NYC pt 2

Part 1: here

Part 2 is basically a recap of the time Gaby and I drank all of the beers in the Manhattan & Brooklyn with Faith and it was super fun. Get ready!

Friday afternoon Faith met me at our hotel for some AC (we literally sat on the AC vent in our room for a while trying to cool down) and eventually a cold beer from the lobby bar. A little while before I got back to the hotel, when I was on the Subway, an announcement came over the loudspeaker telling everyone there was a heat advisory issued for the city and that folks shouldn't go outside unless it was absolutely necessary. The heat and humidity were soooo real. My sweatiness level rivaled post-hot yoga drenched.

When Gaby got there (yay!) we hopped in an uber (during our drive Faith stole the driver's iPhone and put on some Drake and Beyoncé and also told our driver that she "fucks with ceviche" lolz. Good uber ride) and went to La Esquina for tacos, guacamole and frozen margaritas. We sat on the patio and there was literal sweat dripping down my body while we ate, but the tacos were worth it and the cold drinks helped.

^^Ubering through NYC, listening to the most inappropriate rap^^

 ^^Shrimp BLT tacos and a frozen margarita at El Esquina^^

After lunch we decided we were in the mood for another beverage and walked down to the beer bar where Faith works on Saturdays, Top Hops, for some ice cold air conditioning and ice cold beers. The perfect combo! It was super fun seeing where Faith works (in addition to CK) and trying some new-to-me local, NYC area beers.

^^Faith, me and Gaby at Top Hops in the Lower East Side^^

After a few rounds we were feeling a little buzzed and ready for our next move, so we hopped on the subway to Brooklyn.

^^Faith is thrilled & Gaby and I are kinda drunk lol^^

We met up with Faith's friend Rocco in Brooklyn and had some drinks at a bar in Williamsburg by the subway tracks. Eventually some more people joined us and we headed out to the back patio bar to enjoy the fact that it was cooling down (SO slightly, it was still hot AF). Also I stole Rocco's creeper glasses for a while and acted like a weird-o. My fav activity.  

^^classy snapchat screenshot^^ 

 ^^Brookyln patio bar^^

We eventually headed to another bar in Williamsburg, Rocka Rolla, and another one of Faith's friends met up with us. We took selfies in the bathroom and I discovered they didn't have any Yuengling on tap (this was also the moment I remembered Yuengling existed and I wanted one so much after discovering it on my trip to Pennsylvania last summer and also discovering after that trip that they don't distribute it or sell it on the west coast). There were sooo many hipsters there.

^^Rocka Rolla bathroom selfie^^

Eventually Gaby and I started to lose steam so we hopped on the subway back to Manhattan. We ended up going the wrong way on one of the subway trains back to our hotel (noobs) and decided to get off at the 9/11 memorial and walk around for a bit, as it was one of the things Gaby wanted to do while we were in NYC. We must have looked lost because this nice old man started talking to us and took us on a tour of the new World Trade Center Mall. He was so nice and so informative! Thank you, nice man!!  

^^World Trade Center Mall^^

^^Gaby and I on the subway platform right before getting on the train and witnessing some subway performers dance through the car^^

We parted ways with the old man, got on the subway headed toward our hotel (yay) and ended up back at the Ace Hotel starving. We tried to go to the oyster bar in the bottom of our hotel for oyster shooters and anything else we could put in our mouths, but it wasn't serving anymore, so we retreated back up to our room. I hopped onto Yelp and found a place a few blocks away that served Cheesesteaks and Yuengling and I was SO sold. I forced Gaby to walk a few blocks with me to the restaurant and we enjoyed Cheeseteaks with Cheese Wiz and ice cold Yuengling. My heart was so happy (not literally, of course, red meat, bread and cheese wiz = heart attack).

^^I should go into food photography. So good at it. Doesn't this look appealing? Despite the shitty pic, it was ahhh-mazing^^

Eventually we made it back to our hotel and collapsed into our super comfy, king size bed until the next morning.

