Let The Magic Begin ✨

The intentions have been set and the expectations are high. Universe show me how good life can get!

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  • A Night At The Museum – Sleepover At The American Museum Of Natural History

    A Night At The Museum – Sleepover At The American Museum Of Natural History

    Have you ever spent the night at a museum (or an aquarium, or a zoo)? If not, and if accessible, I highly recommend a museum sleep over. I went in knowing it would be an amazing family experience. The itinerary, should you choose to follow it in lieu of exploring on your own, is perfectly curated to engage and entertain with a live animal show, guided flash light tours, karaoke, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, and more. Once there, however, I realized the low-lit intimate museum exhibits can also be a great setting for a date night. Or it can serve as a time to get away on your own. The experience strikes the perfect balance between the pockets of peaceful solitude and the sense of community throughout the museum with fellow sleepover guests.

    As I already mentioned, I knew the experience would be one of the most unique, interesting, and exciting things we have ever done as a family. I only had one concern, the sleeping arrangements. I knew we would sleep on cots in one big common area but how close to other people would I actually have to sleep? Upon walking into the “Ocean Life” exhibit I found my answer. The cots were so close together there was less than an inch of space between them. Oh boy, I thought.

    However, I decided not think about what’s ahead (as I’ve been actively working on staying present) and focused instead on the giant whale that hung directly over our heads. It was even more majestic from this angle.

    Soon, orientation was over, and we were able to explore the museum after dark. We stopped by the cafeteria, went on a flashlight tour, saw the live animal exhibit (where a hissing cockroach escaped for a brief second before being caught and oh what a brief moment of chaos that was), did some unique art, completed one of the three available scavenger hunts, had a bedtime snake, listened to (and watched) a bedtime story, and finally settled in on our cots for the night.

    Here it goes, I thought to myself. However am I going to fall asleep amongst all of these strangers? This is not comfortable at all, this is………And just like that it was morning. I did it. I made it through a communal sleepover and I didn’t even realize when I fell asleep. I guess a night of exploring the museum (and racking up over ten thousand steps while doing it) will do that to you.

    We had our complimentary morning snack, received some parting goodies (we also received welcome goodies upon arrival) and walked out into the beautiful morning sun. It was a perfect night and it reminded me that sometimes you have to try new things. You might just surprise yourself.

  • This Is Also New York City 🌲🌇🌳🌌

    This Is Also New York City 🌲🌇🌳🌌

    Yesterday, my son and I took an impromptu walk. As we walked, we ended up at one of the city’s countless parks. As we walked through the park, I realized how peaceful and removed from the hustle and bustle of the city I felt even though I was less than two blocks away from a main street. And then another realization came to me, this is also New York City.

    This morning I couldn’t stop thinking of the stark contrast between the woodlands that we walked through yesterday and the City of New York as the world knows it. So I did a little research and what I found was awe-inspiring.

    “New York City has about 30,000 acres of public parkland across its five boroughs. The largest individual park is at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, spanning 2,765 acres. Central Park is about 843 acres. For context, NYC’s total land area is roughly 193,000 acres, so public parkland accounts for roughly 15–16% of the city’s land area.

    New York City’s parks include a diverse mix of forests, meadows, grasslands, marshes, wetlands, coastal habitats, gardens, and landscaped areas, creating a patchwork of natural ecosystems that support a wide variety of trees, native plants, wildlife, and recreational spaces across the five boroughs.”

    As I read this information, I was reminded of the park my son loved when he was younger. Shirley Chisholm State Park. Located right in Brooklyn, it’s a 407 acre waterfront park consisting of terrain that includes beachfront, wetlands, and woodlands. It was built atop an old landfill and features miles of biking and walking trails, kayak launches, fishing piers, and environmental education programming. The programming was my son’s favorite. It’s where we created flowers from recycled materials for Mother’s Day. Where we made Christmas wreaths by hand. Where we observed, caught, and tagged a monarch butterfly for her trip to Mexico. It was where my son first used a telescope to discover the night sky. And it was where where my son first learned how beautifully the universe works.

