CHOO onthis

Motorcycle with pink deco and box for chihuahua - no joke.

One of the best Thursdays/Fridays I’ve had to-date in New York is my latest trip to a small village in upstate New York called New Paltz. My boss invited the entire team over to his place for some team bonding, and r&r from city life. Nature, and the small town gave me the solace I needed from the latest NYC wear and tear.

Thursday - we dropped our stuff off at my boss and his gf’s house. Every room in the house was unique with furniture and deco with an awesome story - tables from India, family heirlooms etc. Not surprisingly, my favorite room was the family room/music room - equipped with jukebox and phonograph. I am, without a doubt getting one of each for my future home.

We played 9 holes and despite my poor showing (I blame the rental clubs), it was great being back on the field. It was also the impetus for hitting up the golf range twice between Friday and Sunday (happy to note that my game is slowly, but surely coming back and I will take on any challengers in the next few months).

After golf, we went back to the house to change into our swim suits and headed for Split Rock which is a swimming hole (!!!) at Mohonk Preserve. The clean and brisk water, waterfall, everything - perfect. We then concluded the night with tunes from the jukebox, delicious bean salad, bbq, and other foods bought from the local farm (and I mean FARM not farmer’s market…FARM) wine and local whiskey that was actually quite delicious.

Friday - we woke up and went into town to grab a bite to eat. I got the CaliCatfish taco from Mexicali Blue - a restaurant that Anthony Bourdain dubbed as having “The best tacos on the East Coast!” You know I’m a shmuck for Anthony Bourdain - so anything he endorses, I must try. The CaliCatfish Taco tickled the senses but pales in comparison to the bliss I felt with my weekend lover…

…the hammock. If you know me, I’ve probably explained to you that most of my perfect vacations involve laying in a hammock with beer in hand. I don’t know what started my obsession with hammocks but being in a hammock has always felt so relaxing, lazy, and comforting. I spent a good few hours with the hammock, a Smuttynose IPA, learned more about Humbert Humbert and his love for Lolita via my Kindle, and took a much needed catnap with my dear hammock and long lost friends - trees. Needless to say, the thought of going back to the city was pretty grim.

One of the best parts about being in New Paltz was that the village had no pretense. Compared to NYC - New Paltz wasn’t showy, didn’t try hard to be cool and have character. It just did. I’m not typically a small town girl - I’m allured by a fast-paced environment of city life, but being in New Paltz really did make me see how the “ordinary” can truly be extraordinary.