Oh deary, our bus arrived in D.C. super late last night after a crazy (and wet) 45 minute delay in NYC, so H and I didn’t go to bed until quite late last night. Nonetheless, I’m back and at ‘em! Off to work and chipper about it, thanks to a great weekend. I don’t think 24 hours have ever been so adventurously filled with activity. I’m planning on doing a full recap, but in the meantime, I’ll have to give you this little gem of contemplation and a raincheck for tomorrow. So here’s just a few nuggets for thought–some of it is New York specific, but much of it is just reflection inspired by said trip and city.
(20)12 Things I Learned I Love in NYC This Weekend
1) Open air markets. Of the flea and farmers’ varieties.
2) Making plans and then foregoing of them for spontaneity. Because this is your life, and you can do that.
3) Good bagels + iced coffee are among the most wonderful combinations ever.
4) There is something inherently romantic about a city where you don’t know anybody. And because nobody knows nobody, everybody knows everybody.
5) Apple. Ginger. Beer Soda. Brooklyn, get at me.
6) Hot guys in cheese shops. Wearing aprons.
7) When H suggests it would be wonderful if said hot guy were just wearing an apron.
10) When the sheer breath and soul of a city infuses itself into your own energy, life, and happiness.
11) Umbrellas are overrated. It’s perfectly acceptable to laugh, sing, and dance when your bus back to DC is late, and Mother Nature decides you need a fully-clothed shower. (Her water pressure is remarkable.)
12) The sweetness of friendship. When friends will jump in front of oncoming traffic to save you. When they will laugh at the stupidest of jokes and talk about the most pensive of things. When they will not just read–but write–your thoughts because they know you better than you know yourself. When dessert is not even a question. When they teach you about who you are as a person, the hard way. When I is always we, yours is always mine. When they will share every last bite, and drink up happiness with you. When they put in an extra dollar for the tip or subway. When they will watch you try on a million watches, full well knowing that you still won’t be on time. When they acknowledge that the effort you put in is the most valuable result. When they know that you don’t seek praise, just understanding. When you want to cry because your love for them feels almost overwhelming. When terribly empty food, comfort, patience, and energy, they will remain full of love for something greater: your friendship.
I haven’t legit blogged for a few days, and it feels crazy weird. In the past year (!!!), I’ve become so used to writing on here–telling you about the good, the bad, the ugly, and the awesome.
This time though, I promise I didn’t disappear out of stress or overloaded schedules. No siree, this weekend was full of fun and adventure, simple things and random stories.
Because we all know I’m type A until the doggies come home, how about a list?
Oh yes, lists, colons, commas, indents. They’re game changers.
Thursday:
B and I went to the Whole Foods again in Foggy Bottom for a little bit of…..trivia! If you remember, we went to WF a few weeks ago and miraculously won the trivia night. Naturally, we had to go back, when we heard they were holding a second night of fun. And guess what? It was reaffirmed that we are the ultimate food nerds. We won! Whole Foods trivia champs back-to-back, indeed. I know way too much about fruits and vegetables. And B knows way too much about all things Italy…especially wine
Naturally, we celebrated with veggie burgers.
Have I told you I’m on the quest to find the world’s best (homemade) veggie burger? Yep, it’s totally a thing.
But more on that later. The Whole Foods veggie burger was absolutely delish. And contrary to the Whole Foods stereotype, it was CHEAP!
Don’t believe me? (I probably wouldn’t..) I present to you the $5.00 Veggie Burger. With every topping a girl could ever ask for.
(except avocado..harumph)
SO GOOD.
After trivia, I chatted with B for awhile, talked to H on the phone, and then hung out with some friends until way-too-late. ‘Twas a good night
After a sparse few hours of sleep, I woke up and jogged down to the coffee shop to open for the day. Something about 7 a.m. and the smell of freshly ground coffee is downright peaceful. I was supposed to work until 7 a.m., but after a few people didn’t show up on time or at all, I ended up working till around noon. I didn’t really mind! Proof that I would probably work even if I didn’t get paid at all..
Post-work, I went home and showered, ate a super-fast lunch and then met H at Union Station to catch a train for Baltimore.
Oh snap, look at this West Coast-ee becoming quite the traveled East Coaster We went to Baltimore for a birthday party for J, who is H’s best friend from growing up. I had talked to J a bunch but had never met her in person; even so though, I must say—she was all sorts of awesome! Despite a sincere lack of sleep and a bout of motion sickness in the morning, the food was wonderful (homemade vegetarian!) and the company was even better.
