An Avid International Traveler, How the Pandemic Shifted My Focus to Exploring New York City and Other Destinations Closer to Home

Stairway to Heaven Trail, New Jersey

If I had it my way, I’d be on an international flight regularly. Although I love my city, there’s something about taking in new experiences that excites me. Going on a self-guided walking tour through a new city full of gothic architecture, exfoliating my feet on black sand formed by remnants of volcanic minerals, and staring out into the distance from a lookout point ignites my inquisitive nature and amplifies my desire to wander. 

You can imagine how the COVID-19 pandemic, by rendering international travel virtually impossible, left a wanderlust like me feeling lost. Let’s face it, we all felt trapped. Trapped in the house, glued to our televisions or social media, and tethered to our remote work. I was ill-equipped to set healthy boundaries between my work and personal life, but it took a while before I realized that. 

At first, I was thrilled to be remote - I already had a great work-from-home setup. Years prior I invested in a beautiful West Elm industrial modular desk, a Bluetooth keyboard, a trackpad, and a second monitor. The problem with my setup, I quickly realized, was that my desk happened to be in my bedroom. And although I have a large bedroom, spending most of your day in one room, I can confirm, is not ideal. 

So I started taking long walks just to get out of the house. Luckily I had a friend who lived less than a half mile away. We’d meet and take long walks and eventually, we started biking. We biked all over Brooklyn, Manhattan, and a bit of Queens, and now I’m convinced it is one of the best ways to explore NYC neighborhoods. In the beginning, we’d have no destination, we'd ride aimlessly, or pick a random destination before taking off. At some point, I started opening up Google Maps and bookmarking places to see (like landmarks and historic sites), and they’d serve as the “destination” for our rides. It was during this time that I started growing an appreciation for all that New York City has to offer. 

As a native New Yorker, I’m accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the city. I grew up mostly in Queens and commuted to Manhattan for undergrad and grad school via bus and train. I’m guilty of having that hurry-up and get-where-you-need-to-go vibe that most New Yorkers have. It's this norm (and spending my 20s working late or going to school in the evenings) that kept many gems right here in my city elusive to me. Gems like the Hudson River Greenway for biking, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for walking, and Rockaway Beach for a relaxing day in the sun. Day trips to hike by the Mohonk Mountain House or Stairway to Heaven trail, and getaways to the Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls helped to make life closer to home nearly as exciting as a trip abroad.

If you’ve read this far, I want to say thank you for stopping by my new blog and I hope you enjoy reading about all of the places I’ve explored, in my city, and abroad.