New York
the return
Baby, I couldn’t leave you if I tried… After two years abroad, I’ve finally returned home to my favorite city, New York.
It many ways it feels like I never left, the living being easy to slide back into. But in other ways it feels like a specter, the obvious changes in two years, the political malaise. There are many New Yorks, all layered on each other in thin sheets of velum, blurring the memory with the present. In waiting before an announcement of return, I get to walk between the papery nostalgia, just me and the city undisturbed. The 180 jet lag allows for chilly summer mornings and a rare moment alone.
The world’s gone mad, but there’s a strange comfort in being on the home turf. Living in Asia made me realize how American I am, and how I want Americanness to transform in perception. We have so much unwarranted pride that it comes off as earnest stupidity, and most people abroad just feel bad that an ambulance ride can bankrupt someone here. Perhaps it’s Rome at the end of the Empire, or maybe it’s the second time as farce. In spite of political maladies, it’s still my favorite place to call home, even if I have to will a better New York out of such graceless times.
The wine is still cheap, the weather high. The punks will take acid again. A summer here is something of certainty, a reclamation that New York belongs to the people. We’re meant to enjoy it too much.
I’ll be firmly planted in the city for the duration of the season, though I may be tempted into a tour or two… especially if it involves a coastline or cabin retreat. I’m also flirting with taking a sabbatical for the entire month of August, so do keep this in mind when reaching out. Please note that my website is updated with rates in USD and a new policy for incall bookings. June’s schedule is filling fast with celebratory reunions and lush summer nights, so don’t be late!
Next month’s newsletter will be back with the usual report of restaurant and cocktail fare as I have much to catch up on! If you’d like to join me in my hunt for the perfect aperitivo, please do let me know.
Xx Mina