^^Ace Hotel Lobby Bar late night mirror selfie^^

NYC pt 1

A few weeks ago I went to New York City for the first time ever and it was the most fun thing. If you haven't been, you have to go! It seems like I've been back for a million years and I can't believe I'm just now writing about my magical trip, but here we go. This is part one (the part where I was there alone) and there will probably be like 10 more parts because I did SO MANY THINGS in my short amount of time there, and also I never want to forget any of it.

I flew non-stop from Seattle to Newark on a Thursday morning and arrived in NYC around 4pm. I took the New Jersey Transit (on a tip from Alli, thanks Alli) to Penn Station in NYC and walked (through a crazy loud/bright thunder and lightening storm) the few blocks from Penn Station to The Ace Hotel where we were staying. I checked in and then immediately grabbed a mini bottle of pink champagne from the mini-bar to celebrate my arrival!

 ^^Classy, fresh off the plane, drinking room service champs selfie, because NYC!^^

 ^^Cute AF room at the Ace Hotel^^

^^The view from our room wasn't particularly exciting but it definitely wasn't NOT exciting to this small town girl. I spent a lot of time looking out this window because the AC was right next to the window and it was hot as balls there, but I'll complain a lot about that later^^

Moments after I booked my flight to NYC I also booked a haircut with Raegan who I've been internet friends with for a million years but had never met in real life. It was my first internet friend meeting (you're next, Emma) and it was so, so magical. Also, Raegan is like, really good at doing hair. My hair has never looked so good. For real. I can't say enough good things about her. But! Back to the story, after my minibar champagne, a quick shower and change (because it was SO hot and humid out and I was disgusting after flying and then commuting into the city), I headed downstairs to the Ace Hotel Lobby Bar to kill a few minutes before I had to head to the West Village. I grabbed a drink and took some solo-photo-booth-pics, as one does when you're at an Ace and when you're in NYC (duh!)!

^^Omg I'm in NYC! And I'm a huge dork!^^

The bellhop at the hotel gave me directions on how to take the subway to the West Village and then walk the rest of the way to my hair appointment. So I took the subway for the first time and the platform was like a fucking sauna but the train was so ACd out ANDDD there were SO MANY HANDSOME MEN on the subway. I couldn't deal, or stop staring. You can't take me anywhere! Yikes haha.

Raegan works at Whittemore House Salon which is the cutest, and also everyone who works there is so, super nice. I profusely apologized to the cute girl who had to wash my dirty, sweaty hair and then she ended up giving me a ton of great recommendations for places to eat in the city, so I think she wasn't too disgusted by me. Ha! Also the men who checked me in and took our photo were so sweet. I want to be friends with all of them, like a creep!

But seriously, Reagan did the most amazing job with my hair. Did I mention it's never looked so good? I'm not joking, at all. And then my blowout was basically ruined within hours because of the intense humidity but there are pictures to prove that once upon a time I had magical princess hair so I'll cling to those forever!

^^Reagan and I! Also, please note her beautiful nails!!^^ 

 ^^Zero selfie shame, because c'mon!^^

^^Okay last one!^^

After my haircut I walked a few blocks to Fish (thanks for the recommendation, Matt!) to meet my friend Mark who was in town from Hood River. He does a house swap with a family who lives in Chelsea every year and was in NYC for two weeks, which was excellent news for me!! We got the Red, White + Blue at Fish which is 6 raw oysters and either a PBR (for me) or a white wine (for Mark) for $9.99! We also split an order of fries while we soaked up their ice cold air conditioning!

