Clouds of Contentment

A lovely exhortation from which we all can benefit.

Today Philly was cool and cloudy, showing slight improvement from the sporadic storms of the past couple of days (on Tuesday, my umbrella snapped IN HALF, and I spent the greater part of my Wednesday puddle jumping to keep up with a photographer). The original plan for today was to get up early and head to Penn's Landing for free yoga by the river, but I decided to wait until next week when it's not 59 degrees outside. Judge if you will.

Weather aside, I think I made the most of this seemingly-dreary Thursday. I began my day with a nice long walk to Rittenhouse Square to run some errands. If you're ever in Philly, Rittenhouse is a must; it's about as Gossip Girl as Philly gets, and it's become a sort of sanctuary for me. Here's a tip for when/if you move to a new city: find the place that makes you feel inspired, safe, and chic, and go there as often as possible.

After Rittenhouse, I walked back to my place to meet up with my cousin, Katie. Katie has lived in Philly for about a year. She just received her nursing degree (we celebrated at Talula's Garden last night--amazing food!) and will be moving out of the city tomorrow. I was really sad that our city adventures didn't overlap, but as a sort of passing-of-the-baton, Katie offered me her bike for the summer. She informed me that she wouldn't be needing it for the next few months, and I was grateful for the added freedom of mobility. As a thank-you, I picked up some delicious-looking homemade goodies at Le Bus in Rittenhouse; I hope they made it home so Katie could share them with her husband, Chris--they barely made it home with me!

Holiday Weekend Highlights

So I know I'm supposed to be hanging around Philly so I can explore my new turf and edify myself and whatnot, but this weekend I made an exception. Saturday morning I grabbed a ride with a few of my good friends, and we spent the afternoon visiting a local lavender farm and hiking at a nearby nature center. On Sunday, I went to support my parents and their cooler-than-you'd-expect band play an outdoor concert, then drove back to Philly with my brother. After working a full day Monday, I headed home, once again, to celebrate Memorial Day and my neighbor's birthday (if you couldn't tell, we're really close with our neighbors).

As you can see, the past few days have been pretty packed. It's safe to say I'll be reasonably content to remain in one city for a little while...

I am now a pleased patron of peace and lavender (read: I purchased the entire gift shop). Success?

This little Pennsylvania lavender farm is what my mom would call a "feast for the senses"-- beautiful sights and smells abound.

After the lavender field, we took a six-mile nature hike -- the perfect remedy for concrete jungle fever.

Before I caught the train into Philly Sunday evening I went to see my parents' band play at a local vineyard with my neighbors. Pictured: best friend/baby sis, Kristen.

I returned home after work on Monday for a Memorial Day celebration at my neighbors' house. Pictured: Kristen.

Post-Memorial Day brunch: Leftover BBQ pulled pork, spinach and egg scramble; cinnamon apples and raspberries. Homemade by moi.

Philly adventures coming soon!

-Carly

Summer in the (Other) City

Hey there, readers! So I know it's been a LONG time since we last touched base, and we all have a lot of catching up to do, but what better time to start than summer? I have to admit, this has been a crazy year full of adventures and plenty of responsibilities. But now that I'm two weeks out of finals and two weeks into my new internship in Philadelphia, I'm finally starting to feel the sweet freedom of summer in the city (cue Lovin' Spoonful).

The Challenge:

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a serious love for New York. I take pride in the fact that I can direct tourists to the Empire State Building, and the fact that my old apartment actually overlooked (under-looked?) the ESB. I met Betsey Johnson--THE Betsey Johnson--in the elevator of my apartment building. I go to school in the Fi-Di, not the Financial District. And most importantly, I am fully aware that "brunch" is a verb as much as it is a noun, and this girl knows how to brunch like pre-Sochi Shaun White knows how to snowboard. Yup, went there.

The Upshot:

With that being said, the idea of parting with my beloved New York for 12 exhausting weeks was just short of unfathomable. But the opportunity was in Philly, so here I am, living in the ninth bedroom of a 9-bedroom house in University City (I'm renting from a friend and U Penn student, who incidentally will be spending her summer in New York).

 Moving to a new city can be intimidating. I was surprised to discover that I have a greater store of local knowledge from two years of living in Manhattan than I do from 17 years of living less than an hour from Philly. After only two weeks (TWO WEEKS!) I've caught myself criticizing Philly--a city I still barely know--by pointing out its deficiencies compared to New York. No more.

Today, after a perfectly Parisian late-lunch with my new friend, coworker, and Philly aficionado, EM (she blogs!), I've gained a new and inspiring approach to tackling my off-hours. I already love my internship, and with a new outlook and great friends to shape my perspective, I'm excited to share this adventure with all of you. 

Blue skies and open running paths lining the Schuylkill River.

This place used to be a banjo factory, of all things. The current owners are in the business of cranking out splendid dirty chai lattes.

Me and my brother at Hai Street Kitchen, a new Japanese burrito bar in Center City that opened this week.

Parc, Rittenhouse Square. Amazing food and an atmosphere that is quintessentially Parisian.

Any city that has authentic French patisseries that serve pistachio macarons is worth getting to know. 

-Carly