(counter-clockwise)
a) Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), cucumbers with artichoke dip, hummus, and pita chips
b) Frozen honey greek yogurt with roasted fruit
c) Pasta salad, fruit with mint/basil, more grape leaves, olives, and caprese salad
We didn’t get much sleep on Friday night (did you really expect 4 girls to not spend the entire night talking?), so we slept in a bit late on Saturday and then trekked to The Red Canoe for brunch. After so much delicious food the night before, I was still full! I decided to just go with a mug of coffee, which started off as a wonderful choice.
Locally-roasted Zeke’s snickerdoodle coffee with a splash of soymilk and a dab of stevia. Sipped in a red mug, of course!
What started out as a great idea though quickly became a wee bit of a problem. When it comes to motion sickness, I’m a prime candidate—especially on an empty stomach. Though the coffee helped initially, it wasn’t long before a bout of headaches and nausea set in.
Ugh. Not my finest moment.
Luckily, we eventually made it back to D.C. around the early evening, and I promptly devoured some blue corn tortilla chips, in hopes that it would make me feel a bit better. H and I declared that we both had a “sleepover hangover” (totes true), so we spent Saturday night hunkered down with a few slices of pizza and a good rom com with father H.
Perfecto. I wasn’t feeling 100% by the end of the night but certainly better than I had that morning.
Sunday, however, held the cure….
Which I’ll tell you about next time
I’ll give you a hint: the cure starts with a P!
P.S. Check out H’s recap of the Coldplay concert HERE!
[[Oops, I totally thought I published this but forgot! Excuse the out-of-order craziness!]]
Hi friends!
Has it really been a week? Wowza, I miss my little bloggie.
It’s been a big last few weeks. East Coast, West Coast, Los Angeles, New York, and so much more.
Care for the summary? Here’s what happened:
Home, Sweet California: I finished my freshman year at Georgetown University and came home to California! It was a busy last two weeks at Georgetown, and I really needed to go home for a little while to sort it out.
Reconnected with Home: I hung out with family, saw best friends, went to the beach, and lived the California life.
Musings on Home: I thought. A lot. About this summer and home…and everything in between. I gave you the run down for this summer–
3 weeks home in California
1 week in New York on family vacation
Rest of the summer in Washington D.C., working/interning/living a summer with my best friends!
Whew, I told you a lot happened! So what’s been happening lately?
NEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YORK!!!
But New York didn’t just happen. I sufficiently ate my way through it too!
I have so so so so so many pictures of New York eats, but I don’t want to be responsible for death by pixels. Let’s go with a random mishmash of what I ate, did, saw, etc., shall we? And because you know how much I love lists, let’s throw some numbers in the mix too.
Feast your eyes, my friends, because this WIAW post is about to get cray.
NEW YORK, June 2012: IN PICTURES
[[From top left, clockwise]]
WIAW for…My Belated Birthday in New York
Double Rainbow..whoa! : The moment we arrived in LaGuardia Airport, it was raining and had been for awhile. We managed to make it to the Hertz rental lot semi-dry, and soon enough, the rain stopped. While Mum and Dad took care of getting the car inside, Blake and I sat on a bench outside and talked. Then, we saw a pretty fantastic rainbow. And not just any rainbow…a double rainbow!
Birthday Dinner: My birthday is April 30—a perfect time in Spring that I absolutely love. Except for the fact that it signifies the beginning of AP tests in high school and finals in college. POOP. My family has kindly offered to celebrate my birthday in a belated fashion instead for the past few years. And this year, we decided to celebrate while in New York City! The dinner pick: Josie’s East Side. I would have probably tried Candle Café were I alone, but I don’t think Blake and Dad would have been too excited about all vegetarian options.
The Birthday Order: Forever on the hunt for the world’s best veggie burger, I ordered the multigrain veggie burger (quinoa, barley, and one other?) with soy cheddar cheese. The burger patty itself was decent, but I wasn’t a big fan of the soy cheese. Typically, I love soy cheese, but this variety had a super strange after taste. Still, the patty was good! I got a side of pumpkin soup as well.
