(-5 days)
Things I learned as a 40-yr old running around NYC:
-always watch the road even when you're just a passenger
-Yoda, in the form of alien or uncle is equally as heart-warming, adorable and calming
-if you're very hungry, don't go to a restaurant that takes 1 hour to sit you
-don't eat before going to a big dinner (having a Serendipity Forbidden Broadway Sundae is the worst thing to do prior)
-don't mess with an old gay waiter unless you are prepared to spar back (and I was) ;)
-walking through Bloomie's is still an exhilarating experience (and you don't need to necessarily buy anything)
-the perfect cake is second only to the friends that orchestrated it
-in the face of things beyond your control, one must just sit back and let things be. Impending wrinkles are just not worth it.
-sugar, carbs, fatty meat, dairy, chocolate and alcohol in one weekend may not be the best diet, but if contained to a bday wkend, can be fantastic for your soul
-an old friend is truly a friend when she drives 2 hours to see you for a 2.5 hour dinner
-people who RSVP and actually show up, are not only polite but people who are worth inviting in the first place
-real "good" food is necessary to live and enjoy life (and this does not mean you have to eat expensively)
-there is a poignant moment in which old acquaintances, turn into actual "friends"
-there is no "perfect" party unless you make it so in your head
-EATALY, NYC is heaven
-it's hard to keep a straight face even as you grow old when you have a friend named "Young", reminding you of "Casual Fridays"
-there are more opportunities for magic moments with strangers in NYC because we travel on foot
-trying as many cheeses and prosciutto di parmas as you can, is a fantastic way of spending Saturday night
-be willing to abort a plan that clearly does not work. (Planning things is very good, but at some point, you gotta go with the flow.)
-make reservations if you know you must
-looking the part helps a great deal
-I am quite eccentric and I actually love it
-within the noise of NY, one can think rather quietly and deeply
-"home" is where my heart (and the bagel with tofu cheese and the pizza) is
-it's not ever, ever about the amount of the gifts, but rather the effort and thought behind them
-true happiness comes from a sense of meaning, purpose and contribution
-my 40th is special to people who truly matter
-walking and people-watching are still my #1 past times
-window-shopping is a good shrink
-meeting a friend's shiny new BF, and giving the thumbs up is a privilege I'd like to keep
-tearing up while retelling a Linda Hamilton incident and seeing another friend's eyes also well up is priceless
-3 kick ass girls + one hot chef in a white shirt + a fried quail = an ab workout from too much fun
-whether you're 20s, 30s, 40s or 60 plus, laughing so hard you're squirting tears, will never ever get old
-in fact, unsuppressed giggles take 20+ years off your age
-water in NY is best for pizza, bagels and a girl's hair
-NYers are a charming lot (this, I knew from way back when)
-I am more interested in Magnolia cupcakes and Junior's Cheesecake than Mario Lopez
-certain things only happen in NY
-certain things only happen when a Euro trash old man sports a high-waisted-poly-white-jogging pant, with a winter coat tucked in. And a comb-over to match.
-all does not have to be perfect at 40, but one must be willing to embark on a journey of self-awareness...in fact, if it were all perfect already, then what are you to do for another 45+ years???
-40 is the new coming of age
-to discover things, you must stay "in the moment" (as I read in an article in-flight back to LA, Deepak says "You dont have to know a whole lot about philosophy, just remember the following 3 things:
1-Remember the most impt. time in your life is now.
2-The most impt. person in your life is the one you're with now.
3-The most impt way to create the future is to act with awareness now.
All you need to remember."
-Rei and Isabel complete me. Along with all my dear wingwomen (you should know who you are), close friends and family in ALL coasts and continents.
-being picked up at LAX with a smile and a hug will always relieve the emotional trauma of a long journey past...and yet to come
-my 40th feels like my best year yet
Onward and forward.
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A late bloomer’s journal on her quest to be better by 40.
My Mission
I have decided to take you on a ride. As I spend the last year of my 30s, I will take you with me. That’s right. This year, I am 39. 3---9. Hard for me to say it without choking up. I hate admitting it, and I’d rather not think about it. But hey, isn’t it the new 29? Yeah right.
Mortified and in deep denial, I realized the best way for me to deal with this crisis is to face it head on. That if I were to grow older gracefully like many of the classy ladies I so admire (Lauren Hutton, Diane Lane, Diane Keaton), I better accept it. And I better hustle.
So I want to relish my 39th year by celebrating it as best as I could every day. I want to make each day purpose-driven. Of course deep down I will be horrified, fearful and depressed from time to time, but I really do want my 39th year to matter. Really matter. I am not discounting that I did manage to improve the last 2 decades. But somehow there was no urgency. I guess the saying, "Youth is wasted on the young" finally makes sense to me. I always thought I'd be that cool older lady...the one that doesn't sweat her age. But now that the big 4-0 is around the corner, I do feel some dampness on my forehead. WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING THE PAST 39 years?!!
Major or minor changes, they are all stuff that I’ve been carrying around with me for a long time. I just don't want that weight on me anymore. Because it's not about growing up and becoming oh so mature for me. What it is, is "me" growing better.
So at least every week, I will candidly share with you my adventures in attempting to become a better version of me. And as my birthday is November 5, I only have 9 months and 4 days left. By the time I am blowing 40 candles, I sure hope that aside from the fire extinguisher, I carry with me that confidence that I am yet to reach my prime.
Wish me luck.
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