    See it took place a few years ago in the fall. The park was having a Halloween themed event. Since I don’t prefer to take my son trick or treating because collecting bags of candy is just not something I want him to practice, I decided that this would be the perfect event to have some themed fun without the sugar crash. When we got to the park they were having a raffle for a new bike. My son had been asking for a bike but we just hadn’t gotten around to getting him one since the seasons were changing. We filled out our information for the raffle and continued to enjoy the other activities the park had to offer. When the time came for the winner of the raffle to be chosen my son and I went back to the raffle table and watched as the winner’s name was drawn. When my son realized that he did not win, I could see the disappointment on his face. And so could the employees of the park who knew him very well from the many times we visited. The employee who had drawn the name called the winner and confirmed that they would be coming to pick up the bike. As we were leaving the park, my son tearfully explained how much he wanted the bike. That’s when I saw an opportunity to help him practice something that would change the trajectory of his life. I told him that if he really wants a bike, he should just put that desire out to the universe and then trust that the universe will find a way to deliver. If it wouldn’t be through this raffle, it would come in another way. Somehow he understood. He calmed down and we continued on with our day.

    A few months later, one of the park employees gave me a call. They asked if we were still interested in the bike because the person who won it, never came to pick it up. And just a few short days later we picked up the bike for my son. That day he felt immense joy and learned an invaluable lesson on how to co-create using universal truths.

    So in conclusion, this is also New York City. The concrete jungle, the woodlands, and the lessons that last a lifetime.

  • A Very Roommates Afternoon

    A Very Roommates Afternoon

    Let me paint the picture for you. The New York Knicks are on a historical championship run. They city is more alive than it’s even felt before. The entire city skyline is lit up orange and blue every night. Thousands of people from all walks of life, all ages, all ethnicities, all genders gathering together to watch the games and cheer for something bigger than basketball itself. It feels electric, otherworldly, and like redemption all at the same time.

    Sometime in May, our captain, Jalen Brunson and the “Hart” of the city Josh Hart team up with Airbnb for a special experience. A number of bookings would be available on Airbnb to spend the afternoon playing lawn games and watching a live taping of the podcast Jalen and Josh host, “The Roommates Show”. I set my alarm to a few minutes before the booking is to go live and when it goes off, I nervously pace back and forth in my living room until the “book” button becomes available. I click it and ……..they’re sold out. How?! I feel a wave of disappointment wash over me and then, to soothe myself, I say to myself “If I’m meant to book this experience then the universe will deliver”.

    A few weeks later, a notification from Airbnb pops up. More bookings have become available. I click without hesitation and this time, I book two spots! My husband and I will be spending the afternoon with two of the New York Knicks starting five in just two months time. There goes the universe doing what it does best, delivering. And there I go, doing what I’m learning to do best, receiving.

    Fast Forward to July 17th. I’m running full speed to give my teammate the bean bags I just threw for his turn at corn hole. He throws them and runs to bring them back to me. This continues for 10 minutes back and forth. I’m sweating profusely and running faster than I have ever ran before but it feels only right to put forth this kind of athletic effort when your team captain is non other than NBA champion Josh Hart. And when you’re competing against a team whose captain is non other then NBA finals MVP Jalen Brunson. At the end of the 10 minutes my teammate and I get two more throws each. Points are doubled. As I prepare to throw my bag, Brunson gets on the microphone and “clears his throat”. I miss. I miss both throws. His tactic to throw me off worked. I folded under pressure but how absolutely awesome is it that I got to fold in front of, and because of, the MVP! Still, I must have my redemption.

    The rest of the attendees compete in some more games and before we know it, it’s time for the podcast filming. We all sit and watch the champs talk about various topics in an intimate and personal way. Then it’s time for fan questions. Both of my questions that I submitted prior to the day get selected. One is about my son’s pregame eating habits (which are non existent). The question prompts Jalen and Josh to ask who in the audience asked the question. I raise my hand and for you the next few minutes we have a conversation and share a few laughs like good friends over dinner. Jalen finishes off the conversation with solid advice: “If it doesn’t stop, it will only get worse”. Surely if my son won’t listen to me, he will listen to the King of New York.

    Before we know it, it’s time to announce the winners of the games. Team Brunson wins by 10 points but, honestly, did anyone expect anything different after the way Brunson cleaned up every award and trophy that he’s been up for this year? Again, it’s only fitting. We take some photos with our teams and with the champs and spill back out into the sunny streets of New York City. And just like that, our very roommates afternoon is complete but the way the experience expanded me will last forever.

    A few weeks later I would get a version of the redemption I was looking for. My son would be attending a Knicks Jr. camp. At the end of camp each day they would ask a few parents to come up and shoot “pressure free throws” for prizes. They’re called pressure free throws because as you’re making the shot there’s about 100 kids screaming right behind you and about 10 members of staff directly in front of you blocking your shot with their bodies, waving their arms, their clip boards, and whatever else maybe available. I would walk up to the free throw line, block out the noise (like I should’ve a few weeks ago) and without hesitation shoot a perfect free throw. All net. The camp director would be shocked and call it “unbelievable”. And although it wasn’t a shot made in front of the captain, my quest for redemption would be complete. Because all I ever wanted to prove is that I can block out the noise and remain effective under pressure. And, ultimately, the only person I wanted to prove it to is myself.