OMG OMG OMG DESSERT: Seriously, even if you skim over the rest of the post, read this. Post-dinner, we set out for dessert. A friend raved about Magnolia Bakery, but I had my eye on Lula’s Apothecary earlier. Because I have a hugh jass sweet tooth but am also terribly indecisive, I somehow persuaded my parents to go on a crusade for both desserts. We picked up a gigantic slice of coconut cake from Magnolia Bakery, before making our way to Greenwich Village for a vegan confection from Lula’s. At Lula’s, Blake and I split a two-scoop cup of cookies ‘n cream ice cream and a cup of cake batter soft serve. The frozen desserts from Lula’s were AMAZING!!!!! Absolutely delicious—vegan or otherwise. The Magnolia cake was mediocre, especially in comparison to the Lula’s desserts. If you are in NYC, please go try Lula’s ASAP.
What I Decided…New York, I Love You
These Lights Will Inspire You: Walking out of Grand Central Station, I couldn’t stop smiling. I love New York City. As a person who never stops moving, NYC suits me in ways I can’t explain. It makes me feel so incredibly alive, as if the bustle and life of the city infuses into my own soul. I don’t know that I could live there my entire life, but I know for sure that I could live there for a bit of time.
Late and Looking Good: Because I try to pack so much into one day, I’m often late going and coming places. My family and friends always tease me about it, so when I saw this sign, I was practically dancing with glee. (Maybe that was the sugar high?). Okay okay, so maybe I “interpreted” this sign a little bit, but hey, let’s just call that creative license.
What I Saw…Mohonk Mountain House
White Cedars: After dinner in NYC, we drove an hour north and then spent the night in a hotel on the way to our final destination. The next morning, we arrived at one of my favorite places on Earth—Mohonk Mountain House. This place is special beyond words, and being that it’s our third visit, our White Cedars cottage feels like home.
A Thousand Sparkling Diamonds:Mohonk sits on a lake that is absolutely breathtaking. Nestled in the mountains, it is the most perfect retreat from the worries of life. There’s gazeboes all around the lake that allow for optimal sitting and soaking in of the beauty. In the sunlight, the lake’s sparkling is more than can be illustrated in photograph.
Plants and Paths: Surrounded by tons of hiking trails, Mohonk has more than enough to keep me busy between the week. I’ve taken to hiking up the mountain most mornings to start off my day. It’s the time I take to simply contemplate and think to myself.
Questions of the Day:
Have you ever been to New York?
City slicker or country kid?
Ahh, the LA adventures. Even after a few days, the memories are still making me laugh out loud. Upon returning home from LA on Thursday, I was pretty darn tired and not too excited about the prospect of spending all day Friday driving.
When I woke up the next morning, I called C and asked if she’d be okay with leaving in the early afternoon instead of the morning. C was fine with it, so I decided to tackle a few errands.
Breakfast (cereal+yogurt+berries+iced coffee) was had. Lunch (power wrap + sliced cukes & berries) was prepped; and rooms were cleaned.
I also sent a foodie package to the lovely B in Rhode Island, with a . I would call it a lovely wrapped package, but who I am kidding. Crafts are not my forte. Instead, I’ll just call it wrapped with love.
B sent me a package that arrived on Friday, but the contents of that magical box are a story for another day! Instead, let’s talk LA.
FRIDAY
I intended to pick up C from her house at around 1:15ish, but by the time I dealt with the mysteries of the post office, it was 2 ‘o clock. In other words….
^ Hahah why yes, yes it does. You can thank B for that one. Anywhos, C and I laughed and joked up to LA, making good time until Venice Blvd.
Sadly, by 3 pm, the fantastic wonder of LA traffic began…Chaos like clockwork.
Without air conditioning (it was broken in the car I share with my brother), we were both rather delirious. That, of course, resulted in singing just about every Top 40 hit on the radio loudly, and obnoxiously off-key in my case.
Yes, this happened.
And plenty of reminiscing about old high school dance moments. Sunburned from sitting in traffic, albeit in high spirits, C and I finally made it to our destination…..UCLA!
That’s the University of California, Los Angeles—for those of you snazzy out-of-staters.
We parked (haha, take note of this) in a two-hour metered spot in Westwood and then made the trek across campus to meet best friend, C.
Wait, another C? Yep! We’ll call her C2 for now.
After plenty of greetings, spontaneous laughing, and bear hugs, the three of us walked around for a bit and then headed back to C2’s room. College stories commenced. We talked for almost two hours, before deciding that it was most definitely time for dinner. C2, being a legit LA pro, picked the place.
