signs of the times

There were some flashcards on the ground last week, and I thought it was fitting that the only one face up was winter. It sure has been lately, though on Sunday it was up near 60 degrees.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We went up to visit my family in Massachusetts, where I'm from. We had great food, great company, and gave and received great gifts (Whimsy & Spice was a huge hit with my family!) so it was a very successful trip. We also went up to New Hampshire a few times because we are moving there this summer.


I love Portsmouth! It is the cutest little town with a diverse selection of mostly local shops (I noticed a Gap, Starbucks and others, but it wasn't overwhelmingly commercial) and is very walkable. We went on a Sunday, I know, but it was so not crowded like Manhattan is, I loved it. It has somewhat of a European feel to it, but with all of the New England colonial charm I grew up with. If you're ever in the area, be sure to check out Dos Amigos Burritos and try their fish tacos. Delicious!


Coming back to the city has been somewhat depressing because we had so much fun with our rental car. We drove over 800 miles in 6 days, and it was wonderful to hop into the car for a spin around town just because. Can't wait for that again. Or to go 4 miles in 5 minutes in the car instead of the 45 minutes it takes on the subway.

But coming back to the city after such relaxation has given me a new perspective. In two days it will be 2009, the year I will graduate from college and move. We're in the home stretch. There is no reason to spend all of my time wishing I were somewhere else. I just have to make the best of it. It feels like now, I look through all the crowds on the street and I try not to hear the noise.


Today I took a walk up to Central Park with Jolly. It was mid-afternoon during a holiday week, but the street around the park was closed to cars, and it hit me how great it would be to be able to bike around the park like all the cyclists I was seeing. The boy has been trying to convince me to get a bike, but I never felt comfortable riding in the city. But I think now I will try to find a used bike, it would be really fun, actually.


Here's the Guggenheim. Tourists were not scarce today, as I passed by I saw the line all the way around the block to get in! I suppose one of the perks of living in the touristy city is never being the tourist. I'm glad for it!