This past August into September, I made a trip with Alex to New York since my Mom wanted to watch the US Open in New York. We matched up our red-eye flights to meet from LAX and SFO to Dallas, TX and fly an early morning there to LaGuardia in Queens, NY — a full 12-hour flight night.

For me, I miss home and my Mom and family all the time. Being alone in Los Angeles for the past six or so years now has caught me in a bind and reaching that sort of “seven year itch” that a lot of people talk about. Me, arriving in this newly minted exciting city at the age of 23, fresh out of college and full of hopes, dreams and my best naïveté, the six or so years I’ve been here have been full of tremendous growth, opportunity and soul-searching.

Just in the past few years and reaching the age of 30, I’ve hit terms with my reality and longevity in Los Angeles hard. The sort of limbo of “what’s next” and constant survival mode and “hustle culture” I’ve operated in no longer works, simply because a whole decade of chasing every single curiosity of mine — from music to journalism to meeting and touring with my idols and working in film and television and on-set and being surrounded by so many talented creatives, artists, entertainers and professional touring musicians — has worn out. I’ve gone through a lot during my time here, and the rose-colored glasses I once saw the world through is washed out.

With that being said, simple things like home and family and enjoying time off to just explore a little has been nice, especially given a whole decade of depriving myself of that.

For Alex, his long lost twin brother Anthony has been in New York and they haven’t seen each other in almost two years. It was honestly very nice and incredibly special to spend time with the two of them, hang out, get to know each other and just enjoy each other’s company. Truly felt like I met a fellow “comrade” in the arts, hustling and living it out on your own.

A little rundown of our trip

Two days at the US Open was fun. I grew up watching tennis with my Mom since I was a kid and it was so fun to see my first proper tennis match with her and get delirious in the process. I’ll never forget my mom crying “I want to go home” to Djokovic’s match ‘til 2am and still insist on staying.

And finally, all the food, drinks, and New York touristy gems were in full effect as I’m still dreaming of those bagels and vodka sauce on everything. It’s true, the bread and pizza is just truly something else in New York and California (or anywhere else, for that matter) cannot match it. I saw my first proper Broadway show & Juliet and was blown away by the pure talent, voices, song, dance, choreography, and everything (truly top notch talent, I get it).

It was definitely special to spend a week with family and loved ones from the Bay to LA and NYC all in one place.

“So many trains… and I rode them all!”

Day 1: A Red-Eyed Arrival and the Best Welcome Meal

✈️ Arrival at LaGuardia Airport at 12:30pm from LAX’s 1am flight
🚇 Subways on subways on Metros
🏠 Settle in to Airbnb
🍽️ Taverna Kyclades Welcome Meal
🍕 Delivery from Rome to Brooklyn Pizza

Day 2: Thursday’s US Open to Peruvian Dinner

🥯 Brooklyn Bagel Co.
🎾 US Open Welcome w/ my Mom at 11am
🌭 Overpriced stadium hot dog
🍽️ Pio Pio 8

Day 3: A Tour of NYC and US Open Champions at Night

🏙️ 911 Memorial
🌉 DUMBO/Brooklyn Bridge
🧧 NYC Chinatown
🎾 US Open and Honey Deuces at 6pm
🏆😴 Midnight Delirium watching Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic’s win until 2am w/ Mom

Day 4: & Juliet to our Swiss Sicilian Waiter

🐐☕ The Jolly Goat Coffee
🇮🇳🌮 Taco Mahal
🎭 & Juliet on Broadway
🤩 Meeting the cast outside
🍝 Sicily Osteria
💤 KO’d after sleepless nights

Day 5: Sunday Send-off to Nightlife in NYC Labor Day Shenanigans

🏞️ Central Park
✈️ Plane
🍝🍕 Tufino
🍸🍹 Panorama Room at Roosevelt Island
🕺🏼🌃🥂 Industry Bar to the OG Halal Guys food cart in Hell’s Kitchen

Day 6: The meat sweats and subway to Coney Island

🥩 Keens Steakhouse (“So tender. My teeth are swimming through the meat.”)
🤡🎢 Coney Island
🍧 Koreatown

Day 7: Chelsea Piers to Chelsea Market and the Send-off

🐝 Visited The Hive
🏫 Visited Anthony’s work and school
🦪 Wandered the Chelsea Market w/ happy hour oysters and Seed + Mill send-off
✈️ JFK Airport flight 7pm – Midnight

With love and honesty,

Rachel