Mar 2
Catching Up With A Cleveland Friend
Yesterday, I headed over to Bed, Bath and Beyond, where I had the pleasure of catching up with my Cleveland-based friend Ryan.
Ryan and me
Ryan was in town sampling his delicious Inca Tea. Ryan and two of his college friends were inspired to create Inca Tea after hiking a 16,000 foot Peruvian mountain trail. During their journey, they learned about an ancient Incan tea recipe including antioxidant rich purple corn.
As a longtime tea lover, I love that all Inca Teas are non-GMO and made with 100% natural ingredients. Each individual tea bag is also twice the size of what you get from other brands. Inca Tea currently offer four varieties–black, mango, peach and my personal favorite, the top selling spiced berry. New flavors coconut ginger and chamomile will debut next month.
Ryan’s visit to sample Inca Teas in NYC and New Jersey coincided with a significant anniversary — five years to the day since my Great Dating Blitz.
Ryan was one of several fun, friendly singles I met in Cleveland, the first stop on my eight-week, eight city adventure. As we reminisced and caught up about life, work and dating, I couldn’t help thinking about how much I’ve grown because of everything I experienced during that eventful trip.
Cleveland rocks: (from left) Locals Diana, Ryan and Kim showed me a great time during my Great Dating Blitz visit (March 2010).
I’ve written and spoken a lot about what I learned of both the similarities and differences of dating in each city on my itinerary. And I’ve shared often one of the major takeaways from the trip — that the best thing about being single in New York is also the worst: there’s no pressure to settle down. But the greatest epiphany I had is one which has taken me all of these years to fully act on.
After my first dating blitz ended (a European sequel followed a few months later), I realized that a pair of ghosts — my deceased parents and first love Mark — were holding me back. I was so stuck on mourning those losses that I had little emotional bandwidth to move forward. I was also living in the past (literally) in a home defined by furniture, art and knickknacks inherited from Mom and Dad.
Now, at long last, I am completing what I started five years ago. I am embracing the present, buoyed by a decluttered mind and heart and newly redecorated home. I am appreciating exactly where I am in life, mindful that it’s different from where I expected to be but no less wonderful because of it.
A few days ago, I came across this quote–
“The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you’ve come.”
Amen.
Feb 8
A Wonderful Weekend
For as much as I adore my city and country, there’s another part of the world that has a big piece of my heart – Australia. This weekend, I was reminded of why thanks to a visit from my Aussie friend Dave.
It had been more than 12 years since I last saw Dave, when I stayed with him during a fun-filled visit to Perth in Western Australia.
My last night in Perth back in ’02: Dave (far right) and me with his friends (from left) Adrian, Michelle and Jason.
The quintessential example of Aussie hospitality, Dave hosted me though our only connection was my best Aussie mate Sue being the wife of his buddy Chris. The trip ended up being one of the highlights of my five month stint as an Australian resident, due in no small part to Dave setting me up with a very charming friend of his.
So when Dave recently sent me a Facebook message that work would be bringing him this way, I was more than delighted to reciprocate his generosity in opening up his home to me – and show him some of my favorite NYC hotspots.
Dave and me at O’Flanagan’s
Friday night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at El Porron on the UES, sharing tapas (flank steak empanadas, grilled squid) dessert (vanilla flan) and conversation about family, work and the appreciation of time that comes with getting older. Then, it was off to Irish dive bar O’Flanagan’s for after dinner drinks and the smooth grooves of cover band East Coast. An aspiring Texas-born comedian and his girlfriend added to the fun, as did having the chance to hit the dance floor a few times.
Yesterday, we stopped at Stumptown Coffee in the Ace Hotel before heading over to Barbounia, an equal parts cozy and trendy Greek restaurant in Gramercy, then on to the W Union Square’s lobby bar.
Our last stop of the night was Lillie’s Victorian, a venue rich with the décor that inspires its name and packed with twenty and thirtysomethings. Dave and I were there to celebrate my dear friend Lauren’s birthday, which we did with a lot of laughs and musings about the joys of binge watching (having recently signed up for Netflix at last, it’s something I am attempting to resist).