^^Mark and I^^

After dinner Mark and I walked around the Meatpacking District and eventually settled on a bar with a patio (despite the fact that it was still a million degrees at 10:30pm) for a martini. While we were sitting out there we saw a mouse running around on the patio! WHAT!? When we finished our drink we went for one more at this fancy resataurant/bar and when we walked outside to catch an uber home afterward, it was POURING down rain. Mark stole us two umbrellas that were left in the umbrella basket by the door, rationalizing it because we were the last two people to leave the bar (also apparently this is a v normal thing to do in NYC) and we split an uber back to our respective spots. When I got back to the hotel I was STARVING because I hadn't eaten anything in hours except 6 oysters and some fries, so I went down to the lobby bar where there was a DJ spinning music and tried to order a grilled cheese sandwich. While I was sitting at the bar, drunkenly minding my own business while waiting for my sandwich, this man next to me, who is way drunker than me, starts telling me (unprompted) that I look good, and I'm bringing it, but only 50% at best. WHAT? I ignore him and start texting about him and he turns to his friend and says "she should be trying harder, I wouldn't bang her" AND HIS FRIEND IS AGREEING! LOL. I was literally laughing out loud. It was the weirdest, rudest thing ever. Little did they know, my hair has literally never looked that good and I was looking better than usual that night? Lolollll. They would hate to see me on a normal day ;)

The next day I woke up, grabbed an iced Americano from the Stumptown Coffee located inside the hotel (insert praise hand emoji here) and took myself to The Butcher's Daughter for breakfast. I got an order of their avocado toast (which was huge), a fresh juice called The Hangover Killer (coconut, yuzu, pineapple, chili and cilantro) and a mimosa with some bee polen and other fancy, delicious things in it #vacation #breakfastdrank.

^^The Butcher's Daughter, isn't it cute?^^

^^Yeah I took a pic of my avocado toast, so sue me!^^

After breakfast I walked through Chinatown and Little Italy and tried not to melt, which was hard, I melted a little. I eventually made my way to the Subway and made a quick stop in the West Village for Big Gay Ice Cream to cool me down on my way back to the hotel. I got a salty pimp which was a sugar cone filled with vanilla soft serve and spotted with a bunch of dulce de leche, and also sea salt. It was then dipped in a hard chocolate shell. Holy yum sauce!

 ^^Little Italy and the Empire State Building^^

^^My Salty Pimp at Big Gay Ice Cream^^

I took my ice cream to go and headed back to the hotel because Faith was getting off work (at Calvin Klein because she is fancy as fuck)!! and was going to meet me, and Gaby had finally landed and was on her way to the hotel too! Shit was about to get crazy... :)

Single Summer Shenanigans

It's been 6 years since I was single last and I couldn't think of a better time to be newly uncoupled than summertime in the PNW. The weather is magical, the days are long, everyone wants to be out doing stuff, work has temporarily slowed down for about a month and I have a slight suntan. CHEERS.

This month has been a whirlwind of saying yes to what feels good while also being gentle with myself. There has been less exercise and more drinks with friends, less salads and more dinners out and I'm really into all of it. I've been out of my apartment more, hanging with people I love who I lost touch with a bit, and generally packing in all the things I feel like I missed out on or couldn't want to do in the past few years.

My sorority sister Julia got married at the end of July. We went out the weekend before her wedding for a bachelorette party that included almost naked men, a rooftop bar, dropping it low at the Alibi Room downtown and finally late night Mexican food. I had a blast, and more importantly, so did Julia.

^^The bachelorette party outside the Triple Door^

^^Sisters^^

^^Julia (far left) onstage at the Buckaroos show (YAS)^^

Julia's wedding was on her family's farm on Camano Island. Dolly's fiancé (now husband!!) Wes drove Erin and I up to the wedding. We stopped at the Stanwood Saloon on our way for a few pre-wedding drinks and then threw it back, college style, with a few cold Coors Lights in the car before walking over to the ceremony site. Always keeping it classy.

^^Stanwood Saloon, beers and a tequila shot each before the wedding (obviously)^^

^^Car Bar SnapChat Selfie - PS can we talk about how hard it is to save photos from SnapChat now? Someone show me how.^^

The wedding was really beautiful complete with great food, friends, live music, drinks, cupcakes and an option to camp which we were going to take but last minute Erin decided to drive us back home. I was so happy to wake up in my bed the next morning, even though I was covered in mosquito bites which still haven't quite healed. UGH.

