"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 recently, this month marked a big birthday for me. Where better to celebrate than my favourite city, NYC? My parents and brother joined me for an action-packed five-day trip to the Big Apple, my 33rd visit to the city since 1995. We each had a time slot in which to plan a group activity but there were plenty more celebrations, experiences and wonderful new memories throughout. These are my highlights.

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 much time for coffee shop exploration, but with five full days in NYC, I didn't do badly. We were staying next to Grand Central Station in Midtown East, so I visited a few coffee shops there. I also stopped by some new-to-me specialty coffee spots downtown, including one that has 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 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).

The Caffeine Chronicles: Dharma Specialty Coffee, Brighton (CLOSED)

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Dharma's Brighton location is now permanently closed. But you can still find them in Hove.

I've been spending more time in Brighton over the past year since some of my family moved down that way. I haven't had the chance to do a full specialty coffee guide yet (update: here it is) but I have visited Dharma Specialty Coffee in Brighton's North Laine. In fact, I liked it so much, I've returned several times and had an enjoyable experience each time.

The Caffeine Chronicles: Colonna & Small's, Leather Lane

Colonna & Small's is one of my favourite UK specialty coffee shops and I stop by every time I'm in Bath. I was thrilled to hear that Maxwell and Lesley Colonna-Dashwood were opening a second coffee shop a little closer to (my) home. It opened on Leather Lane in Clerkenwell earlier this month and — spoiler alert — it's just as wonderful as the Bath original!

The Caffeine Chronicles: NewGround Coffee, Ship Street, Oxford

It's always great when a favourite coffee shop breaks new ground...especially when that coffee shop is Oxford's NewGround, where social responsibility meets superb coffee. I visit their Headington roastery most times I'm back in Oxford and now they have a shiny new café and wine bar in the city centre.