A storm hit southern England last night – leaving my family’s home without power or heat (just in time for Christmas) and trees strewn across roads and train tracks. It meant that our plan to play tourists for the day in London was scuppered – no trains were heading north. So instead, we jumped in …
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December 23, 2013
…saw England’s tallest Christmas tree (lit!)
(First of all – sorry that my blogs have been so late this week! I had no power over Christmas thanks to a big storm in the UK. Bear with me and I’ll pop up the last week’s posts now…) When I was home in Sussex last month, Mummy Warren and I toured Wakehurst Place …
Read MoreDecember 23, 2013
…toured Brighton’s Royal Pavilion
I’ve hopped across the Atlantic for the week – my first time back in the UK for Christmas in three years. As well as gluttony beyond belief, this longer trip also allows me to visit some of my favorite spots outside my hometown – and to be a tour guide for Ryan, who’s visiting too. …
Read MoreDecember 13, 2013
…shopped at Essex Street Market
Remember how I used to make doughnuts and delicious Chinese food at the start of the year? Well, that very quickly went downhill once I realized that there are far more exciting things to do in New York than stay in my kitchen. But when I finish this blog at the end of the year, …
Read MoreDecember 9, 2013
…made a gingerbread masterpiece
I’ve been to various creative Christmas exhibits this year and they’ve left me itching to get out the glue gun. Today I finally got the chance to get messy – as Ryan and I helped his family construct a gingerbread village. We headed to his family home in Long Island where his mum, Stephanie, had already crafted …
Read MoreNovember 25, 2013
…toured Wakehurst Place
Today Mummy Warren and I wrapped up warm and drove to Wakehurst Place, a National Trust Park in nearby Ardingly. Not only is it home to a stunning mansion, expansive nature trails and the world’s largest seed bank, it also grows England’s tallest Christmas Tree. Unfortunately, we were a little early to see the Redwood …
Read MoreNovember 24, 2013
…explored a 1,000-year-old church
I’ve loved some of New York’s historical offerings this year, from the Morgan Library to the Frick Collection. But while I’ve tried not to be a history snob, I also know they’re relatively young compared to what’s here in the U.K., so today I got a fix of something a little older – a 1,000-year-old …
Read MoreNovember 10, 2013
…visited the Natural History Museum
Now that the city is being rattled by autumnal winds, a wander around its museums seems the perfect way to spend a chilly Sunday afternoon. So today Ryan and I visited one of its best: the American Museum of Natural History. The seemingly endless rooms of dinosaur bones, animal models, human artifacts, special exhibitions and …
Read MoreNovember 8, 2013
…went to senior prom
While I enjoyed the benefits of a British education – itchy kilts, carb-crammed dinners, netball matches in the icy rain – there’s one thing I missed out on by not going to high school over here: Senior prom. We had parties, sure, but nothing on the same scale as they do in the U.S. Tonight Ryan …
Read MoreOctober 31, 2013
…marched in the Halloween parade
In the U.K., Halloween passes without so much as a ‘boo’. I’ve been to a couple of parties and donned a fair few homemade costumes over the years, but nothing on the same scale as they do over here in the U.S. As I walked home from work, I dodged swarms of mini monsters and …
Read MoreOctober 24, 2013
…went to a literary night
All year I’ve seen literary readings – prose and poetry – popping up on events calendars but it has taken me 10-and-a-half months to go to one. And this was definitely a great pick as my friend Jim was reading some of his work – and it was cracking. I headed to No. 8, a …
Read MoreOctober 19, 2013
…climbed to the top of the world’s largest cathedral
When I entered the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine on West 112th Street this afternoon, I immediately welled up. The inside of this grand building, which claims to be the world’s largest cathedral, is breathtakingly beautiful. As soon as I walked through its two-tonne doors, I knew it was going to be one of …
Read MoreOctober 11, 2013
