NYC pt 3

NYC pt 1
NYC pt 2

Day 3 in NYC with a million hours long! Day 3 was also the day I had an epic meltdown. Thanks a lot, extreme heat!

The day started out with an iced Americano from Stumptown and then the best and biggest bagel I've ever eaten from Bagels & Schmear thanks to a tip from the bellman at our hotel & thanks to Regan for letting me know that if you're super legit you don't get your bagel toasted. The bagel was so giant I couldn't finish the whole thing and so delicious that I wish I would have brought a million of them back with me in my carry-on. I dream of that bagel!

^^Sesame seed bagel, cream cheese, lox^^

Gaby and I then hopped on the subway (where I found that the markets in the subway sell bottled water for $1 and grabbed a few for the trip, what a lifesaver!!) and headed north to Central Park, a must-see for both of us during our trip. We walked into the park and were immediately blown away by how gorgeous it was, especially in spots where you could see the buildings peeking out from behind all the greenery!

^^I mean, look at that!^^ 

^^Gaby playing photog in Central Park^^

^^Gaby and I trying to stay cool in the park^^

We didn't get very far into the park when we stopped to take some pictures on a bridge. This is the point where my meltdown started. We were using Gaby's fancy, new camera to take some pictures and it was fun and gorgeous, but it was on an unshaded, cement bridge in the middle of a park in the middle of a heat advisory. A few minutes after we walked off of the bridge I started feeling overheated but got distracted when we saw a giant, fluffy dog losing it. He couldn't walk, he was stumbling and finally laid down in the middle of the walkway while his owner shouted at him to get up and move. It was legitimately awful to watch. We couldn't stop talking about it for the rest of the trip. We hope you're OK poor bb dog.

After passing the dog we headed toward the middle of the park. I kept getting hotter and hotter, crankier and crankier. We stopped to sit down. I bought an ice cold bottle of water and was trying to get it down but having trouble. Eventually it was getting hard to walk and I was being short with Gaby because was feeling super sick. I'm pretty sure I was about to get heat stroke and die like that poor dog so I demanded that we get into some AC ASAP. I've had heat stroke once before and it was terrible. I wasn't about to have our trip ruined by a trip to the ER, so AC was necessary.

 ^^Look, it's a cute pic of me on a bridge in central park right before I lost my shit^^

We walked out of the park and up 5th Avenue until we hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) and rushed inside. Ice Cold AC has never felt so good or been so necessary to my health! When we got inside we found some benches and sat for about 15 minutes to recover from the extreme heat and to check our phones courtesy of the free-museum-WiFi. Let this be a warning to all of you: never, ever, ever go in a giant-ass park in the middle of a literal heat advisory. Ever. Never! Bad idea!

After I'd at least partially pulled it together we got up and wandered around the museum. We walked through the ancient sculptures first (and I was a child and took a lot of snapchats of marble penises and face swaps with sculptures). Then we made a game plan and made our way to the American Paintings which we both loved so much. There were some really amazing paintings of Native American camps and old homesteads and beautiful mountain scenery. I could have looked at them for hours but eventually I started to get really hungry and tired (hint: my meltdown was not over) and the line for the café at the museum was about a hundred people long so we wandered out and grabbed some ice cream from a truck across the street.

 ^^face swapping with a sculpture like mature adults^^

^^We are mature adults pt. 2, featuring a sculpted penis^^

^^So happy for cold food (ice cream with sprinkles!!) across the street from the Met^^

After our ice cream we hopped in a cab to take us back to the subway station (it was wayyy too hot to walk 20 blocks) that would take us to the Express in SoHo which was doing a DryBar pop-up Gaby found and we though would be fun to hit. When we got off the subway we ended up walking the wrong way in the excruciating heat. I was getting cranky again. When we finally got into Express I was in a full blown rage, and trying to chug $1 subway water while I pretended to shop. Gaby ended up getting her hair done into a fabulous updo (fo free) while I sat next to her swatting the hairstylists away from my head, telling them with my eyes that if they touched me I would literally kill them, but with my words that I was too sweaty and gross and felt bed having them touch my nasty hair (but seriously, don't touch me or I will murder you). When we were done we headed back to Top Hops where Faith was pouring beers and where Mark was waiting for us. I love you, Top Hops.

At Top Hops there were ice cold beers and ice cold air conditioning and a million glasses of ice water and olives and pretzels (thanks to Faith) and after a few minutes there I felt a million times better. My hours and hours long heat-meltdown was finallyyyyyyyy over!! Hallelujah!  