Catching up with Dave brought back many fond memories of my time Down Under. And made me look forward to the day when, hopefully, I pay the land of Oz another visit!
Sep 2
An A-mazing Weekend In L.A.
This weekend marked my second visit to L.A. this summer. The occasion–celebrating a very special milestone for my dear friend A Martinez: the premiere screening of his new movie, Before Your Eyes.
The short film is A’s first foray into screenwriting and directing. And its debut made for two memorable evenings I feel so fortunate and happy to have been a part of.
Malibu Cafe
Friday night, Malibu Cafe provided the ideal setting for an intimate outdoor dinner with A and his beautiful family. Nestled in the heart of Malibu Canyon, it offers a picturesque outdoor setting with whimsical touches like chandeliers strung from the trees and paddleboats. Joining me for the festive meal were my good friends Marilyn and Candy, and Candy’s Italy-based friend Elisa, all of whom (like me) became acquainted with A decades ago during his iconic Emmy-winning role as Cruz Castillo on the NBC soap Santa Barbara.
(from left): Marilyn, me, A, Candy and Elisa
Over dinner, we reminisced about the magic that was SB and all of the good that has come from it — most especially our enduring friendships. With Candy in France, Marilyn in Ohio and me in NYC, we were thrilled to be together for such a happy occasion. Last night, we headed to Olandar, home and artistic sanctuary of actor Leigh McCloskey and wife Carla, for the screening. The evening began with a stirring performance by A’s son Dakota Martinez and wife Sandra Pehrsson a.k.a SandraKota.
SandraKota performs at Olandar
Their soulful voices harmonize just perfectly together and you can feel the love between them. Sandra later told me the sweet story of how she approached Cody when they were both in the same class. Upon discovering that he shared her affinity for dates, she invited him to go to a date farm. They clicked immediately and married a year later. Seeing them together is enough to make this jaded single believe in true love again. Finally, it was time for the main attraction and Before Your Eyes didn’t disappoint. The film takes place on a climactic night for one family after their tormented father leaves. They come together to make a video in a bid to avoid losing their home. It is a powerful tale of the ties that bind and pull us apart, vividly brought to life by the talented ensemble cast. A seamlessly blends Before Your Eyes‘ dramatic story with humor and wit, grounding the film in rich characterizations and engaging dialogue. The transcendent song around which all of the action takes place, co-written by A and Cody, stays with you after the credits roll. I couldn’t be happier for or prouder of A in what he has accomplished with Before Your Eyes. As I told him afterward, he is as much a hero to me now as he was when we first met more than 25 years ago. Congratulations, my friend.
Aug 11
New Connections Through An Old Friend
One of the best parts of living in NYC is the abundance of great restaurants. I recently caught up with dear friend Yong at one of my longtime favorites, Cara Mia in Hell’s Kitchen.
Cara Mia: One of NYC’s best Italian bistros
The cozy Italian bistro offers attentive service and delicious fare in a relaxed, low key setting. It provided the ideal venue for Yong and I to fill each other in on recent developments. We talked about summer travels, his firstborn heading off to college soon and my excitement over being quoted in The New York Times about a new package for women at The Westin New York Grand Central.
Yong invited me to join him later in the week at a social networking event being hosted by a college friend of his. Upon arriving at Latitude, my first thought was–too crowded and too loud. So I felt truly reassured when one of the attendees at the mixer said the same thing.
“This reminds me of where I used to go in my college days,” she said as I nodded in agreement.
Yong’s friend Marc, who hosted the gathering, shared that he organized it to offset the challenges of broadening your social circle in a fast paced city like NYC. Indeed, even in a metropolis of millions, you have to make an effort to meet new people.
The mixer introduced me to some fascinating locals–a photographer, lawyer and wardrobe stylist among them. It was a reminder that if you want to change something in your life, taking even a small step can make a difference. Especially when you have good friends to take those steps with.
