When I wrote this post last month, I had wrapped up a trip to DC, and this month I traveled to New York! Like I wrote in my Substack, I have been dealing with some pretty severe exhaustion lately, and have had to really prioritize rest. So other than my trip and going out here or there, this past month was mostly spent at home.
Fourth of July this year was one of those spent-at-home days. My dad made salmon in his smoker (yum), we made frozen margaritas in our portable, battery operated Margaritaville machine (double yum), and just enjoyed dinner and drinks on the patio. Lily is terrified of fireworks, so it was nice for us to be around anyway and try to keep her calm.
Then it was off to New York! I was going to visit my college best friend, to meet her baby born earlier this year! She lives in the city, but after searching approximately a million hotels, we ended up staying in White Plains, at the Sonesta White Plains Downtown. Hotels in the city are super super cramped, pretty pricey, and we often struggle to find convenient parking – after lots of searching, I just couldn’t find anything that worked for us and our needs. Being outside of the city did limit our activities, but the space in the hotel was INCREDIBLE. It was two bedroom, three (!!!) bathroom, and just so spacious. With the limitations we had, it was definitely the best option for this trip, though of course I missed staying in the city itself. The drive home took us over nine hours because of torrential downpours, so I’m not in a hurry to return!!
I don’t want to share pictures of my friend’s baby online, and I took very few pictures! So please enjoy Lily relaxing in the hotel.
The week after we got back from New York, my PCA was off on her own summer travel. It always makes logistics a lot more challenging, to make sure everyone gets everywhere they need to be on time, since my parents have to help me and my sister more than usual. It also means that my hair gets washed less frequently than a normal week… so Drybar to the rescue!
For the last few years now, we’ve gone to Senti for dinner to jointly celebrate my dad’s and my aunt’s birthdays. I’ve never had a bad meal there, and we especially love to sit on their patio, where there’s a bit more room and it’s a little more peaceful than it is inside! As usual, we had an amazing dinner – just look at this salmon!
The rest of my time has been spent either in bed, hooked up to my feeding tube as I try to get my body back to normalcy, or out here, on my patio. I’m writing this post from my patio, actually! I recently realized I could use my Miele espresso machine to make myself an iced espresso – with one pump of macadamia syrup and made-at-home cold foam – and wow, it has been SO nice on these 80 and 90 degree days!
And of course, Lily has been enjoying her outside time, too. She loves to roll around in the grass over and over and over before she finally settles in. It’s been a bit too hot for her to stay out too long, but she still loves it while she’s out!
