I didn’t spent a lot of time working on my blog in February because my life was kind of insane, in the best way. That’s because I moved back to New York City this week after being away for more than a year and a half!

I haven’t had a home (aside from my childhood home and all of my friends’ couches) since I left the city in July of 2016 and there was a lot to do before I could move in and afterward. It feels like everything took a few more steps than necessary (like 1/2 my new furniture didn’t make it onto the delivery truck the first time, or my apartment didn’t exist according to my wifi service so I had to jump through hoops with them for a while). But other than the fact that nothing is up on my walls yet and my stove doesn’t work (because there’s no gas meter but my landlord doesn’t know what that means and the person at the gas company can’t explain it well enough), I’m settling in and I am so so so happy in Brooklyn.

Posts on 10 Miles Behind Me in February

• NJ | A South Jersey Shore Girl in a North Jersey Shore World

Pre-Move

I started out the month at my sister’s place and traveled into the city to sign my lease and have a day of fun with Katie of Stories My Suitcase Could Tell. We started off with avocado toast at Little Collins and the Michelangelo and Rodin exhibits at the Met. Later, we attended a party where we tried to win a trip to Taiwan with a few of our other travel friends, a trip where you had to leave that night. It was a really weird event and two of the people who won had Taiwanese passports and another seemed like she didn’t want to go at all, so not sure how their trip turned out.

This month, I attended my first “sprinkle”, which is a baby shower for the second baby, but it’s not as intense as a shower, because theoretically, some things can be passed down from babe-o to babe-o. There, I caught up with some of my college friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen since our 10-year reunion in June, and one I hadn’t seen since the previous winter.

Another shower was had, this one a bridal shower, for a wedding I’m going to in May of two close friends from college. It was on Long Island and afterward, a bunch of us went out to celebrate more, before my final “commute” from the NYC-area to home before moving back.

Before I could leave South Jersey because who knows when I’ll be returning and babies grow too quickly, I visited two friends who have recently had cute little boys. One is a friend from high school who I hadn’t talked to or seen in way too long and one is a member of my neighborhood family who I also don’t see enough. The babes are beautiful and it’s so wonderful seeing all of my friends become such incredible mothers.

The social event of the month was definitely my grandmother’s 98th birthday party, and for good reason. A few of my cousins and I spent time creating a photo book with 98 memories and pictures galore that the whole family contributed to commemorate the occasion. That night, the cousins also celebrated my sister’s birthday, though she’s celebrating even more this week in Germany.

Post Move (aka No Sleep ’til in Brooklyn)

Since moving back, I’ve had a healthy social schedule again. A few friends from the NYC travel scene and I got together for a brunch at Ichabod’s on Irving my first weekend back (photo above courtesy of Jennifer of The Travel Women). That night I went to a party at my cousins’ place in Williamsburg with lots of Doritos, Buffalo Chicken sandwiches which I thought were pork, a Teddy Graham funfetti dip, and a ridiculously adorable Shiba Inu who I did not give any Doritos to. A few days later, I visited my favorite bar in the world, McSorley’s, to celebrate a friend’s birthday and catch up with another who I hadn’t seen in more than a year.

I’m learning the buses (which are way more convenient than the subway in my ‘hood), finding the best coffee shops, and doing yoga at a studio just a 5-minute walk from my new place (where I accidentally attended the “senior” class which was hilarious). I’m even getting used to the city noises again at night and the fact that my building shakes a little from the traffic… It’s all good. It’s Brooklyn, baby.

February Reads

One of the first things I did when I moved in was join the Brooklyn Public Library and proceed to take out four more books, even though I already had six on my Kindle from one of my libraries at home. Not only this, but I also was delivered two books from Book of the Month Club (use that link and get a free book when you sign up!) and got another BotM read free when my friends and I saw on Instagram they were handing books out at Sézane, a cute French boutique in SoHo. I clearly have a obsession, but it’s a pretty good obsession to have. Let’s be friends on Goodreads if you are also a bookworm.

1. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
2. Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
3. The Leavers by Lisa Ko
4. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
5. The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce (my least favorite of the month…total snooze)
6. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
7. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
8. The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

What’s Next?

In March I begin my new full-time job which I’m super excited about. I’m not quite sure yet if I’ll continue my monthly updates once I start, and you may notice a few changes on the blog here and there, but I will still be able to bring you great travel content and maybe venture into some other areas of interest as well. Give me a chance to settle in and we will see where this next adventure takes us.

xx