"Take Me to My Beach": Thailand, Wanderlust and the Spirit of Adventure

For the first part of my big birthday celebration, I drew inspiration from the delightful déja vu of New York. And for the second, I looked instead to the jamais vu of Thailand.

Celebrating a Milestone Birthday in NYC

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, this month marked a big birthday for me. And where better to celebrate it than my favourite of cities, New York City? My parents and brother joined me for an action-packed five-day trip to the Big Apple, my 33rd visit to the city since my first in 1995. Each of us was allocated a randomly assigned time slot in which to plan a group activity but there were plenty more celebrations, experiences and wonderful new memories throughout the trip. Read on for a selection of some of my favourites.

The NYC Caffeine Chronicles: Autumn 2023 Update

Last week, I was back in New York for an epic birthday celebration. We had so many activities planned — of which more to follow soon! — that I didn't have as much time for coffee shop exploration, but with five full days in NYC, I didn't do too badly. We were staying next to Grand Central Station in Midtown East, so I was able to visit a few coffee shops there. And I also enjoyed stopping by some new-to-me specialty coffee spots further downtown, including one that has to have the most unique name ever for a coffee shop. Read on to find out more!

New York: A (28-Year) Love Story

Today, I’m New York bound once more on a long-awaited family trip to mark a milestone birthday for me. It will be my 33rd visit to the Big Apple since my first in 1995. Feeling nostalgic, I dove into my NYC archives, trawling through my old diaries (until 2006), blog posts (from 2007) and photo albums (digital and predigital — a big thank you to my parents for their help with the earlier years).