We were on our way to the restaurant, when I freaked out and saw that my watch read 6:40 pm.
6:40 p.m., as in the time our parking meter expired.
“Holy *&#@! Crap! Effin dangit!”
Something like that ensued, before I bolted like a crazed racehorse and ran to our parking spot two blocks away. When I saw the car still there, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Until I spied a little red-embellished enveloped. And then, there was more of this:
As soon as I walked up to the restaurant, I realized why C2 had picked the place. The line was around the block, and the wondrous smell of freshly-baked pizza wafted out the door.
Homemade, gourmet Neapolitan pizza? Oh yes, I needed this.
C & C2 were near the front of the line by the time I arrived, so I hopped in line with them and we tossed around ideas for ordering.
The Menu & Order
800 Degrees has a shortlist of specialty pizzas but also gave diners the option to create-their-own pizza from lists of veggies + proteins. Both lists were extensive in nature and artisan in description. The protein list included various authentic Italian meats, both cured and fresh. Pancetta was even sliced to order from a big honkin’ machine. The veggie/cheese list—clearly my main squeeze—included everything from roasted eggplant to caramelized onions and buffalo mozzarella to truffle cheese.
Instantaneously agreeing that we wanted to try both a pizza with mushrooms and a pizza with red sauce, we ordered two pizzas and a side salad to split.
Both pizzas were good, but the Tartufo was my favorite. I loved the extra garlicky olive oil and earthy mushrooms. I don’t know that I could taste the truffle oil, but I liked the pizza nonetheless. The salad was pretty standard (fruit+nuts+cheese). It was good, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to order it again.
The restaurant itself was wonderfully decorated. We chose to eat-in, which made for a rather noisy experience, but it wasn’t entirely a bad thing. For a medium pizza, it was around $6 for the margherita and $12 for the Tartufo, making the restaurant within reasonable means for a college student.
I preferred 800 Degrees to Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown, both because it was quicker/more convenient and better in terms of food.
The Big, Fat Bottom Line: 800 Degrees
Food: B+
Service: A
Ambience: B
Pretty good! I would definitely come back. I’m a still a homemade pizza girl at heart, but as far as restaurant Neapolitan pizza goes, this was delish
We left the restaurant pretty darn full…but with just enough room for one thing:
Gelato!
C2 had one meal swipe left, so we decided to split a gelato from one of the campus eateries. As in every decision, all three of us said, “I’m okay with anything—you pick!” Typical. I finally (wo)manned up, and ordered.
Deliciousness in two varieties: “cookies ‘n cream” and “cookie sensations.”
Which basically translated to Oreo and cookie dough. Plus a pirouette cookie and a water (to share of course!).
Yum! I haven’t had gelato in years (maybe since going to Switzerland), so this was fantastic. The eatery also had gourmet personal pizzas, including a vegan option at that! Such a win. If only Georgetown had food that good…
Post-gelato, we entertained the idea of heading to Trader Joe’s with C2’s friends but then decided to hang in the dorm instead. More gossiping, storytelling, and catchup on each other’s lives ensued. I’d like to think of it as necessary chilling.
A little past midnight, C and I said our goodbyes, promising to plan an East Coast reunion for the three of us soon. On our way home, C & I just talked and laughed. Nothing fancy but oh so wonderful, considering we don’t get to do that often.
Gee, I sound like I’m celebrating a marathon finish. Because traveling cross country with limbs and baggage intact is totally a victory, I know.
Whew, it was a long 8 hours of traveling, but I am beyond excited to be in DC. I have to keep reminding myself that this is for real—that this isn’t just a “summer vacation.”
That’s our mascot. Jack the Bulldog. I love him already. How can you NOT love a face like that??
Anyways…
Because I didn’t know how timing would workout during my layover in Chicago, I packed a lunch from home. Technically, it last “home-cooked” meal until Thanksgiving!
I planned to take photos but failed again. By the time I got out my food and utensils, that food didn’t stand a chance. I was hangry!! My camera knows not to mess with a hangry girl.
Sooo sadly, no pictures. Breakfast + lunch blogging fail. Just wait until you hear about dinner…
Snack:
On the plane, Southwest gave out free snacks! Granted it was nothing fancy, but the thought was nice. All passengers had a choice of two or three out of the following: airplane-shaped (!!) saltines, golden oreo cakesters, cheese nips, peanuts, or pretzels. Can you guess which snackage I chose?
