NYC Chaos, Blister City, and the Art of YOLO

If you’re reading this and wondering if I’ve finally fully lost it... yeah, probably lol. I just got back from New York City and my soul is full, my feet are wrecked, and I’m pretty sure I’m operating on sheer willpower. It was nuts. Like actually nuts. The kind of trip where you have the best time and then immediately need to lie flat on a cold floor when you get home.

Part of the reason for this little whirlwind was to watch my little sister compete in her first ever HyRox competition, which if you don’t know what that is, just picture a giant room full of insanely fit people casually doing things that would send me into another dimension. Running, rowing, lunges, sleds, all of it. Deeply impressive. Also? Watching people work out that hard made ME exhausted. Not inspired. Exhausted. I was tired in my bones just looking at them. Not me babe. I’m built for moral support, snacks, and saying "wow that’s amazing" from a safe seated position with a lime margarita Cutwater in hand.

Ships, Subs, and Slaying the Sightseeing Game

Since I was obviously not participating in any athletic greatness, I scooted myself out towards the end and walked over to the USS Intrepid and toured the ship and the Growler submarine. It was very cool and I bragged to my brother all about it because he’s into that stuff. Dad would have loved it too. Ugh.

Since winter I’ve had the travel bug and I kind of want to just go see all the places whenever I can and that’s kind of my travel style I guess... a little bit dreamy, a little bit chaotic, a little bit "how did I end up here?" The views were gorgeous, the ship was wild, and the whole thing made me feel teeny tiny in a weirdly calming way.

The submarine, though? Ok, so if you have even the slightest issue with tight spaces, maybe don’t. Or do, but prepare to question your choices in real time. I survived, saw the things, and then naturally went back to the hotel for a tiny reset because apparently even sightseeing now requires a recovery period. Love that for me.

French Food & The Great Cheese Hunt

I ended up doing dinner at two different French restaurants because apparently I’m committed to the bit, and wow they were magically dreamy. Like dim lights, outdoor gardens, cute cocktails, little perfect bites, the whole "maybe I should become the kind of person who only eats in adorable bistros" fantasy. Really though, both hit top 10 dinners to date. Ambiance, weather, company all aligning- yeah, It was like stepping into a perfectly curated scene. I need more ASAP. #memories

I was on a full mission to find some epic cheese blocks for "research" (tax write-off energy, do not ask follow-up questions), but I didn’t find any massive wheels to drag home. I DID find parm truffle fries, though, and let’s just clear this up right now: parm truffle fries absolutely count as cheese. If there is parm involved, it is cheese content and therefore basically work-related in my book. I actually forgot to take a photo but Kate can contest that they were really good.

SailGP Chaos and Blister City

The weekend was also SailGP, which added an extra layer of absolute nonsense in the best way. The weather was nuts, the city was nuts, the traffic was more nuts, the nightlife was wild-ish... like every direction I turned, it was just more chaos. One minute everything felt cute and breezy and the next minute I was getting smacked around by wind like a grocery bag in a parking lot. I did get lost on my last day because I was feeling a little under the weather and thought a long walk could save my soul. The thing is that I couldn’t think totally straight. Nothing like a dark room and a Sprite couldn’t fix. Really though, the combination of long days, late nights, maybe one too many tequila sodas and a sip of water here and there really got me good.

I walked a decent amount and I would like a formal apology from New York pavement. My feet were hanging on by a thread. But honestly? It was still so fun. I got to spend time with really amazing people, soak in the city, and remember that life can’t just be work, emails, grocery lists, and wondering what’s gone bad in the produce drawer while I was away. Sometimes you have to just go. YOLO and all that.

Transitions and goodbyes.

Okay you guys, little heart-to-heart for a sec because I know a lot of you are in this same season of trying to hold twelve things at once without fully getting sucked into a black hole. As most of you have probably heard by now, Abigail has ended her time at Graze. She helped me so much while I was away and through all of my usual chaos tornado behavior, and I’m truly so grateful for her.

