a berliner in nyc, day 2

I'm flying to Paris tonight. And though I'm very excited for these changes and a reunion with this boy, I'm also pretty sad about it. What if I'm not ready to bid adieu to New York, to miss my family, to not have my friends only a bridge or two away again?

Anyway, back to the itinerary. Our second day in the city: (1) Have a leisurely morning at home, meet college roommate for a late lunch at Sarabeth's, check into the hotel your cousin worked at. (2) Ride the subway downtown. (3-5) Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. (4-7) Take a glance at Dumbo, then wander through Brooklyn Heights. (9) Meet friends for happy hour at Flatbush Farm. (10) Venture (tipsily, mind you) over to Franny's for a late dinner of New York pizza and New York wine.

how to be proud to be an american

As much as I appreciate who I am and where I come from, I wouldn't necessarily call myself patriotic. I'm grateful for all this and know how untrue these stereotypes are... but, well, Jeff Daniels articulated my reasoning better in this Newsroom monologue:

Being abroad--viewing the United States from a less biased perspective, through a European lens--has made me a lot more critical. Then again, I'll never forget the kindness I received driving across our beautiful country. I was madly missing everything about the familiarity of home just one month ago. In these past two weeks, I've adored every moment at my friend's wedding, at my parent's house, at my favorite tourist traps. And, my, oh my, was I thrilled to celebrate the Fourth of July on an American beach:

Yesterday, on our Independence Day, I had a lazy afternoon in the sun, barbecued in the backyard, watched fireworks from the porch, and enjoyed this movie with some of my very best friends. I woke up this morning overwhelmed with how lucky we are for all of it. I'm not proud to be an American because this is the greatest country in the world, but I couldn't be more proud of the friendly spirit, adventure, and imagination I know and love to be American; not to mention the irreplaceable opportunity I have to express and share my opinions with you here. Happy belated birthday, America. Thanks for everything.

a berliner in nyc, day 1

When you meet a guy from Berlin, fall for him in Paris, and invite him to New York to be your date to your friend's wedding, you're basically obligated to show him the city; especially if he's never been. This was our itinerary on his first day:

(1) Take a morning train from your parents' house to Grand Central. (2) Grab an iced Joe Coffee and enjoy it in Bryant Park--gotta fight the jet-lag somehow! (3) Walk down to Madison Square Park. (4) Take advantage of free samples, or (5) help yourself to anything at Eataly. (6) Continue to Union Square, hop on the L, and venture to "where hipsters live" (7-8) Lunch al fresco at Five Leaves. (9) Walk towards Williamsburg. Note German-named venues. (10-13) Soak up street art on the way to the waterfront. (14) Return to Manhattan to cool off with craft brews at Pony Bar. (15-16) Wander nostalgically around your old neighborhood. (17) Get a glimpse of high culture at the Met. (18) Stroll through Central Park. (19) Pay a visit to your aunt on the Upper West Side. (20-21). Enjoy a homemade dinner on her rooftop. (22) Spend roughly 30 seconds in Times Square... but only because "you have to." (23) Go home, sleep well, get excited for day 2.