^^Love my PC05 Sisters^^ 

^^I definitely put on my bright yellow Ocean Shores sweatshirt part way through the wedding when I started to get cold. Gotta keep it classy!^^

I've been lucky enough to spend a bunch of time with Erin and Alli lately. Alli just recently moved back from Brooklyn and lives so so close to Erin and I (who live less than a mile apart, the best)!! It has been so nice to have a single friend to do all of the things with. Erin's man friend has been gone the past few weeks so the three of us have been having the most fun together which makes my heart so so happy. There have been yoga classes, drinks, flirting with random men, talking about random men, watching the new ghostbusters movie, dinners, shopping trips, etc. and it has been so, so good.

 ^^Sister Erin and I out in Ballard^^

^^Sneaky shot of sister Erin and a man we met at the bar who was definitely interested in taking both of us home so we left together in an Uber without him, lolz^^

Gaby came up to visit one weekend too (well, she came up for work and I got to hang out with her which was amazing). We spent one entire afternoon drinking ALL the beers at the Latona Pub (I've actually spent a lot of time there in general lately, it's my go-to neighborhood spot and I'm so thankful it exists and that the people who work there exist too).

^^Gaby and I single lady day drinking at the Latona Pub^^

Also, I spontaneously booked a trip to NYC!! EEK! I've always wanted to go and I figured now is the perfect time. I go for a night by myself and then Gaby meets me the following afternoon and I cannot fucking wait. Gaby is the best travel partner and we've talked about going to NYC foreverrrr and it's finally happening (because single Rebeka is sooo spontaneous) and I am about to burst. I'm really, really doing what feels good and it's the best. I would recommend it to anyone going through a change, or just anyone in general, really.

What else, what else?

There was also pizza for dinner with my law school+ group of friends right after Brittan and Brian got back from traveling the world. Then there was an evening in Columbia City in the park with them where we drank entirely too much pink wine, ate snacks from PCC and listened to music while sitting on blankets. I eventually had to send myself home in an uber and watched Netflix in my bed for most of the following morning. Worth it. 

^^Paul La's arm, Natalie, Brittan, Brian, me, Gaby, Erin and her man friend, Ambur and Adam. Rob is behind the camera^^

Oh! And Adam and Ambur finally set a date for their wedding. It's so soon and so small and I'm bursting at the seams with happiness for them. I will happily add one more wedding to my summer if its theirs. Congrats friends!

So yes, because I feel like I get asked every day how I'm doing here we are. I'm doing well. I'm keeping busy and I feel mostly really happy. Life lately has been an adjustment but I think I'm adjusting for the better and morphing into a really great version of me. So, for the next few months I'll be soaking up as much summer as possible and doing all the things that seem fun and hopefully popping in here to recap the good shit (even though all of my life is pretty good these days, I'm not going to lie). Thanks for all the support, friends. Cheers!

Magical Oregon Weekend

After work on Friday I headed down south to Portland, Oregon. The traffic was fucking terrible and the 3 hour drive took 4.5 hours but it was totally worth it. I met Marissa at her apartment in Kenton (N. Portland) and we shared some Rosé, meat, cheese, hummus and crackers before putting on lipstick (and a heavy, winter coat for Marissa because August? lol) and heading out to sip Moscow Mules at a cute bar with a patio on Mississippi. After that there were raviolis, fries and vodka sodas at another bar patio down the street. We hopped in an Uber from there and headed to Dig A Pony to drop it low and take snapchat selfies while waiting in line for the bathroom (as one does, duh).

^^Rebeka and Marissa running wild on the streets of Portland^^

^^HEY GIRL^^

When we were done sharing a beer with a stranger on the dance floor we ran out of Dig A Pony and into a random bar where we saw one of Marissa's ex-flings who  many summers ago asked me "Where abouts you be lurkin to, girl?" #winner. We hid from him in a photo booth and then emerged long enough to shout "HI!" at him and literally run out of the bar, down the street and into my first ever strip club!!

^^Photo Booth Goodness^^

I've always been a bit weary of strip clubs (is it degrading to the women? are they there against their will? do they hate it? are there a ton of pervs there?) but Sassy's totally changed my mind. It was so magical. It was like a really fun, packed-full-of-hipsters bar with badass, beautiful, real, talented ladies dancing around naked/mostly naked. I wanted to literally throw all my money at them.

