making home of an apple

So....lots has happened since the last time I wrote! Life has been a bit crazy lately. Mostly all for good reasons, which helps to put things in perspective when stress levels tend to rise. I was gone to Italy for 5 weeks earlier in the summer to lead two of the EAT.PRAY.MOVE Yoga Retreats in Tuscany and do some research for the upcoming retreat to Ischia in October. During my time overseas we found out that we were officially moving to NYC! Long story short - it was for an amazing job opportunity for Chris and since it's a place we love and have talked about "one day" maybe, just maybe, living there - we figured this was a great chance that we couldn't pass up.


So on my way home from Italy, I had a layover already scheduled in New York and just ended up staying for a few days while I tried to find us an apartment. And yes, all the rumors are true - finding an apartment in Manhattan can steal your sanity. Luckily, a place (that we love) was finalized within a few days, and back to Florida I went to pack, pack, say goodbye, wrap up work, pack some more, and get ready for a 17+hr drive north...all within 3 short weeks.


By the first week of this month, we'd made it all the way up here with a moving van, 2 cats, no cars, not a lot of furniture, and a great deal of anticipation. Overall the trip was fairly smooth and we were able to stop for a couple of nights half-way up to visit with Chris' family as well. It's definitely a bit of a transition, but one that feels right and appropriate. Like it's the natural move for where we both were in our lives.


Moving from the ocean to a concrete city would have been a lot more intimidating if we weren't able to be so close to Central Park (which I adore). It's quite amazing to see it from our window and be able to step into the oasis of nature within a minute. We've already enjoyed lots of walks around our neighborhood - getting to know the area, find all the best and closest shops from groceries to coffee shops, check out a few good restaurants, pop in the MoMA, explore the trails in the park, and visit with friends.


Having quite a few friends already in the city helped us feel more at home and even a friend from St. Augustine has stopped by! The new place is all unpacked now and routines are forming. The new excitement may take a while to wear off (and maybe, hopefully, a bit will always be with me) - but for now I'm just truly trying to enjoy our time here, take it in, soak in what the city has to offer, not get overwhelmed...and if I start to - to just take a walk to Strawberry Fields.

Here's a little video of our first couple weeks...
(email readers must click through to watch online)