Sometimes the best kind of therapy is going back home and spending time with loved ones. I know, how cliché right? But it really does help re-ground you and think about everything you have in your life. For me, going home is like pressing the reset button on my mental state and I get to not think for a day or two and just calm down. Its so refreshing to come home from a city like New York too, because the air feels cleaner and its quieter and more simple
This past weekend was a wonderful time. Being home with family and friends was such a rejuvenating experience I had no idea I desperately needed the time at home with them. I got to go to breakfast with two of my oldest friends and a classic Guilderland breakfast spot; Mikes Diner. Though my stomach hurt from all the greasy breakfast food I ate, Mikes Diner has so much charm and a lovely staff that its all worth it. Plus, the greasy food is pretty damn good. But anyways, I got to catch up and gossip a little with a couple of my favorite G-Land girls and it was such a nice get together.
Later that evening, my family and I went to our neighbors to celebrate October Birthday Dinner. For those of you who don’t know what that is, I’ll explain; October Birthday Dinner is the dinner event of the year in my neighborhood. I’m not kidding. It’s an exclusive dinner that only families that have October Birthdays are invited to go. Of course, we make some exceptions here and there, but for the most part we are very strict on the birthday thing. It makes the dinner feel that much more special. And this dinner has been going on for as long as I can remember, I’ve only missed it once in my life (it was during college, I was lazy and didn’t head home for it and still regret it to this day).
This dinner consists of some of the best food I eat all year. The menu this year was:
o -mashed potatoes
o Sliced baked potato
o Grilled steak
o Ham with pineapple slices cooked on top of it (!!! If I still ate meat I would have devoured this)
o Tossed salad
o Rolls
o Roasted brussels sprouts & carrots
o Corn
o The greatest sautéed mushrooms ever made
And more things that I can’t think of ATM
Then dessert comes along and suddenly you have to make room for even MORE food, like:
o Cookies
o Marble cake
o 2 kinds of ice cream
o This crazy pudding layer cake thing that was freaky good
o Apple crumble
By the time I came back to the city I think I gained a solid few pounds!
After our glorious evening of food, Mike and I took a bus to NYC, so he can catch a bus back to college in Delaware and I can go back to work the next day. While here, we decided to go get more food and went to the Broadway Bites by UrbanSpace in Herald Square on 34th street. Its this wonderful event going on every day until 11pm where there’s a bunch of food tents (like food trucks!) all lined up and ready to make you food! There are tacos, ice cream, burritos, pizza, mozz sticks, breakfast food, Mediterranean food, and so much more. It’s a great spot to go if you want to broaden your taste buds without buying a sit-down meal.
Mike and I both got food from Domo Taco, one of the venders there. He got a lemongrass chicken rice bowl, while I got the black bean and guacamole burrito. I did like it, but I wasn’t super impressed. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of burritos in the first place -too much food wrapped in a tortilla and it makes zero sense- and I know Mike felt guilty about eating his whole meal. But, as far as burritos go, it wasn’t something worth complaining about.
By the time it came to Mike getting on his bus, I almost teared up. I love having my family around, more than I realized, and it’s hard to say goodbye sometimes. I’ve put Mike on the bus before, and I’d say bye to him when I would go back to college. But this time seemed different for some reason. Living in NYC has made me realize how small my trusted group of people are, and a big part of the people I trust is my family. I like living on my own, but I think what makes this different is that I really am on my own here, and that’s a very lonely thought I’d like to change soon.
Dazed & Confused in the 212 