It feels like I was welcoming June and the unofficial start of summer just last week, hard to believe it’s already July!
This month, I stayed local for most of the month- trying new restaurants/bars and checking out cafes in nearby ‘hoods. With time to relax, I also started going to a meditation studio in the West Village, MNDFL. I’ve only been to a handful of classes, but already love what the practice is doing for me. If you live in the city or want to try a class on your next visit, use the code “Breathe” at checkout for a discount. And, if you tell them Nicole Yale referred you, I may get a free class. 🙂
I did leave the city once this month- to spend a long weekend in one of my favorite places, London.
Much like New York, London is a city that takes years to truly discover. I’ve been to London a few times (10 Things to Do On Your First Visit), but never in the summer. Despite temps in the 70s, it was overcast and raining off/on for our entire trip. Normally this kind of weather would bum me out, but I found myself embracing the moodiness- it’s a beautiful contrast in a city with so much history.
I spent the long weekend ticking a few more things off my “London list” (Colombia Road Flower Market, afternoon tea at Sketch, a visit to the top of The Shard), but also left plenty of time to watch football in lively pubs and explore more of Shoreditch (the neighborhood we stayed in).
In July, I’m heading to Pittsburgh for a long weekend to see my family, but don’t have any plans to leave the city aside from that. The fall is going to be busy with travel, so I’m looking forward to lounging in Central Park, drinking sunset cocktails on rooftops and soaking in summer before the season ends.
WHAT IS #TAKE12TRIPS?
#Take12Trips is the only resolution I made this year- a promise to commit to doing something once a month. Anything counts- it can be dinner at a new place, visiting a new museum or spending the weekend at a cute B&B in the country. It doesn’t need to be an epic trip to a foreign country, just the chance to discover something new.
Where #Take12Trips has taken me thus far this year:
- January: Florida
- February: Astoria, Queens
- March: Charleston, South Carolina
- April: Philly, Seattle, Tulum, Boston, Cape Cod
- May: Bushwick, Brooklyn
- June: London, UK
I haven’t fully planned my trips for the rest of the year, but this is the work-in-progress schedule:
- July: Pittsburgh
- August: Pittsburgh
- September: Copenhagen for Labor Day Weekend & back to Europe at the end of the month for a trip to Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich
- October: Paris in the beginning of the month & potentially a weekend trip to Utah and Nevada for my birthday at the end of month
- November: Plans to run a race in Big Sur mid-month will take me to San Francisco for a weekend. I’ll also be spending Thanksgiving in Colombia
- December: Pittsburgh & potentially LA for NYE
Are you planning any trips you’re excited about?