A Day in the Life of a New Yorker back in New York

I’m back a week now from Portugal.

My daily routine in New York looks quite different from my solo retreat life in Lisbon. The lesson surgery taught me (or screamed) is that I can’t maintain the pace that I had before.

Life has to be about more breaks.

More joy.

So today, I thought I'd share a glimpse of my day.

6:15 a.m. — Alarm goes off

I was having breakfast with a friend this morning at 8am.

I traditionally back time, on paper, from the time I plan to arrive at my destination.

• 7:45am arrival

• 7:20am walk to subway

• 7:00 make sandwich and cut up fruit for lunch

• 6:15-7:00 Shower, hair, makeup, get dressed.

These shower steamers, gifted to me by Mou Chowdhury make a banal, everyday shower, more “spa like” as waves of eucalyptus and mint waft up around me.

Flamingo Estate body wash (gifted to me by Carlyn Bushman and Melissa Carson) woke me up!

While in France, I fell in love with the Jasmine flavor of Marvis toothpaste.

I studied the scars on my stomach in the mirror as I brushed.

Sigh..

6:33 a.m. — Hairdry/Makeup

I’m deliberating over what to do with my hairdryer. Its BIG.

I still have the model that the hair and makeup artists used on me while in TV. Dyson makes a smaller, lighter version. It’s better for travel. The problem is that my trusty ol TwinTurbo works like a dream in Europe and doesn’t blow out all the circuits, despite the voltage change.

To protect my hair, I spritz it with this R & Co Bleu mist before I start attacking with both heat and brush.

Since Europe, I’m wearing less makeup.

Skincare: Toner. Hydrating mist. GM Collin Vitamin C serum. Eye cream.

Eyeshadow palette from NYX. Eyebrow shadow from Anastasia Beverly Hills (the brush is key). Mascara from Fenty Beauty. Eyeliner from NYX. Concealer from Tarte Shape Tape.

No. 7 Powder dusted all over.

And I’m off.

6:45 a.m. — Make lunch

I planned to take the morning to visit the new exhibit at the Met this morning.

Since I’m not eating complex foods just yet, I made a sandwich and cut up strawberries to take with me. Matt did a great job of visiting the local bakeries and farmers markets, trying to preserve the feeling of farm to table food we had in Portugal.

7:00 a.m. — Head to Subway

I have airpods, but worry about them falling out of my ears and onto the dirty subway platform, or worse yet, losing them. So I don’t wear them anymore. But that also means I’ve short circuited valuable learning time via audiobook while on the train.

I also got a gift of Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones. Attached firmly to my noggin, I listened to Youtube videos on business from Natalie Dawson on my ride into the city.

7:45 a.m. — Arrive at Lafayette Bakery

I’m always early. It probably drives people nuts.

In fact, I know it does.

But, I have articles saved in my Pocket app, just for this reason. I can stand around and read on my phone while I wait. The bakery is by my old Soulcycle studio. Sweaty gals in skimpy workout gear were spilling out onto the sidewalk.

I grew sad, watching them saunter by. Those classes are still a ways away for me.

Will I ever return? I brushed away the thought.

8:06 a.m. — Breakfast with my friend

While I enjoy my solo retreats, I always miss my deep friendships in New York by the end. I made a breakfast date with Christy to catch up. She has since moved out of the city and is living 60% of the time in the Catskills.

We talked about “life after New York,” travel, work, natural medicine.

I had a matcha latte and the signature oatmeal.

I realized after my body isn’t quite ready for coffee yet. A pain in my stomach accompanied me as I rode with her up to Rockefeller Center. When she got off the train, I continued up the B line.

I always have a warm feeling heading back to my old Upper West Side neighborhood. I lived on 85th and Central Park West for 16 years before Matt and I consolidated our lives and moved to Brooklyn.

While the Met is on the East Side, its just a quick jaunt across the park from the West side.

9:47 a.m. — Walk across Central park

Always immaculately manicured, I forgot how much I missed living by Central Park.

The sun was shining brightly.

The cherry blossoms were in bloom.

The park was buzzing as usual.

With runners, bikers, dog walkers and women friends speed walking, gossiping in packs of 3.

10:15 a.m. Arriving at the Met

I love this straightaway leading up to the Museum. It reminds me of Paris.

Bad news though when I got to the end.

The entire block was cordoned off around the Museum.

“The Met gala is tonight, “ said a well meaning construction worker, holding a STOP sign.

Cripes. I should have called ahead.

I was surprisingly chill about it. (I can see myself changing as a result of my solo retreats.)

I reversed course, tracing my steps back to the subway through the park, careful to dodge the bikers.

All the while, working with my business right hand person Sheryl to book my Ryanair flight from Corfu.

A massive retrospective of the artist Caravaggio’s works are on display in Rome until July 6th.

I’m going to hop over and catch it at the Palazzo Bernini.

11:00 a.m. Subway to Brooklyn

I had my headphones on, but I could see a man gesturing to me, mouthing “I LOVE your jacket!”

I took them off my head and said, ‘Thank you, I got it in Portugal.”

He nodded knowingly——as he got off at the Chelsea stop.

To think, I almost didn’t wear it. It’s lemon yellow and fuchsia pink. So NOT New York. But I’m dressing for the next level of me, which means standing out. Not blending into New York black oblivion.

The gays know good quality when they see it.

11:55 a.m. Work

I sat down to draft the curriculum for my Mastermind’s May intensive. I was a little stuck on the next steps. Folks are struggling with crafting good story and its my job to meet each of them where they are.

The morning walk helped.

Our apartment in Brooklyn has floor to ceiling doors that all open up. When the weather is nice, it’s like indoor-outdoor living. I can work with proximity to green and trees.

During the breaks, I was searching neighborhoods for the Airbnb in Rome.

We have friends who live on the other side of the Tiber River, but that is a far walk from the Museum where the Caravaggio exhibit is. I picked an Airbnb only 15 minutes from the Palazzo Bernini.

I’m over the moon excited for this art-inspired detour.

I got this outfit from Eileen Fisher, (my first purchase from there) which can carry me from airplane to touring the city. It arrived in the mail today and fit perfectly.

I look forward to the day I don’t have to wear drawstring pants anymore.

But for now, they are the order of the day.

8:30 pm Writing

I love writing and journaling before I go to bed.

I wrote this post for you.

If today was teaching me something quietly, what would it be?

Some of my best ideas don’t come while sitting behind my desk. Thoughts gel and come together when I’m doing things like I did this morning.

The fog cleared as I walked Central Park.

The solo retreat made me flexible. I should have called ahead, but it wasn’t the end of the world.