Monhegan Island, ME

Ah, destination weddings. What used to be a coveted booze-filled weekend away with friends in your twenties, soon turns into something less glam when you’re 33, secretly nine weeks pregnant and suffering from the most horrific morning (read: all-day) sickness ever. However, I am pleased to report my nausea temporarily subsided as soon as I stepped foot on the rocky shores of Monhegan Island, Maine. Monhegan is a car-free, forested, artist haven located about 10 miles off the coast. The bride’s family has owned property on the island for decades and it was the perfect backdrop to a chic, relaxed, Northeastern summer wedding.

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Very necessary blooming onion and lobster roll while waiting for the ferry to Monhegan.

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Punta Cana

Recently my grandmother turned 85. To celebrate her birthday, she treated my entire extended family to a trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. There are about twenty of us, so coordinating everyone’s schedules was a bit difficult – but in the end, the miles-long back and forth e-mail chain was worth it. The time we spent together laughing, eating and lounging was extremely special; the perfect way to celebrate the family matriarch, our Nanny.

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J and I taking a seat on beached mini speed boats

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Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

An early wake up call was a small price to pay for the beauty that is Ha Long Bay. We took a private car four hours from Hanoi to the northeastern shore of Vietnam to sail around the limestone islands for the day.

Most tourists opt to stay overnight on the water. But to be honest, after viewing our ‘luxury cruise’ options online, I decided even a luxury junk boat was not for me (read:  Ghost Ship).  Regardless, we were able to board one for the day and it was the perfect amount of time (and meals to have eaten at sea) before heading back to the comfort and stellar room service of The Metropole.

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Ahoy, Hanoi!

The second stop on our Southeast Asia trip was Hanoi, Vietnam. Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam and was unexpectedly my favorite city on our trip. I loved the endless, twisting alleyways full of street food vendors and the excitement I felt when I stepped outside the familiarity of our hotel. The weather was mild in Hanoi, so it allowed us to spend the entire day exploring without having to take our usual 3pm shower break.

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Rice ball exchange in Hanoi, Vietnam

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Pack Rat

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Jordan and I enjoying $1 noodles in Hanoi, Vietnam

Jordan and I have long talked about going to Asia. Over the past two weeks we finally made that dream come true, traveling to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. It was a celebration of sorts; me finishing my two months of grueling overnight work in the ICU and our six month wedding anniversary. We obviously told everyone on our trip it was our honeymoon, which unfortunately did not yield any freebies except several flower bouquets and one bottle of champagne. Uh, room upgrade please?

Packing has always been difficult for me, especially on a multi-week trip with varying climates and activities. I definitely come from the mindset of more is more. For example, for most warm trips I end up packing multiple sets of shorts even though I absolutely hate shorts and have never worn a pair past the age of 20. How about if I finally get over my distaste for shorts and become obsessed with them on this trip? I will obviously need to be prepared with several pairs.

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Up North, Eh?

We’ve been on a wedding circuit as of late, which has been both fun and exhausting. I have not had a chill NYC weekend in over two months and it’s starting to feel like I’m just visiting my city in between events (dramatic).

This past weekend, we flew up to Toronto for my friend’s wedding at The Art Gallery of Ontario. I love parties in atypical spaces, and they really nailed it–the wedding was modern and elegant but not stuffy. Drinking cocktails in a museum feels a little illicit. There’s a small part of me that’s like well, what would happen if I just ‘tripped’ and this martini went all over this priceless painting? I almost have to hold myself together in a weird fantastical way.

Steven Meisel's Portrait of Madonna as photographed by Anne Collier's
Steven Meisel’s portrait of Madonna as photographed by Anne Collier. One of my favorites at AGO.

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Down South

Best maple bacon donut from Glazed
Best maple bacon donut from Glazed

Last weekend, Jordan and I flew down to South Carolina for a friend’s wedding. We’ve always wanted to eat at Husk and may have made a reservation four months ago (worth it). We spent one night in Charleston and then drove down to Seabrook Island. There was a major rental car shortage due to the recent flooding, so we ended up procuring a last minute Zipcar for the weekend after a minor airport panic attack (sorry J).

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Well Traveled

I am admittedly not the best traveler. I have minor plane anxiety that I deal with by spending fifty dollars at Hudson News followed by taking a pre-flight Xanax regardless of flight length. After boarding, I immediately plug into the JetBlue TV system and re-watch whatever show is on Bravo. Today I got home from the Club Monaco sample sale (it was a bust) to a surprise belated wedding gift from my cousin. Nothing better to help ease my travel woes than matching personalized Ralph Lauren cashmere travel sets! J and I are flying to South Carolina tomorrow for a wedding and I can’t wait to be travel set twins. I am sure he feels the same.

RL Cabled Cashmere Travel Set
RL Cabled Cashmere Travel Set

Road Trip

Last weekend my husband and I traveled upstate for a wedding. We love getting out of the city, especially when driving is involved. The whole feeling of the two of us on the open road, shuffling through a 90’s playlist, snacking and having the freedom to pull over at random estate sales is just the best. This trip was especially fun because it brought me back to the Finger Lakes Region in Western New York, where I went to college and graduate school. We hiked, drank an A&W root beer float, and ate the best local donuts ever (no, really). The wedding was under a tent at a local winery and was beautiful. I even managed to convince Jordan to stop at Woodbury Commons on the way home for a quick shop before meeting my parents for dinner to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.

a bit of urban art in the middle of our hiking trail
A bit of urban art in the middle of our hiking trail

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