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“Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen
Brownstones, water towers, trees, skyscrapers
Writers, prize fighters and Wall Street traders
We come together on the subway cars
Diversity unified, whoever you are
We're doing fine on the One and Nine line
On the L we're doin' swell
On the number Ten bus we fight and fuss
'Cause we're thorough in the boroughs
And that's a must”

~The Beastie Boys

Brooklyn Heights

I’ve been in a New York state of mind recently. I went to the city to have a creative playdate with myself, as I like to call it. There’s so much beauty there. Be open to what the moment brings, live in the NOW, embrace it with grace. I went to see some old friends that were more important than just hanging out a lone.  It was a time for me to play, trust my guides & everything else that I would have a fab time that I did. Well, I didn’t go all out as I did on my last visit to this beautiful place. I didn’t make it Strawberry Fields or St Mark’s Place in the East Village. I love New York very much; it’s one of my favorite cities in the States & the world. There’s just something so unique with it, the vibrant of melting pot of cultures, rich history, & a place to be creative & to find loads of craic.

Smorgasburg

I found some great eats this time around. Oh, where did I go, where did I go to treat myself to some sexy goodness with food. I ended up at Verlaine on the Lower East Side with a friend & her work colleagues. They have a wonderful Happy Hour & Asian style tapas menu. I did go back to Penn Sushi at the Amtrak Terminal in Grand Central Station when I was in Midtown experiencing  B&H Photo . Yummy sushi in a traditional Japanese market that I found the comforts of Japan, oishii desu yo! I found some gluten free falafel on Spring Street at Taim , this place was heaven for me with the rich flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine & healthy eating. I loved that the falafel had a couple different options rather than the traditional one. Oh, over in Brooklyn Heights I found Lantern where another friend of mine & I went to in a massive rainstorm one evening for take a way. I wish that I had my rain pants for that storm, oh well; my friend & I both survived with umbrellas & humor.  On a calmer evening we ended up eating at Nanatori for bentos that had brown rice. Oh yummy goodness & had some great chats about the good old days of Japan. The weekends in Brooklyn Heights are fab during the spring & summer with Smorgasburg. Heaven with the many foods stalls. The scents of BBQ just scream welcome summer. There’s so many good eats. I ended up eating Ethiopian from Bunna Cafe . I haven’t eaten Ethiopian since my first visit to San Francisco, but I will admit that I loved every bite of it. Bunna Café does offer gluten free too & heaps of vegan items. There’s so much good goodness in the city & the boroughs that there is temptation at every corner. It’s nice to see that New York City does have a food rating system where business post A or B with their inspection ratings. It’s nice to know that your food came from a clean & sanitized kitchen.

I found myself exploring the Guggenheim. Frank Lloyd Write designed the building. It’s an amazing place to go to. I saw the Italian Futurism exhibition. The exhibition was amazing & an eye opener for what artist saw during the first half of the 1900s. I loved this place very much. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite painters like Picasso & Monet beautiful masterpieces. It’s always nice to get reenergized by paintings & to tap into the greater energy field that is always available to you. When you create you tap into a much higher level than in the pain body with your consciousness expanding into multiple realms.

“New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York”

~Jay Z

I did enjoy finding some creative people & had small chats with along the way. I guess I get that from the Irish side to chat people up cos it just comes naturally. I engaged in conversations about being true to you is the most important value than anything else. You got to express yourself as well by the creative items you pick for your wardrobe. It’s ok to take your own journey on the road maps of life that only you get. Sometimes you just have to shed away bad relationships too. It’s about that you need to be bold & vibrate to express yourself.

“Beauty's where you find it
Not just where you bump and grind it
Soul is in the musical
That's where I feel so beautiful
Magical, life's a ball
So get up on the dance floor”

~Madonna

I really enjoyed my time with my friends tho. Friends are priceless. They do come & go, but the ones you need at the moment are always right there waiting for you. There’s something special in each of the friends that I spent time with. I really loved the hour or so that I spent with a dear friend that was my flatmate in Melbourne. Even tho, I haven’t seen him in like ten years, that really didn’t matter one bit, there’s a strong beauty from the inside out that just shine between us. It was awesome to spend a “Zen” hour chatting about our struggles & our experiences on our own paths. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone when it comes to that I’m not alone when I say that I have dealt with many issues of feeling “alone & not belonging” in this world. Lately, I tend to find myself having conversations with friends that are on the path down “the rabbit hole” to expand consciousness. However, my friend on our park date in Prospect Park reminded me not to buy into “spiritual entertainment” but to balance it out with “Sex in the City” episodes so to speak. Basically in normal language, it comes down to balance it out with some fun & something that you enjoy doing. So what if the things you do enjoy is going to eat sushi, reading, watching the telly, going to the movies, hiking, etc…There’s nothing wrong with it, so what if others don’t get it, just be happy with your me time to unwind. Just put what you really want out of life out there, there’s no telling when the universe will allow you to receive the goodness. Just trust the higher light & starting putting goodness out there. I’ve noticed with all of the work that I’m doing on me that I tend to attract more like minded kinder sprits too. I really enjoyed my “Zen” time with a dear old friend, as well as spending quality time with all of my friends that I visited in the New York City area.

View of Manhattan

Ah, I do love New York for numerous reasons. New Yorkers are very friendly & helpful, especially when it comes to the subway & getting your bags through the gate. Also, some of the subway stations are going WiFi by the end of the year that will be great for the international visitors to route into the Internet while traveling. I noticed that I probably wouldn’t have gotten it in many other cities on the East Coast, but it really depends on the person too.  I felt like I can be me, the creative soul that fits in this crazy world one way or the other. There’s beauty around every corner. The 80’s are in style & you don’t necessarily need to go the East Village to find it. There’s loads of craic 24-7. The city that doesn’t sleep, it’s a good one to have a creative playdate in. It’s fab to catch up with old friends to spend some quality time with. Overall it’s just a wonderful place to go to enjoy!