  • The Ocean Spoke, I Listened 🌊

    The Ocean Spoke, I Listened 🌊

    One of my favorite parts of living in NYC is that, although the city itself can seem like an overcrowded concrete jungle (and I say “can seem” because it’s not so much, you just have have to know where to look since there are serene green spaces scattered everywhere across the city) you are never too far from different types of nature. Beaches, mountains, skiing, whale watching, forests, boating, fishing, kayaking, etc. All either within the city limits or within a few hours driving distance.

    On this perfectly breezy, sunny, clear Sunday afternoon in July, my family and I found ourselves at the beach. My preferred beaches are on the Jersey Shore. The water is always clear, the beaches are always clean, and the vibes are always up. Our usual routine is dropping our puppy off at a daycare near the beach (since dogs are not allowed on the beaches during the summer months) and then spending hours soaking up the sun, feeling the sand between our toes, and smelling the fresh ocean air until it’s time to pick her up. So we did exactly that.

    However, a few hours into our frolicking, the tide began to change. Not thinking much of it we continued to eat freshly cut water melon and build sand moats around our sand castle. And then, with one quick but powerful wave, we got flooded. We quickly moved our things, laughed about it, and continued on. Not even five minutes later, with an even quicker and an even more powerful wave, we got completely and utterly covered in water. Everything was now soaked and, although we were able to save the majority of our things, my son’s socks are now floating somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. That’s when I realized, the ocean was communicating something to us. It was telling us we should leave. And I had the very strong and very undeniable urge to listen. We quickly wrung out our beach blankets, packed our things, and loaded into the car. That’s when I checked the time. It was almost 7pm. The doggy daycare would be closing soon. I temporarily lost track of time on the beach but the ocean wouldn’t let me. We made it to pick our pup up just in time.

    On the drive home, I couldn’t shake the feeling of gratitude I felt to the ocean for the communication and the feeling of satisfaction I felt about myself for listening to the ocean, and in turn, to my intuition. I realized that nature, our body, the world, the universe is constantly in communication with us. We just have to be in tune enough to listen and receive the message.

  • A Magic Monday Night

    We’re seven months into the year and a lot has happened since my last blog post. It’s summer in NYC, the New York Knicks won their first championship in 53 years (and my husband and I got to hang out with the captain and the champ while we talked and played games but that deserves its own post!!), the World Cup came to NYC (and the rest of the US) and revived humanity, and I began the process of achieving my life long goal…. writing a book. The vibes have been immaculate, and yet somehow, I have not been inspired to write a blog entry until last night. My family and I attended “Monday Night Magic”, the city’s longest-running Off-Broadway magic show at the legendary Cutting Room. Recording or photography of the show was not allowed but I did snap a few photos before the show started to capture the mood.

    It was theatrical, it was grand, and based on the magician’s that came around to our tables and the magic they preformed, I was excited for the show. Still writing a blog post about it was not even on my radar.

    Before the show, I decided to use the restroom. As I made my way through the packed venue of tables stacked so close together that we were all practically sharing a meal, I realized that I was not even close to the the bathroom. I followed sign after sign that led me from the main floor of the venue through a door and then another door, and then down the stairs into the basement, and then through a lengthy hallway with suspended piping from the ceiling and what looked like old decor and prop storage along the walls, then by the kitchen, and finally to the door for the women’s bathroom. Considering my unexpected journey to get to the bathroom, I had extremely low expectations of my upcoming experience. And then I opened the door. Suddenly marquee lights around a huge mirror, beautiful carved detailing, a variety of sanitary and moisturizing products, and a bathroom attendant met my eye. It felt like I was in a movie star’s dressing room rather than a public restroom. As I finished and made my way back to our table, I felt so delighted in my experience, in the evening, in the magic of NYC that I felt an undeniable inspiration to write about the experience.

    I made it back to our table just in time for another magic act and the food we ordered. And as I watched the magic show that was being presented on stage, I couldn’t shake the feeling of experiencing my own magic in the most unexpected of ways.

  • Lunar New Year: A Time To Shed

    The Year Of The Snake: A time to shed.

