New York, New York - D by denise

There’s something to be said about a getaway to New York City: the lights, hustle and bustle, culinary finds, entertainment, subway, and general vibe. In many ways, it’s not a “retreat” destination for a calm getaway, but it’s certainly one of non-stop excitement, history, and romance of its own kind. As you walk through Manhattan, you catch yourself thinking of couples walking hand-in-hand through the closely built neighborhoods with the sounds of traffic jams nearby, whether in the rain or in the soft falling snow of a favourite Christmas movie.

A stop by Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue to glance in the front window as Holly (Audrey Hepburn) did in Breakfast at Tiffany’s allows us to feel the thrill of living an imaginary moment back in time, and at this time of year, a visit to the Rockefeller Centre – the famous NYC landmark in the heart of Midtown, to see the magnificent Christmas tree and skating rink!

A getaway, whether a planned distance or a spontaneous close weekend, is not only important for us individually, but equally so for our relationships. Michael and I had time together in the Big Apple a few weeks ago. We chose a hotel away from the action of Midtown and settled into SoHo in Downtown Manhattan. We loved the “quieter” setting, the cobblestone streets, the brownstones, and certainly the unique never-ending restaurants and cafes (and dare I say the designer boutiques!). We made a couple subway trips to Midtown (a 20-minute ride), the first one being an afternoon to the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) where we had lunch and spent hours wondering the 6 floors of galleries and the book store. The exhibit “Is Fashion Modern” was fascinating and the opportunity to stand in front of some of the great works of Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh (specifically, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night) was particularly exciting. Our second subway excursion was to see an evening Broadway show, A Band’s Visit, a newer musical to Broadway celebrating hope, love, music, connectivity, and the power of cultures coming together. An absolutely spectacular performance!

A trip to NYC wouldn’t be complete without experiencing its amazing restaurants and different types of food. Michael, who is a foodie through and through, spent time carefully selecting our destinations by asking locals or through his own research (Google!). We enjoyed dinners at Ellary’s Greens, Shuka, and Balaboosta, (we left with their cookbook in hand)! Our lunch spots (in addition to MOMA) were Spring Natural Restaurant, and Juice Press (after a Saturday morning workout at Soul Cycle). Daytime stops included La Colombe for coffee, and City Winery for a pre-dinner glass of wine and appie. All spots were in SoHo/Downtown and ones I would highly recommend.

Packing for this trip was a little tricky based on the unpredictability of the season (fall/winter…). I followed my usual packing regime and chose staple clothing items as two blazers, a tailored wool one, (which I wore on the plane with my wrap) and a sporty nylon/spandex one, (which had a zip-out collar and was easy to roll/place in my carry-on), a pair of jeans, a“dressy” sweat pant, black pant, white blouse, thin black turtleneck, sweater jacket and my workout wear. Shoes included a high top white runner (because NYC always includes lots of walking), a black flat loafer, and an ankle boot. I added an umbrella to my travel essentials as well as a lightweight super-thin rain jacket, a thin knit black hat, and a pair of gloves. All of the items suited well when moving through airports, the subway, visits to Midtown, daytime site-seeing, evening dinners, morning workouts at Soul Cycle, and of course… walking the streets of SoHo to explore the shops! The two most versatile pieces were the blazers. I felt comfortable and put together in both of these pieces, as well as warm. If I needed a layer for extra warmth, I added my wrap scarf over top and threw on my black knit hat and gloves. Having the blazers along with a sweater avoided the need for a bulky jacket to travel with.

It felt great to getaway for the weekend. It’s important to nurture our relationships, especially during this time in our lives. It’s time to reconnect with our partners (or with friends) and tune into one another’s thoughts, dreams, and where one another “is” through uninterrupted conversations and without moving through long to-do lists and watching the time. The ability to just “be together” is precious and certainly feeds our soul.

Our schedules are full on a daily basis and sometimes it feels we are “passing in the doorways” or focused on daily quick conversations that don’t allow us to slow down, and for the most part, to take the time to continue getting to know one another. So on this particular weekend, it was a privilege to spend time with Michael and have him to myself for a couple of days – to walk hand-in-hand through the buzz of another city, getting lost, laughing, sharing meaningful conversation, and just reconnecting and enjoying one another’s company.

When was the last time you really invested in “getting to know” your significant other? Even yourself, or your best girl friend? Take the time for a getaway – no matter where it is. Why? Because time goes by without us having the conversations we really meant to have and no matter what our age, we are growing and changing all the time. Also, because the start of December is upon us – meaning one month until another year ends and a new one begins again! And lastly, because (no matter what), we really can!