See you next time, NYC.

Hey!

I'm back in Florida, reading my ReadyMade magazine, sipping a glass of my favorite red wine and listening to a seriously good playlist. Mmm, has it ever felt so good being home? 

I just returned from my five-day trip to New York City. Man alive, was it fun. It was my last of the three spring conferences I run as part of my job, and it was a bittersweet weekend indeed as I'll be leaving my job this summer to move on to grad school this fall. I want to share some photos with you before I begin the new week. 

Outside of our gorgeous venue, in the Upper East Side. We were lucky to snag this spot, since most venues in the city are crazy expensive. Phew. It's called The House of the Redeemer, and it was built in the early 1900s. (You can read about it here.) The interior is stunning, and there are little chapels and sanctuaries you can sneak away to if you want. I spent some time exploring and snapping photos of the small chapel upstairs. It was a really nice way to relax for five minutes when you feel like you've been around people nonstop. 

This was our setup for the weekend. We had 90 attendees, and it was the most intimate, gorgeous library space I've ever been in. Everyone agreed that it felt like we were inside a set from Harry Potter. I spent a good part of our afternoon paging through the books after we set-up earlier in the week. So many amazing books about the history of the church, living a contemplative life, and there were even books on art history. Oh, and speaking of art history, it's believed that Raphael painted this ceiling. So cool, right?

Because it was my last conference as the program director, I was honored at the very end of the weekend by my coworkers with some very kind words... and, a cat card. You can tell by the first picture how hard I was laughing because they know me so well. I love my MOVE team more than I can explain. They're some of the best folks on the planet.

And of course, every evening after our hard work we celebrated by eating yummy dinners and exploring all over the city. Above, two of my friends, Nichole and Chad, practice their NYC "model" poses before we hit the town. ;) 

I feel alive in cities. I always have, and I'm sure I always will... I wonder if I'll ever have the opportunity (or just pure guts) to up and move to a place like NYC or Chicago. There's something so magical about the hustle and bustle of people creating, sharing ideas, and working together in such a closely knit place like an inner city. (I also love small, intimate towns though too, so maybe I'm just content wherever I find myself.) 

Thanks for being wonderful, NYC. I hope to see you again soon. Now, I'm off to finishing up my postcards for my "pen pals" or sorts. If you'd like to swap a postcard with me this week, it's not too late! Just leave me a comment with your email address, and I'll finalize the details this week. Yay!

So, what about you... do you like the city? Which big city is your fave?
K