Side note: can we talk about how I was definitely the least cool person in all of Portland? THERE ARE SO MANY COOL PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE! I don't know where they all came from, but my self esteem is glad they're not in Seattle. Lolz.

Then, as we were leaving the strip club, Marissa wanted to take a picture of a sign on the door and she accidentally left her flash on and the bartender came over and literally screamed at us "NO PICTURES" (no joke, screamed) and we RAN out of Sassy's and down the street and called an Uber that we made drop us off at a 24-hour donut shop where we bougth donuts from a literal child and walked the rest of the way home and I face swapped a pic of Marissa with Spock and it was so so good. And then Marissa made us frozen pizza which we ate before passing the F out at approximately 3:45am. In case you're keeping track, that's: meat, cheese, hummus, crackers, raviolis, fries, donuts and pizza. Fat kids so hard.

^^Best Face Swap^^

Saturday morning we grabbed coffee and went for a walk in Marissa's neighborhood before grabbing some things, some snacks and heading down to the Willamette River for a mini-beach/river day. I ate a Reuben on the beach (logical) and we played on our phones behind a stump and waded out in the water and I sunburned the back of my legs like the ginger soul I am. It was great.

^^A Reuben is a totes approps thing to eat at the beach, duh^^

^^River chilling/back of leg sun burning^^

 

 ^^Hey Gurl^^

^^Only Marissa wears flannel to the beach^^

^^River River River Riverrrr^^

^^LOOK AT MEEEE^^

^^Beach selfie^^

After the beach we headed to Salt and Straw on Alberta (my first time!!) for a long line and eventually ice cream. It was worth the wait. I got the carrot cake batter that had cream cheese frosting chunks, OMG you guys, so good. Eventually we made our way back to Marissa's apartment where I showered, squeezed her goodbye and then drove to Hood River.

^^Waiting in line at Salt and Straw for ice cream^^

When I got to Hood River I headed to Beth's house (because Beth moved back to Hood River, eeeeeeeeeee! yay!) to get ready for the pFriem 4th Birthday Party event at the waterfront park. We ended up meeting Beth's sister Emily at the party and ran into more friends there. We had beers, listened to music and took pictures in the really cute photo booth. It was a blast!

 ^^Sun setting and all the festivities and Beth's face at the pFriem bday party^^

 ^^Beth, me and Emily at the pFriem party^^

 

^^Photo Booth Magic^^

After the party I was a little drunk and got a SUPER delicious quesadilla from a street cart before meeting up with everyone again at the Pub. We eventually headed for Double Mountain and then I met Brian to chill and drink some pink wine.

My liver hates me.

The next morning there was breakfast at the Hood River Inn (coffee, water and mimosas included which is my favorite thing at breakfast) before I headed back over to Washington see my parents and Fluffy Face for a bit. Fluffy was begging for a biscuit for like 20 minutes so eventually we finally gave him one and he went to town. We are bad pet owners for giving him human food, but also, it was hilarious.

^^Fluffy and his biscuit^^

When I got back to Oregon a few hours later I grabbed coffee at Doppio with Gaby. We gossiped and discussed our V EXCITING upcoming trip before hugging goodbye so she could go on a boat with some friends. I then grabbed a pork belly banh mi and a beer for lunch on a patio with Josh and Sarah where I third-wheeled really hard and peer pressured Josh into coming to my birthday party in Mexicooo (successfully, I think?). It was a really eventful 1/2 of a day. I spent the 2nd 1/2 of the day driving back to Seattle (6 hours I'll never get back, UGH, thanks traffic) and then slept for a million hours that night.

Thanks again for filtering all that alcohol, liver, you're the best. And thanks again friends, strippers, alcohol and the state of Oregon for the great-ass time.

xo

^^I am impressed with the amount of photo booth pics I took this weekend, high five Oregon Rebeka, killing it^^