Apologies!

Apologies for being completely missing in action! Moving was harder than I thought-- not only was there the packing, lugging, cleaning, boxing, taping, etc, there were also the emotional hurdles. Seeing my beautiful apartment in shambles over the course of the week was hard. Seeing it empty was even harder. I found myself obsessing over stupid details-- such as whether I should throw out my Method cleaning products or whether I should pack them up and take them with me-- so that I wouldn't have to think about the fact that, for better or worse, my life is changing. I didn't even cry when I left, even though I know the potential for tears was there and likely.
Now that I'm back in Ohio, I notice that whenever I tell people I just moved from Manhattan that their first response is "Oh my goodness, was it incredible? Was it so much fun?" And it's hard to answer that question. Because while my 2 years in New York were wonderful, they were far from Sex and the City. New York is a hard city to get used to, and it took me almost my entire two years there to even get close! I think I'll miss the culture most of all-- the incredible museums (new favorite: the Cooper Hewitt), the fact that independent movies come out earlier, the ethnic food on every corner, the Union Square market, the indie crafts scene, bands playing in basement bars...And I made some great friends. I had an amazing bookclub (yes, I know that makes me sound like an old woman). I had a wonderful boyfriend, who then became a wonderful ex-boyfriend (I know that's a strange concept), who made my last couple of days in New York completely lovely. But New York was part of my life for two years, and I know it's time that those two years were over.
Going from New York to Ohio, however...it's like having everything at your fingertips and then having, well, nothing. The next month, the interim month before I move to DC, is going to be interesting.
In other news, I went to Perilla in New York on my final night in the city with the exbf. It's the restaurant from the winner of the first season of Top Chef, Harold, and everything about it is exquisite. The lighting is soft and golden, the wine list is extensive and reasonable, the staff is knowledgeable and polite, the food is both highbrow and down-to-earth. We enjoyed a perfectly-cooked skirt steak and black bass with ramps and cherry tomatoes, accompanied by a fresh crisp Veltliner for me. Very highly recommended! And the perfect place for a goodbye meal. Or just a fantastic conversation, between people who know each better than most.