The prep for the house photographer this week also has me in full chaos mode, so trying to make my house look like no one has ever lived in it? I have until Wednesday morning to figure it out.

But truly, this whole stretch has me thinking about work-life balance in a very real way. And I mean this directly to you guys, because I know a lot of us are doing the most all the time and then feeling weird for wanting one dreamy dinner, one trip, one day off, one breath. Please hear me when I say this: you are allowed to work hard and still want joy. You are allowed to build your thing and still take the trip. You are allowed to be tired and still choose fun. I’m in a very YOLO headspace lately and in a "life is actually happening right now so maybe stop waiting for permission to enjoy it" way. Because what are we doing otherwise? Just grinding ourselves into dust and answering emails from bed forever? Not me babe. The grind is just a mechanism for living, not living itself. You with me? Taking a breath sometimes feels like a trap or like a betrayal of your ambition but listen up. Yeah, we all have bills and responsibilities but guys, you’re all burnt out. Come travel with me. If you aren’t living a life that isn’t inspiring then WTF are we even doing here in the first place? I’m choosing joy while also building my business from the ground up, and I’m navigating life’s major transitions but also finding the magic in the mundane. Highly recommend. Rant over. I’m booking more trips this summer.

Back to Reality (Oop, there goes gravity)

Getting back to the NYC trip, I flew back in at midnight and then was up for a 5 AM shift, which felt deeply illegal if I’m being honest. Just a truly disrespectful timeline for my body and brain. I had a book signing event in the morning, so I was back at it immediately, throwing together a grazing table before the sun was even properly up. Cute! Horrible! We did it! My eyes were so puffy and I looked wrecked. Which, fair. I was.

Meal prep was a bit of a challenge too, although it started late because of course it did. Only 6 hours late. I JUST finished and here I am writing this blog for you. I kept it easy this week because if a recipe has more than, like, four thoughts in it right now, I’m out. The meals all came out quite good and I should be proud of my multitasking skills. I kind of impress myself actually.

Looking Ahead to June

I’m currently snuggling with my little one, who is probably made of 40% pizza and 60% ice cream after his weekend with his nanny and dad, which honestly... respect. He was spoiled, I was chaotic, everybody survived.

June is giving me major summer yikes, not gonna lie. I wanted easy breezy summer. I wanted calm. I wanted cute little coastal grandmother energy. Instead June is standing in the doorway like "hey girl" with a terrifying amount of plans, transitions, travel, and logistics. So if I seem a little scattered, that would be because I am! But I’m figuring it out. You all should know my baseline by now.

I might need to be a little pickier about how much I work in June just so I can get my footing in this new phase of life. Thanks for hanging with me while I sort it all out, truly. I’m figuring it out one event, one meltdown, one parm truffle fry at a time. Might go on a spa weekend? I could go for a massage and a hot shower.

Stay chaotic. Take the trip. Be intentional eating at the French bistro because those are the moments where you actually exist.

XX

Abby

Song of the day: Clarity (feat. Foxes) (BUNT. Remix)

That remix of Clarity is such a mood and it takes that iconic, slightly frantic energy of the original and adds this cool, driving pulse that honestly fits my back from NYC, slightly delirious, kind of thriving vibe perfectly. It’s got that blend of emotional weight and upbeat tempo that is perfect for the chaos.

Times Square chaos.

A little treat.🥰

That day where I was so unwell, got lost in Brooklyn, had to Uber back. 😩

Brooklyn morning views. So sad having to leave. I didn’t cry or anything.

Ok this Mexican place was also soooo good. That was the start of the espresso martinis with tequila which turned into just tequila sodas for the rest of the night. 😬

A French bistro in a garden is where it’s at. The Sancerre was a nice addition to a beautiful night. Cheers.

It’s bigger than it looks.

Sissy and Stella with their matching outfits and muscles.