Pretzels!! I luuurve pretzels, which explains why I demolished two packs in record time.
They also gave out “seconds,” upon request. Who does that?!?! Not American Airlines, that’s for sure…
I always liked Southwest, but I am a definite fan now.
My seatmate, who was flying to New York, was really friendly, which made the flight that much more enjoyable. He saw me uploading/editing some photos of the world’s most delicious homemade pizza, so we had a nice conversation about this blog and blogging in general as well. (If you ever read this…Hi Grant!)
He also let me in on an awesome, relatively unknown Southwest tip/secret.
If you book with Southwest and then cancel your flight, you don’t lose your money. The airlines transfers the value of the unused ticket to your account as “credit” for use on the flight of your choice within a year’s time. In other words, if you miss your flight or have to cancel at the last second, it’s not the end of the world. Woohoo, “store credit” is always a good thing in my book. Pretty rad, eh?
Lunch:
My home-packed lunch consisted of…
- 1 roasted sweet potato (I’m going to miss these!!)
- 1 juicy, California peach
- 1 giganto salad with red leaf lettuce, red cabbage, kalamata olives, carrots, tomatoes
- “Robust” Greek Pasta a la The Little Grill Collective
I have to head to bed early tonight because tomorrow is going to be a big day. I’m trekking back to the airport, where I’ll be getting picked up by a Georgetown student involved in Leadership & Beyond, which is the pre-orientation program that I’m participating in for the next five days. From the airport, we’re heading to Gtown’s campus. Things are getting more and more official!! Once on campus, I’m going to move in my stuff, meet my roommate, and explore/get settled in.
Time to hit the hay. Goodnight sunshines
P.S. Sorry for all of the internet pictures. Real pics coming tomorrow!
Edit: I meant to have this published earlier, but stupid airport wifi did not want to cooperate. Oh well, enjoy!
Helloo from above the clouds
I woke up bright and early this morning (read: the [butt]crack of dawn..) to catch a morning flight to Washington D.C. I was pretty excited/nervous, as it was my first time ever flying alone! I stayed up way too late last night transferring recipes and formatting the recipe index, so I was pretty wiped out when my alarm went off at 5:30.
As in a.m. Oy.
After suffering some initial grumpiness, I perked right up remembered that morning meant breakfast.
Breakfast is by far my favorite meal, which is probably why I have it for dinner so often as well!
Because I wasn’t exactly a Speedy Gonazalez this morning (who is at 5:30 a.m.?!), I was running a few minutes behind schedule. Which meant breakfast had to be……FAST!
…which meant all of 3.5643 seconds.
Originally, I intended to have oatmeal, but that didn’t quite go as planned due to my time pickle. Instead, I decided to swap my usual bowl of oats for a quick cup o’ cereal.
Breakfast:
Trader Joe’s Organic High Fiber O’s (so good!) and Kashi GoLean! plus a wee bit of Silk Pure Almond Milk.
How about some live pictures of the breakfast action?
HA. Funny joke. Those three seconds and change were used to launch myself across the kitchen, fling some cereal into a red, plastic cup, and pray to God that the flying blur of almond milk from the fridge would somehow end up in said cup.
By some unimaginable feat of nature, I pulled it off. Miracles happen. Never say never, people.
I’d like to thank Justin Beiber for teaching me that.
Haha, yeah right. Sorry Beibs.
The plane is about to land in Chicago for a quick layover, so I better go.
This post was going all downhill after Justin Beiber came into the picture, anyway.
"You, Me, and A World to See" is a blog celebrating my passion for silly musings, whimsical photos, and of course, delicious, healthy food.
It is a celebration of life. Of reflecting on the ways and means of each and every day. Of striking a balance, getting lost and finding myself. Of learning how to be one for many and tasting happiness along the way.
Rising sophomore at Georgetown University. Fueled by music, sunshine, and dreams. Food Aficionado. Nutrition Enthusiast. Dedicated lover of puns. Yours truly.
Contributing Writer for college.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/
We went to Baltimore for a birthday party for J, who is H’s best friend from growing up. I had talked to J a bunch but had never met her in person; even so though, I must say—she was all sorts of awesome! Despite a sincere lack of sleep and a bout of motion sickness in the morning, the food was wonderful (homemade vegetarian!) and the company was even better.