^^Me, Gaby and Mark at Top Hops. I'm the happiest I've been since my bagle at this point. Hooray for beer and food and AC!^^

Eventually we got hungry for some real food and headed to Café Gitane (the one on Mott St.) on recommendation from two different chef friends of Mark. They recommended the chicken sandwich with anchovies which Mark and I both got and was amazing (Organic roasted chicken, chipotle mayonnaise, fresh parmesan, roasted tomatoes on French baguette (anchovies [not] optional)) along with a bottle of the Pouilly Fuisse (white wine) to split between the three of us. It was a great recommendation and we were all so happy to eat a real meal.

^^Delicious chicken sandwich with a side salad and white wine^^

^^The three of us outside of Café Gitane^^

At the end of dinner our friend May came and met us. May is from Hood River (she and I used to work with at Ground a million years ago) and was in town practicing for an Opera she sang in a few weeks ago. We decided we should just continue drinking with May (duh) somewhere with AC (double duh) and headed to McSorley's on a tip from one of Gaby's coworkers. McSorley's is New York City’s oldest continuously operated saloon and they served the smallest beers I've ever seen that were half foam (no jokes) but the bar was super chill and we ended up ordering a few rounds (which was SO easy to do considering the beers lasted about 3 sips). Oh, also when we asked what kind of beers they had the bartender's response was "light beer or dark beer" lol. Okay then!

^^Bullshit McSorley's light beer^^

^^Gaby and McSorley! (lol, jk. That's actually some dude named Brennen who was serving us, but doesn't he look like he should be McSorley??^^

After McSorley's May headed home while Gaby, Mark and I hopped in an Uber and headed to the Standard Hotel at the Highline to hit up the rooftop bar we'd been hearing great things about! When we arrived we discovered that the bar was closed for a wedding (whatttt?) and the bouncer told us that the rental for the space was over $100,000. WHAT? After being told that no, we couldn't crash the wedding, and even if he did let us in we would be extremely underdressed and wouldn't blend in for even a minute (lol) we turned around and headed down the street to another bar. We ended up wandering into a restaurant/bar called the Spice Market which was the very best decision. They had some of the best drinks I've ever had! And there was a DJ, and a bachelorette party that looked like they were from the Jersey Shore which offered the best people watching.

^^Tiki Drink from the Spice Market FTW, sooo good!^^ 

^^Gaby and I enjoying our drinks at the Spice Market^^

While we were at Spice Market I got the BEST idea and immediately told Gaby and Mark that I had a surprise for them and ushered them into an Uber. The first stop was the John Dory Oyster Bar for Oyster Shooters and a few snacks. The oyster shooters were made up or a shot of tequila or gin, with celery salt and pickled pepper juice mixed in and then there was a raw oyster on the half shell on top. You ate the oyster first (we think) and then took the shot and they were sooo good. I could go for one right now. My liver on the other hand is glad I live so far away from those tasty, boozy treats!

 ^^Cheers! Oyster Shooters at the John Dory Oyster Bar^^

^^More oyster shooters! Cheers!^^

By the time we finished our food it was almost 1am and I ushered Gaby and Mark up the street and revealed that I was taking them up the Empire State Building. At 1am! It was genius, there was no line and almost no people up there and there was a lightening storm happening in the distance. It was perfect and they were both shocked it was still open!

^^Ready? Let's do this! To the top!^^

^^Views for days^^ 

^^One more. View from the top of the Empire State Building at 1am. Can you see the Flatiron Building down there in the middle of the pic?^^

Gaby was so happy to be in NYC she ended up crying happy tears and calling her mom from the top while Mark and I wandered around tipsy-ly, taking in the view. It was one of the most magical parts of our trip. I know I already said it, but the lightening storm was seriously awesome to watch from up there too!

^^Gaby and I at the top of the Empire State Building^^

After we were told the observation deck was closing and were taken back down to the bottom of the building, I had one last suggestion: Times Square. So that we could say we saw it. Because, when in NYC! We hopped in an Uber, got out and stood in Times Square for a few minutes before feeling overwhelmed and getting in another Uber back to our hotel.

 ^^Times Square at like 2:30am^^

^^Times Square selfie^^

When Gaby and I got back to our hotel we decided to hop in the photo booth in the lobby (duh!) before heading back up to our room to collapse in bed after the longest, best day.

^^Cheers^^

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!