Autumn in New York

Like most people who live in New York City, I love the City. Like most people who love the City, I love getting out of the City when those six perfect-weather weekends of the year grace us with their presence.

In the weeks leading up the the Great American Road Trip, I've taken full advantage of New York's greatest season and have headed North on multiple weekends to soak in the fresh air and sunshine. As much as I love the City, I love this State. I was born here, and have spent 27 of my we're-not-going-to-say-how-many years here. I can't wait to get back to where it all began at the tail end of my road trip. In the meantime, back to the Hudson Valley.

Weekend number one out of the city involved a jaunt up to Peekskill on the Metro North. Judging by how packed the train was, it seemed that everyone had the same idea we had. Regardless, the weather couldn't have been more beautiful, and Peekskill is the perfect quaint town that any big city dweller obsesses over upon visiting. From whimsical signage at the train station to an old time theater, it has all the makings of the perfect day trip. I've also oddly been a sucker for fake postcards of places painted on walls.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Even better, I had a chance to visit not only a great independent used record and book store (part of my ongoing tour of vinyl), but also a local brewery. As expected, the brewery had great local beers to try. What I did not expect was the amazing Bloody Mary made with bacon flavored vodka, topped with a slice of bacon. Bacon heaven.

 

We were even treated to the perfect sunset over the Hudson River to cap off the day.

Having enjoyed the Peekskill adventure so much, I decided to take weekend number two to practice driving in advance of the road trip and head even further up the Hudson River to the Walkway Over the Hudson, an old railroad bridge spanning the Hudson River between the towns of Poughkeepsie and Highland, New York, which has been turned into a pedestrian walkway and state park.

Having a car and being in the country, we couldn't resist stopping by one of the many farms in the area that come alive during the Fall season, offering up pumpkin picking and corn mazes, and selling the greatest treat of Autumn, the apple cider doughnut. If you've never tried a cider doughnut, I highly recommend it. There's really nothing like a fresh one on a crisp Autumn day. And once again, we were of course blessed with a beautiful sunset as we wound our way out of the corn maze and headed home.

And now I'm full of enough love for New York to leave it for a month. I'll be reporting to you from the road as I enjoy my one month in America.

Back Up And Running

It's nearly impossible to believe that it's been almost two and a half years since my last blog entry. After a great run of traveling and dabbling in various freelance endeavors, I slowly found myself being pulled back into my old life. While I never fully resumed my former biglaw lifestyle, I misguidedly found myself roaming the halls of a law firm once again for far too long, as a temporary 4-week contract gig spiraled into a permanent job that lasted nearly two years. While I understand that normally that would be considered a good thing and what most people would want, this blog is a testament to the fact that I've never been good at wanting what most people want.

So, after rereading some of my older blog entries and feeling the wanderlust kick in with a vengeance, I've decided to fire it up again. The last six months have seen my life turned inside out, ultimately all for the better. After a crazy and stressful spring and summer of life changes, being forced to move and deciding to quit my job, I've settled into an exciting and happy fall (the best season of the year). I'm back to the freelance life, doing research and investigations, making my own schedule and working from coffee shops or my fabulous new yard in Harlem.

In my spare time I'm also going to start volunteering as a photographer for the High Line, one of my favorite places in the City.

Perhaps most importantly, I've restarted my health kick and have gotten back into kickboxing. I didn't realize just how much I missed it until I got back in the gym and starting hitting the bags again. I even did a mud run obstacle course with a friend last weekend, and while I still completely despise running, it was a total blast.

And now it's time to get back to the traveling. The last couple of years have involved a lot less traveling than I'd gotten used to doing (life has a way of getting in the way), but I did manage to squeeze in some amazing trips, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

Before I dust off the passport again, I'll be taking a one month road trip around the United States during the month of November. I've been fully entrenched in plotting my adventure, and I can't remember the last time I was this excited. I leave New York in 16 days, and there's a lot to do before then. There will be much more to come on that trip in future entries. For now I'll be staying local and enjoying a carefree autumn in New York.