    I’m doing something today that I haven’t done in over a decade. I’m meeting my best friend for a sushi date. Just the two of us sharing an all you can eat spread of sushi just like we used to before life got so busy with careers, families, etc. It also happens to coincide with Lunar New Year (which, she pointed out, means that we have brought in yet another New Year together). This year we are in the year of the snake. I interpreted that as an inspiration to shed both literally and figuratively. So after a thorough exfoliating session and a much needed haircut, I also contemplated what beliefs and ideas about my life and myself I wanted to let go of. The intention for 2025 has been to reflect, to let go of what no longer serves me, and to follow my passion and I think the theme of the year of the snake is very much on par with exactly that. So today I will eat my favorite rolls (mango avocado), laugh with my best friend, and go home to my favorite people (my husband and my son) so we can light some beeswax candles and engage in a conversation about shedding and making space for what we truly desire to come in. It’s such a beautiful thing to experience. To follow my heart’s desires, to do what lights me up, and to be able to share that with those I love. Happy shedding to you all!

  • Tiny Room. Big NYC Energy.

    Waking up to the sounds and views of NYC just feels so good. On the second day of the year, my husband, our son, and I woke up in a tiny hotel room in Tribeca. That was supposed to be where we spent the night after welcoming in the New Year but since I booked the hotel for the wrong night (and a refund wasn’t an option), we took the opportunity to have the experience. After all, I intend for my 2025 and beyond to be filled with new and exciting experiences. What’s so exciting about a tiny hotel room in Tribeca you may ask? To me, everything. It’s the old school architecture (renovated but with really old bones) and the ability to just pop the hotel room window open like a window in any prewar building (I doubt that’s possible in most other types of hotels). It’s the lively downstairs bar with loud music, incredible energy, and people enjoying themselves. It’s the comfy cotton bathrobes and great shower water pressure. It’s the map of the entire downtown Manhattan, laid out in tile, on the shower wall (which kept our son especially busy while he took a shower, as he searched for the Lilac, a former coast guard ship that him and his dad volunteer on sometimes to assist with restoring it and have even gotten to walk in the NYC Veteran’s Day parade because of it). It’s the free continental breakfast in a highly rated restaurant that’s attached to the hotel (but that is also its own entity with several locations around the city) that’s open exclusively to hotel guests in the morning for a buffet breakfast before it opens up to the public. But above all, it’s really my love for the city. New York and I are in a decades long love affair but more on that in another entry. For now, we’re checking out of our tiny Tribeca hotel room and stepping out into the city streets to find our next adventure (and service our clients because it’s a business day).

  • New Year’s Eve Fireworks: A Romantic Reflection

    There’s something so romantic about watching the fireworks light up the night sky with someone’s loving arms around you. Especially in New York City. Especially on New Years Eve. As my husband and I stood hugging one another within a few feet of our car (where our son sat falling in and out of sleep, refusing to get out into the chilly December/January air to watch the fireworks), I remembered another moment when I was at that same Promenade and saw fireworks. Only these fireworks were figurative. It was a warm summer night and my husband and I were just beginning our relationship. We had been on a handful of dates but this date would forever be the one that allowed us to truly feel that this was something special in the making. As we stood on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, looking across the East Rive at the mesmerizing sight that is New York City as it lit up the night skyline, we looked at each other and shared our first kiss. I closed my eyes and saw (and felt, if that’s at all possible) fireworks. When I opened my eyes, I told my husband what I felt. He told me he shared my sentiment. That was ten years ago. As we stood in the vicinity of that first kiss, welcoming our tenth New Year together, I set the intention for even more love, even more intimacy, even more connection, even more adventures together. I then told my husband about my intentions. He told me he shared my sentiment.

  • Embracing 2025: A Journey to Follow My Passion

    On New Year’s Eve 2024, while sitting in my favorite restaurant that feels purely “old New York”, surrounded by my husband, our son, and my best friend and her family, at a table overwhelmed by delicious Italian food, I decided that the coming year of 2025 would be the year that I find and follow my passion. It would be the year that I shed anything that’s in the way of my absolute authentic self. It would be the year that I would take my biggest leaps with complete faith and design a life that I have always dreamed of living. So, after our fulfilling dinner (both belly and soul), and after cruising down the West side highway with minutes to spare to make it to the Promenade above Brooklyn Bridge Park so that we can have a prime view of the Lady Liberty fireworks to welcome in the new year, as I watched the sparkly colorful explosions in the sky, I wondered to the universe: “Universe, show me how good my life can get! Show my best year yet!”. And since I fully expect the universe to do just that, I’ll be journaling my experience throughout the year. So this is my first entry and already I feel the magic. ✨