but first: the pregame

peace play passion

 i couldn’t think a better way to start off the trip than in one of my favourite cities, with one of my favourite people/my work wife/twin/shimmy sister, Carmen aka Kermin.it actually blows my mind how every New York trip gets better than the last. this one was the first time i’ve really delved into NYC nightlife and we had a freaking BLAST. danced our lil butts off, met so many friends (weirdly like 99% lawyers???) kept it semi budget-friendly due to an alarming amount of free drinks in exchange for zero effort, and were nonstop living our best lives. truly thriving.my insta stories have basically been a visual documentation of our activities but going to jot down a quick breakdown (which is mostly “had to be there” stuff but like my blog so whatevs):Thursday

• 2 hours in traffic (welcome to New York) meet Mike Lawyer #1 for keys outside of his office aka the New York Times building. like what is your life, so cool. except he was being summoned back to work at a casual 7pm. work hard play hard i guess.
• Uber Pool friend was a wannabe celeb who needs more information about the BET Awards red carpet. our dream for her is to refer her agent by their actual name.
• get to Zack’s dream apt in SoHo who had left us a bottle of champs + full booklet of info/recos for our trip. best host award, hands down, we are not worthy
• despite Alexa being QUITE stubborn, we have a fab dance party predrink and venture off to Jimmy at the James (the first of many rooftops). random human buys us a $20 drink and we say k if you must, because we are on a budge and also eat arugula for lunch.
• Carmen’s gaydar prevents me from meeting some guys in fur vests, but we do make friends with a “suede” (velour) jacket designer and tell him we can help his business take off in Vancouver - trust us, our PR skills are better than your model friend with the dog in the club.
• lots of dancing, a genre-ADD dj, meet Parisian Lawyer #1 and #2, off to a speakeasy with a quick stop at Artichoke Pizza, try not to poison our new friends with a whiskey allergy.

Friday

• acai bowls at Equinox because we are healthy and we earned it, walk across the bridge to Brooklyn. supes cute shops and restaurants. i got a presh “p” necklace because it was the perfect day, everything is perfect, peace play passion, the pregame, and paxian

• weren’t in a bbq state of mind (although thank you Max for the Fette Sau reco) so had lunch at the cutest French bistro rooftop, Juliette.
• Prosecco and Aperol Spritz at a patio in Little Italy

• quick stop at home and then off to Miss Lily’s for dinner - amazing Caribbean atmosphere, server is basically Rihanna, jerk chicken and corn i have been craving since i went last year. EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO HERE.
• couple dranks, meet Parisian Lawyers at the Standard Rooftop where Long Island Brad and his friends are a bit much. but the bathrooms have a view of the Empire State bldg so it was awesome.
• then comedy cellar (also a must) - no surprise guests but did see an old Chelsea Lately fave, Dov Davidoff, and Jessica was hilar with her pep talks to the wall. we see her after at the bar and tell her she’s our fave - also Carmen discovers a newfound love for chalk drawings at the bar. her perfect bar has chalkboard tables and bathrooms with a view. and robes. and a pool.
• off to our fave part of the trip THE JANE HOTEL THIS PLACE IS THE BESTTTT. our new Uber Pool friend is Nick Depressed Young Lawyer #4 who is being summoned home by his boss at midnight. we hope Nick quits his job and finds his own peace play passion.
• Belgian Lawyer #5 invites us to cut the line because it is around the block and the bouncers are power tripping hard. this lawyer was the nicest lawyer!!
• The Jane Hotel is a giant old living room and we are THRIIIIVING dancing on couches to the best music with the most fun people. i discover i will likely fall in love with anyone who sings Despacito in his native tongue, Carmy gets me and is the most supportive friend. we never want to leave.

Saturday

• grab a bagel, eat it at Washington Square Park where there is live music, a topless photoshoot, and a dog stealthily stealing its human’s lunch (she was supposed to be on a diet). very New York and perfect.
• we dance to the street drummers all the way down the block - why isn’t this our everyday life soundtrack??
• exploring the cutest West Village/Greenwich - Carrie B-shaw’s steps, Friends building, I FEEL YOU BABY blogger lineup. life-changing hand moisturizing demo.
• Flatiron, pasta heaven Eataly, mojitos at rooftop bar 230 Fifth, bundle up in our stylish robes and an igloo atmosphere. Carmy has partnered with Kate Spade for this Insta photo #sponsored #ad
• home and then off for whatever the night has in store - which turned out to be cocktails at speakeasy Little Branch, making Uber Pool friends with Shelly and Elly. Elly is v well connected and we are lucky to have met him, we hear.
• Amaze dance party at Catch (but no Leo sighting) smeagle over to No8 for bottle service because did i mention Elly says he is well connected? but we just miss Hotel Jane. quick stop at Gansevoort for more dancing and then a swing and a miss at Jane because the bouncers forgot we were regulars. we regret not getting the stamps permanently tattooed on our wrists.
• make some more Uber Pool friends because you have to, and then home. even if they are not lawyers, they are probably still lawyers.

Sunday

• rainy day, bennies and some shopping
• blackberry infused rosé and our server looks like Nick Miller so i am v happy. Zack gets home and says we’ve been doing NYC right and i have never felt so honoured in my life.
• dins at Jack’s Wife Freda, then live jazz/ping pong at Fat Cat.
• Carmy and I frolic over to Times Square for some more dancing and singing Havana. still absolutely thriving. we facetime Er Bear from the steps and head home. i meet my new Spanish friend for a drink at a kareoke bar and decide 2 hours of sleep is a good way to kick off my 21-hour journey to Rwanda. yolo.

and here i am!! 10 hours in, 11 to go, couple naps/eps of New Girl, just bloggin’ away. The Pregame was unreal, but super excited to take some time off the bender, see Tommy and Christine, and settle into the Peace leg that is Rwanda. Africa here i come!!