Adventure Around the Corner: New York City Style

In New York City for Bar Mitzvah Dos, we met Agnes, an event painter, working at the incredible party planned to celebrate the Jewish ritual to bring my nephew to adulthood.  Watching her create an oil painting of our family and friends, an art piece to treasure; I began to think about how we all paint ourselves into our lives. Are you in the place in your life where you want to be? Who would be painted in next to you? What would you be doing?

Recently watching LOST, the Television show,  several characters state: “Everyone gets a new life on this island. Maybe it’s time you start yours.” So I started thinking, what is keeping any of us from starting a new chapter in our lives? From taking that next trip or changing jobs or whatever risk you are contemplating?

Maybe you want some advice from someone older who can tell you, don’t miss out on any opportunity especially for travel. Did you know you can write to Elder Wisdom Circle, for advice from volunteers ages 60-105, a sort of rent-a-grandparent but for free and with no biological ties or guilt.

 Reading Rita Golden Gelman‘s Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World while we were in Sri Lanka last summer reminded me of the episode of LOST. She changed her life and traveled as a nomad for fifteen years; in her book she states: “I am free to live by the standards and ideals and rules I create for myself.” I hope that for my nephew on the verge of adulthood and for myself and all of you, that we can all learn to create a full life, a painting that includes all of us creating  our best lives.

If you are on the Upper West side, you can feel as if you have traveled to may countries, do not miss
Land Thai Kitchen with very authentic and fantastic Thai food. The trip by subway to Peter Luger Steakhouse – “Rated New York No. 1 Steak House for 24 years in a row! Ssssssssizzzzzzlllllle!!!!!!” was nearly heart stopping. The steak was great, but don’t plan a cholesterol test for six months after you eat there!

We also went to the amazing Rosa Mexicano, “Just steps away from Lincoln Center, this impressive David Rockwell-designed space features a 30-foot iridescent blue tile water wall that spans both levels of the restaurant and is adorned with 240 miniature cliff divers.”

All of these places and our time with family and friends, made the journey worthwhile. I would definitely have Agnes paint all the people we saw into the canvas that represents our lives.

We walked through the snow around the corner to the Colombus Cafe. There were 3 young men behind the counter from Yemen speaking Arabic; we had a nice conversation with them about Yemen, Soquatra, a tiny island off the coast, and words in Moroccan Arabic and Arabic. If you only join in, there are travel adventures around every corner.

Several people have recently asked us for advice: how did you take a year off? How did your blog get 13,000 views in 6 months? Where will you go next? Where should I go next?

We love your questions and cannot wait to share more. Please keep writing to us and think about who would be included in the painting of your life, I hope you are in the center doing something fantastic!