Make No Promises
I should know better by now. *Chapter 60*
*I’ve included a bunch of food pix at the end making this post too long for email! Click the title to view the whole post in the app!!*
Ahoy! We landed back in Atlanta last night after five days in New York City that felt like a month. A delicious, drunken, fantastic and TOTALLY exhausting month. I’d meant for my cooking video to post last Friday, my birthday, completely underestimating the 5,000 other things happening in the past few weeks. A job transition, plus exciting freelance work, plus packing for a trip, four family birthdays AND a computer who regularly decides she’s had enough, there was nowhere for an eight hour editing project to fit.
In my experience, loading up a ToDo List with more than four major projects a day is a set up for failure. Frankly, accomplishing two things is a real feat so I don’t know why it always flushes me with guilt when I can’t cross everything out I’d planned to. I’ll spend hours stressing about how I’m going to get everything done knowing full well it’s impossible and still feel like a failure when I inevitably surrender to the fact that I must sleep as well. Anyway, this is a roundabout way of getting to a point I feel I need to make in order to release a little pressure out of my overly filled balloon of a life… I shouldn’t make any promises because I only let myself down.
I got fake nails last Sunday as a birthday treat to myself and because I no longer have to worry about breaking them while bussing dishes and polishing silverware. I have one final shift at the restaurant this Friday and then me and my ‘clean girl’ nails will be on our chic, elegant way to the Pilates studio and beyond. I’m in the middle of an identity shift. New job, new schedule, new nails, new woman. Now that we are back from our vacation, this new era has officially activated.
I’m clack-clacking on my keyboard from the comfort of my bed this Monday afternoon. Somehow, writing my memoir posts has become so habitual even over-exhaustion can’t stop me. But it feels like I’m riding a bumper car around my life this week and I gotta do some time blocking before I run myself into a wall.
Sitting in Washington Square Park yesterday morning, I made Alan listen to me reflect on how many of my gigantic milestones have been marked with a trip to NYC. Starting with moving there in 2006, obviously a ginormous leap in itself. I was there in 2016 running away from a toxic relationship, in 2020 when the world shut down, in 2021 when the world opened back up, in 2023 when I turned 40 and this past week now coming home to a whole new routine.
It’s enough to make doing laundry sound appealing. At least, I know how. Currently, I’m planning to push my Substack schedule back, post my bi-weekly Sweet Tea Talk a week late and hope to get this cooking video edited by Friday. Figuring out my posting routine along with all the other routines I’m currently cultivating feels a little head spinny, but then I can so clearly recall wishing for busy-ness in the middle of a 2020 pod of five adults and one baby. I’m not at all complaining, I’m just kind of dumbfounded. What to do first?
As I consider my birthday a personal New Year, I’d like to declare my number one resolution: to be intentional with every aspect of my life. From routine building to eating to fitness, relationships and work, I want to be mindful of it all. This requires implementing the patience I’ve finally learned to incorporate and also the flexibility to make changes as required. If it’s not apparent yet, this post is an attempt at self-soothing, a warm fuzzy, “you’re gonna be fine,” that I hope may inspire you to let yourself off the hook a little too.
With change comes…change…and although I want to be in control of every aspect of it, there will always be limits. I can add as many lines to my ToDo List as a I want, but I shouldn’t be mad when I only get to a few. It’s just life. It’s new all the time. For now, I’ll plan as best I can and leave room for all the surprises a year can bring. Thanks for being here and not caring too much when I break my promises.
NEW YORK EDITION
We walked five thousand miles, rode CitiBikes across the park (never again), went back to The Met and ate and drank everything.
Estela, this was on Alan’s list of Musts and I’m so freaking glad it was. I’d eaten at Altro Paradiso, same restaurant group, a few years ago and loved it, but this meal crowned our favorite of the trip. Their endive starter with anchovy “granola” was unreal, along with the ricotta dumplings that were so tender and delicious I almost cried.
Le Veau D’or, A stunning revival of a French classic restaurant from the 1930s. My dear friend Emilie, along with the team from Frenchette, have achieved perfection with this special, magical place. Brilliant cocktails and a three course tasting menu of exquisitely prepared French classics like Frogs’ Legs, Duck Magret aux Cherises and Île Flottante (my absolute dream dessert) all set in a dreamy 15 table dining room that is perfectly lit and jovially haunted, it felt so New York in the best way possible.
Cafe Gitane, a classic French bistro in SoHo that everyone knows and loves forever. It’s where I learned to eat alone and enjoy myself. Where I met one of my besties, Francesca, while she was a server there although we wouldn’t actually become friends til years later. It’s where avocado toast was invented and another burst of nostalgia I couldn’t resist.
Gottino, speaking of nostalgia, this tiny little hole is where I learned to appreciate wine and cheese. They used to write their menu on a chalkboard, now they have regular booklets. In the last decade, I’ve never experienced it crowded like it used to be but man it still provides all the charm. Beautiful charcuterie, cheese and bites, for as long as it lives on in the West Village, I will visit.
The Bowery Hotel, because sitting in a chic hotel lobby with vintage velvet couches and an espresso martini was exactly what I wanted to do.
Wildair, our friend Bri, recently moved from Atlanta to NYC and is continuing her culinary career here. We were so excited not only to see her but the awesome menu of fun and tasty share plates was awesome. Everything is creative and delicious and we will definitely go back for a full meal next trip.
Minetta Tavern, an absolute NYC classic. Best for a martini, a burger and the hustle and bustle of an establishment.
Vacation was amazing but now I need a vacation. I forget how exhausting traveling to NYC is when you’re trying to fit so much into a few days time. My ankles and calves are sore and my belly will be full for the next few days but it was awesome.
Even more awesome to be excited to get home. It’s such a good feeling to love where you live, to love your routines and to feel invigorated to get back to them. I’ll be spending this week sinking into and figuring out my new life. I hope you are enjoying Fall and taking good care of yourselves. Talk to you soon!
Speaking of Cafe Gitane and learning to eat alone, that's something I've never gotten comfortable doing on a regular basis. My introverted self says, "eat room service." I did that last week and had the best room service meal I've ever had; BUT nothing is as fun as going to a place like Cafe Gitane with the one you love. Happy y'all had fun. Happy you're home. Rest up...