…survived the Shake Shack queue
Earlier this week when I was in Madison Square Park, I saw a familiar sight – scores of people queuing for Shake Shack, a burger bar in the center of the park. And it’s the best advertising, because I assumed I was missing something. No wonder lots of modern restaurants and retailers are moving towards …
Read MoreSeptember 25, 2013
…found the city’s last gas lamp
After work, I scuttled a few blocks north to a tiny unassuming corner of Greenwich Village: Patchin Place. Like all the other quaint streets in this part of the city, there are gorgeous red bricks, snug coffee shops and rubbish-free sidewalks. But it also has something no other street here has: A gaslight lamp. The …
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2013
…gorged at the Vendys
Food trucks are an integral part of the New York foodie landscape but I’ve not visited one since the start of this blog. Today I more than made up for lost time with a crash course in the city’s best food trucks – at the annual Vendy Awards. The Vendy Awards showcase around 25 of …
Read MoreSeptember 1, 2013
…played stoolball
These days, my friends from Sussex live all over the place. One of my best school friends, Will, has to be the farthest away in Hong Kong. But ridiculous luck would have it that we were both here this weekend and both had a couple of free hours this afternoon. So I joined him and his …
Read MoreJuly 21, 2013
…took a (2am) dip in Lake Michigan
After Bree and Brad’s beautiful wedding ceremony last night, Lizzie, Paul, Ricardo and I decided to keep the party going – and they decided to give me a hand with today’s new experience in the early hours of this morning. We walked west to the beach for a dip in Lake Michigan – a freshwater lake …
Read MoreJuly 16, 2013
…feasted at Chelsea Market
When I went to Seattle at the beginning of the year, Pike Place Market entertained me for hours. I tasted samples, grimaced at googly-eyed fish, admired teeny tiny cakes and enjoyed rustic slabs of pie. It was an indulgent, leisurely treat – one I’ve also had in London, Philadelphia and Boston. And yet, the whole …
Read MoreMay 5, 2013
…rode the Cyclone at Coney Island
New York boasts hundreds of national landmarks – but I never expected to find one among gaudy rides and neon prizes at an amusement park. Today Noah and I jumped on a train to Coney Island, where we headed to the Cyclone, a huge, rickety rollercoaster that was erected in 1927 – and which has landmark …
Read MoreApril 30, 2013
…jogged around Central Park
While I might not have the Rocky Mountains in my backyard, I do have Central Park. Each time I visit, I’m always in awe of – and a little bit jealous of – the runners bouncing along the paths. So tonight I decided to be one – and to appreciate the (sometimes minimal) nature we have …
Read MoreMarch 27, 2013
…sat for a portrait in Central Park
I’ve been visiting a lot of art since starting this blog – MoMA, the New Museum, street art – but what about me and my picture perfect mug? I spotted some artists in Central Park today and decided to get a portrait. I approached one friendly-faced man and asked if he’d paint me like one of …
Read MoreMarch 25, 2013
…visited a flower show (to kickstart Spring)
This is what New York looked like today: Seeing as Spring isn’t coming to me, I decided to go to Spring. After work, I jumped on the N train to Herald Square and headed to Macy’s for its massive annual flower show. A flower show doesn’t sound like the most inspiring thing to do, but …
Read MoreMarch 23, 2013
…fermented vegetables
Today I headed back to the Brooklyn Brainery for a class on vegetable fermentation. I decided to go because I’ve enjoyed my other cookery sessions and because it was vegetarian. If I’m honest, I knew nothing about fermentation – or what it even was, really – before going along today. It meant that, for the …
Read MoreMarch 17, 2013
…broke up with my boyfriend (and then we watched a movie about naked nuns together)
Dylan met me as I landed at JFK this afternoon and, a couple of subway stops later, we’d agreed to break up. We’ve realized that we want different things and that something’s not been right for a while. But after a lot of honesty and a little bit of joking to take the edge off, …
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