Good morning from New York City. Spring has sprung, It’s overcast today, and on some level it’s a bit of a relief. Living in a bustling city like this, when it’s beautiful weather and everybody’s out you kind of feel guilty staying at home. You feel like you should be out in the street. That is of course ridiculous. You can’t be out in that energy all the time.

I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends aren’t well right now – allergies, colds, covid – and I was commenting to my friend Sara that we skipped winter. In New York City, we only had about 12 days of seriously cold weather. So we largely skipped over the things we do in winter like eating more warm food, staying in nesting and retreating.

Anyway, this morning I was sitting here thinking metaphorically about seasons metaphorically and what season of my life I’m in, More specifically the season I’m in vis a vis New York City. I’m having so much fun and appreciating so many things. I’m an appreciator by nature, but this is like a really vibrant period for me, and I was thinking what that is about. Of course, I am fully aware that happiness comes from within and I’m in a happy space. You can be living in a place you love, but if you’re not feeling good that matters less, right?

Back to the question of what season I’m in here. My first season I would say was largely about work and adjusting, having come from Europe for 20 years. Taking on a new job in a new city and a new country, even though it was my own, was extremely stressful. My nervous system was on high alert, adjusting to the energy here and the new job. I simply needed to retreat and to turn off the city.

The second season was largely a long-term relationship. We had a second home and, in that phase, I appreciated the access to the train station and the ability to get out of the city. You can be at the beach or in the country in upstate New York or Connecticut or New Jersey or Pennsylvania. They’re all within an hour – an hour and a half. It’s a great thing about New York City. So, in that phase I was either outside of the city in Montauk or traveling to Europe for business, and I wasn’t fully present here in the way that I am now.

I’ve always been a theater goer and this is a season I’m in love with the theater. I was invited into a little group of avid theater goers, and its been really great. As I believe I’ve mentioned before, I make gemstone necklaces and I’ve really gotten into this underbelly of NYC called the Gold District on 47th Street. There’s a thriving jewelry trade and its been a lot of fun. Given I have more time on my hands right now here, I’ve been exploring neighborhoods. There are all these neighborhoods New Yorkers will tell you are so much smaller now due to gentrification and skyrocketing rent. Places like little India, Chinatown, the Flower District are much reduced but still thriving. The flower district on 28th Street is fabulous, and Chinatown feels big to me. It’s so interesting to see all the different fruits and vegetables on the street. I don’t even know what they are. And the fish markets and the way Chinatown caters to its own. It’s cool that everything is in Chinese and that so many Chinese still live there.

It’s a fun season. I appreciate seeing the wacky way people dress. You know, I spent 20 years in Europe where the way you look is critically important. Here I love that you don’t know who anyone is based on how they look. My friend Mary Beth used to be part of a dog group in Central Park, and she told me there was this man who was just so schleppy the group was thinking about buying him a new pair of boots., Mary Beth worked at Christie’s and one day she went downstairs and ran into that same schleppy man from the park who was there to bid at an auction, I think it’s just really cool that you never know who you’re talking to. You never know where they come from based on the way they look.

I guess I’d sum it up by saying that the aperture on my lens is wide open. I’m seeing life in full color here and noticing the big things and the little things. I’m also getting to see a lot of people. I feel like everybody comes through New York City, whether they’re from out of the country or out of towners. I always tell people to call me no matter what, even if it’s last minute. I’d love to come meet you for coffee. Manhattan is tiny. I can get anywhere in 15 minutes.

What season are you in with the place you live? Do you need to do some spring cleaning and try something new or to go someplace you’ve never been to in your own town? Sometimes simply discovering a new neighborhood or a new friend or a new activity can help us rediscover new appreciation for the place we live. , and of course there are times when you have to say, you know, I think I’m kind of done with this.

I want to explore a new place to live, or I want to spend more time away because this town feels stale to me. Sometimes simply spending more time outside in a way makes you appreciate what you have when you come back to it. I don’t know who needs to hear that. Or if it’s helpful in any way, perhaps it’s just a simple invitation to shift your perspective.