Everybody's Working for the Weekend

Alex and I were able to sneak away for 2 long weekends in 2016: one at the tail end of my time at Lincoln Center to Newport, Rhode Island and one at the beginning of my time at the Jewish Museum to the Hudson Valley.

At the top of summer, we decided to leave NYC and clear our heads. In Newport, Rhode Island, we explored so many of the mansions: Marble House, The Elms, Kingscote, The Breakers, and Rosecliff. It was like being transported back in time. We wandered through these gorgeous old dinosaurs on beautifully unseasonably cool days in New England. We also took a sunset sail on a schooner, ate at delicious seafood joints, visited one of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere, and did a little shopping. We stayed at an Airbnb in walking distance to just about everything. It was fantastic.

In prime leaf peeping season, Alex and I took a little getaway to the Hudson Valley. We stayed at a beautiful B&B in Kingston. We visited a few wineries, ate at two delicious restaurants, hiked a beautiful trail along the Hudson River, and explored FDR's estate. It was a very sweet escape from the city right before the holiday season crush.

With our wedding planning well underway, Alex and I have been busy organizing and preparing. I'm glad that with all the craziness around us, we're still able to spend great quality time together and de-stress from our hectic lives.

Instead of a New Year's Resolution this year, I pledge to take time to enjoy quiet moments and go on adventures with the people I love.

Wine and Unwind

This past year I went on 2 weekend trips with my college girlfriends. One trip was full of vineyards and wine. One trip was full of yoga and meditation. Both were so needed and it felt great to get away from it all and have some girl time.

Over the summer, a group of us got away for a weekend of relaxing by the pool, taking ourselves on a tour of some vineyards in Virginia, and eating delicious meals while we all caught up. Here are a few pics from our wine weekend:

This past fall, my college roommate and I got our zen on with yoga, meditation, hiking, and some full on relaxation. We went to an ashram in the middle of nowhere and got away from civilization for a few days. Here are a few pics from Yogaville:

It's so easy to lose touch with friends who don't live around the corner. And I understand things will get more complicated as we each take on more demanding jobs, get married, fill our schedules with more and more commitments, have babies, etc. I feel very lucky to have fantastic college friends. We've always made the effort to see each other and stay connected. I pledge to make it a priority to see my college roommates and keep our strong friendships alive throughout our lives.

Mazel Tovs

I sit here at my desk in a huge temporary office that I'll be occupying here at The Jewish Museum until my permanent office overlooking Fifth Avenue is remodeled. Although this is most certainly not my first time settling into a new job, this time it's different. I knew a bunch of my colleagues personally before starting and I carved out exactly what I'll be doing here with my new boss before I even came in for an interview. It's strange and new and wonderful. I often find myself thinking, how the heck did I end up here?

Earlier this year, a good friend and former colleague calls with news of a possible position opening up at the organization where he works, The Jewish Museum. He asks if I'm looking for my next opportunity [I'm not]. He asks for my wish list of all the things I'd want in a next job and I tell him. We chat about life and vacations and laugh a lot. I'm reminded of how much I had enjoyed working with him at Lincoln Center.

A week or so later he calls me again saying the wish list job that we'd talked about will be real. And shortly after that, an interview is scheduled. Scratch that. 4 back-to-back interviews are scheduled for one hot morning in July. I went in optimistic, nervous, but mainly very excited. I left the marathon of meetings feeling good.

I receive the call with the offer. A perfect next position for me, more money than I had asked for, and the chance to work for a colleague I admire and respect. I think long and hard about it. I love working at Lincoln Center - my commute, my role, the people I work with. But can Lincoln Center offer me what I need to take my career to the next level?

Before diving in head first and saying yes, I bring up the offer to my boss at Lincoln Center. She talks through my options at Lincoln Center but ultimately tells me she would not be able to look at herself in the mirror if she encouraged me to stay because she knows she can't match what I'd been offered at the Museum. I then take a huge leap of faith, accept the position and put in my official notice.

I've been at the Museum for about a month and I love it. My boss is someone I know and have worked with before. My team is strong. The hours are more reasonable. The salary is high. I constantly feel like I'm not doing enough work. That is probably because I was a bit over-worked and burnt out at my last job (despite the fact that I really loved it). I'm settling in and most importantly, I'm happy.

And to put the cherry on the sundae, Alex and I got engaged last month! Alex proposed quietly in our apartment after a New York City Football Club soccer game and before the most amazing dinner at Ichimura at Brushstroke. We're planning a wedding for next fall and I couldn't be more excited to call Alex my family.

It's been a fantastic end to the summer with many mazels.