I’m the first person to sing the praises of luxuriating in my own solitude, which is why I spend most of my free time alone, reading, writing or cooking, playing music, walking around in the park or the shops – in other words, turning down. But I think everything is good in moderation, so I also enjoy being around people, making new friends and going out for a fun night sometimes.
The turn up is how I spent this weekend, and I’m happy to report it was just as lovely as one of my slow nights in! For me, the difference between a good time and a shit time is the scene, the company you keep, and whether there is good music in the mix.
I started my weekend on Friday afternoon and went to the Cloisters for an outdoor jazz concert with my friend Sary. The Cloisters is one of the Metropolitan Museum branches and the closest thing to heaven that I have seen since I’ve arrived in NYC, and you should know I think very highly of Central Park. This upper upper upper west side spot contains breathtaking gardens nestled within its 4 acres of land, and the museum itself looks like a medieval castle, like it could be in Game of Thrones.
At this jazz concert in the beautiful courtyard, we befriended some lovely Columbia med school students who were kind enough to take photos of us, and then with us! I always find it very refreshing to connect with people who don’t share my line of work since I’m surrounded by people in beauty all week long. We sipped our rose and chatted through that rest of the afternoon. As you can tell we are having a blast!
I told Sary that I wanted an opportunity to wear my new dress (my latest thrift store find, SCORE!) and, a true girl’s girl, she was 100% down to dress up with me. She looks beautiful! One of my favorite things about her is that her background is so different from mine; she is from Miami and I from San Francisco.
SF is all about hoodies and jeans, and in Miami, more is MORE. She always reminds me how fun it is to dress up and be a girl, and inspires me to pamper myself more than I already do, without an ounce of bashfulness. You see that manicure? You’ll never see a chipped nail on this girl.
She, along with the friends I have made here, has made me feel more optimistic and at home in such a big city with so many people. Over the last few years, I’ve been more open to striking up a conversation with strangers (obviously, using my best judgement). I have actually made a number of friends that way, and they’re often very different from the friends I already have. I *think* and hope this has made me a little more open minded. New friends for the win!
After the Cloisters, we went down to meet a few more of our friends, along with the new friends we must made, in Koreatown to do what the Koreans do best (besides beauty and BBQ)… KARAOKE! Obviously, this is one of my favorite nighttime activities and we had a few karaoke enthusiasts in our group, so it ended up being worth me staying past my very early bedtime. Missing a few members of the karaoke turn up squad below.
Today, I met up again with Sary and a few girlfriends, and of course, she was holding a big, beautiful box of bodycare products she just bought. Meanwhile, I’d been using shampoo as my bodywash because I ran out of Dove bar soap and can’t be bothered to replace.
On my way home, a Fresh store beckoned me with its wide open doors and fragrances, and I decided to pull a Sary and get my own set of body care. It is probably the most indulgent purchase I have made in a long time but NO REGRETS because my shower is gonna be POPPIN’ and my skin so soft.
Stay exfoliated and moisturized everyone.
xoxo,
Trace
Trace in the Place 