of that girl. Happy she took the plunge, happy it turned out the way that it did. And yes, happy for this next chapter to begin. It is time to keep moving ahead, keep growing, to keep adding on those new and enriching experiences. And this time I don't have to go into it all by my lonesome, I have a buddy to go with me. And that makes me *very* happy :)

Sunset.

sunset on the Hudson
moving update: we are officially in the throes of it all, with half of our lives packed up in boxes and stuff everywhere. there's no turning back, now! lots of emotions are spilling out all over the place, but it's okay. even with the difficulty of this transition, there is still excitement. truly.

i have lots to share from the weekend (party at the boat basin + shakespeare in the park) but for now, it's late and so i must sign off. more tomorrow.

Last Day.

midtown buildings
Tomorrow is my last day of work. Even though that is a good thing in a lot of ways, I have been experiencing so many mixed emotions this week -- sadness, nostalgia, anxiety (to name a few). I guess that is normal. Even though this job wasn't necessarily my passion, it's been such a huge part of my life over the last 4 years...such a crucial part of my New York journey. Plus, let's face it: change is hard, people.

And so, in the throes of it all, I am feeling nostalgic, and feeling it deeply, remembering who I was when I first got here...a new and unknown chapter laid out before me.

And that is where I find myself once again. Another new chapter. Another new city. I can only hope it will be as good as this one has been (I have a feeling it will be).

Some News...

a magical, nooky street*
So. I have some mighty big news to share...news that I've been putting off sharing on here because we wanted to make for sure for sure it was all really happening...and also because it's hard for me to grasp & fathom & say out loud sometimes! But...here goes: we are moving to Boston!

My incredibly amazing husband & his very big brains have gotten accepted to a Harvard grad program* that starts July 21, 2010. So...what that means in a nutshell: we are leaving our beloved New York in just 34 short days and embarking on a whole new Big City adventure.

There are, as you can imagine, lots of emotions flying around these parts lately. Lots of excitement, some tears, some fear. But mostly we just feel a lot peace and readiness. I haven't talked much about it here, but over the last several months we have both been feeling a bit antsy and ready for a change. I've been in New York almost 5 years now, and though I love it with all my heart, even I was sensing it was maybe time for a change. We were both very open and actively seeking various opportunities and ideas, some in New York, some outside of New York. In the end, this is the door that opened for us, and so we are walking through it, ready for a new city and a new life adventure together.

So far things are falling into place quite nicely. We were up there last weekend looking for a place to live, and successfully settled on an adorable 2 bedroom apartment in Cambridge that we call the Friends apartment (b/c the brightly painted walls & super-cute, cheery kitchen reminds us of Monica's amazing apartment :). It is located on a sweet, tree-lined street just minutes from Harvard Square, a part of Cambridge we immediately fell in love with.

It may not be New York, but Cambridge/Boston just drips with charm and magic (2 of my favorite things) and my hope is that I will fall in love with my new city the way I fell in love with New York. I do plan to keep up with this blog, so perhaps you'll join me on this new adventure and we can all fall in love together?! What do you say? (please say yes -- I will need some friends & support along the way :)

There are lots of things to do and see in the next 34 days, and I plan to live my NY life to the fullest right up to the end! So tune back in for lots of photos and updates.

xo

*surprise -- that picture up there is BOSTON, not New York!! hehe...see how charming it is? I think we will all have a perfectly lovely time exploring Boston together :)

**a random side-note: the program Dan is doing is the same one that Ashley Judd is currently enrolled in. Kind of fun, right? Maybe she'll be my friend :)

moving day.

from the east side...


{old UES rooftop}

to the west...


{new UWS rooftop}

it's official. i've moved.