Hot Girl Summer in NYC

I don’t know about you guys, but doesn’t it feel like summer is just flying by? I feel like I was just planning all of my date nights, travelling plans, and camp for the girls at the start of summer and now we’re already more than halfway through the season. It’s kind of sad how fast time goes by but I’m also looking forward to when fall arrives. Don’t hate me! I’m not rushing the rest of the summer but I can’t take the heat for so long lol. And, I do love me a hot latte with a cute cardigan and booties on a chilly day.

 The heat wave we had last week was unreal and it was even worse in New York City. Yes! I said New York City! I came back this week from a quick visit because Kevin Hart was in town.

If you don’t know this about me, I’m a huge Kevin Hart fan and the moment I heard he had a tour coming up and saw that there were no shows in Toronto, I had to make do with the closest city he was touring in.  I told my friend to look into getting us tickets and it just so happened he was stopping in New York, so we purchased the tickets and decided to make a weekend getaway out of it. The show was epic! It was with Chris Rock and then a surprise guest came to open the show… That surprise guest was Dave Chappelle. Personally, I was never a Dave Chappelle fan but after seeing him live, he was actually really funny, humble, kind, and down to earth (shocking, I know). I noticed he was a chain smoker and was chain-smoking on stage and in the auditorium, something that would never fly in Toronto. One surprise at the end that had everyone laughing was that they brought out a goat (in other terms, goat stands for Greatest Of All Time) and gifted it to Chris Rock… which was interesting.

 So, as I mentioned earlier, the weather was extremely hot here but imagine it in New York City where there are more cars, more people, and more pollution. It felt like I was walking through smoke-filled air all day long and the heat was just unbearable. There was a point where I walked straight into a revolving glass door. I think my brain couldn’t function at its best in that weather. Another thing I noticed was all the homelessness. It was sad, around every corner there were at least three bodies lying on the floor. There are obviously beautiful sites to see as well but it was something I noticed.

During our time in NYC, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge and ate at Ciccone Dumbo overlooking a beautiful view of the water. We wandered around Central Park, found about a million cute coffee shops, and discovered yummy lattes and iced coffees. Although I think at this point, I’m over coffee…joking!

We ate great food including a $53 pizza with truffle on top. I’m glad I tried it but I don’t think I want to spend $53 (especially in US dollars) on a pizza again. There were times during the trip when the girls went out and I just passed out in my bed. I think I was really looking forward to uninterrupted sleep (I’m used to Harper waking me up every night at 2 am to come into our bed). My favourite spot that we ate at was breakfast at Jack’s Wife Freda, an American-Middle Eastern spin on brunch. The food was so good and the attention to detail was incredible – even their sugar packets had quotes on them.

What I noticed was the significant difference between travelling now vs travelling in my 20s. I find you appreciate more of the smaller things while travelling now than when you did at 20. Your priorities shift. For example, it’s no longer all about hitting up club after club every night but it’s more about enjoying the moment and having balance. You’ll have to tune in next week for more on this topic on the podcast.

Overall, I had a great time while I was away and really enjoyed the comedy show. When I got home, I passed out for two hours and ended up watching the Social Dilemma. I feel even more turned off about social media (I sense another podcast episode on this topic). I even got to cuddle with Sandy on the couch – and in case you’re wondering where my family was, they were on a road trip with their dad so when I got home, my only option was to cuddle with the dog. The next day, I woke up in a purging mood and cleaned out my cupboards, donated a few things and it felt great. Sometimes in life, you just need to purge the things that no longer serve you, both physically and mentally.

I feel great, rested, rejuvenated, and ready for the long weekend with family!

 See you all soon as I’m sure I’ll be talking about this trip when I see you at Elevate

 XO

Pammy