Times Square New Year's Eve 2020

As the year comes to a close, let's take one final walk together at my favorite place to go on New Year's Eve. Before we begin our stroll, grab a fresh cup of coffee, take a few sips, focus on the picture for 10 seconds, and then envision yourself at Times Square.

Now that you are here, standing right beside me in front of the "2020 Move On" sign, having a joyful conversation, we get approached by someone dressed as Batman, trying to hustle us out of ten bucks to take a photo. We kindly decline his generous offer and get back to sightseeing. LOL!

In keeping with the "move on" theme, we moved closer to where the famous ball will drop and watched as the workers assembled the stage for the upcoming live performances.

We then began to hear music and lyrics to a song playing during the soundcheck, "these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, hear it for New York!" Sing it loud and proud, Alicia Keys! Love it!

Before we departed, I took several pics, gave you a big hug, and said Happy New Year! 😊

If you want to see the rest of the photos, DM me, and I will send them your way.

Have a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2021! Let's go!

#nyc

 

Meditating at the Park

 

I woke up this morning and went straight outside to take a brisk walk. Along the way, thoughts on meditation began to flood my mind, which probably stemmed from a book that I recently read on the subject.

 

That led me to think about the time I spent in my man cave the other day, reflecting on the year and a few new things that I plan on weaving into my morning routine, one of which is meditating.

 

Deciding to seize the moment, with the perfect place to visit in mind, I immediately changed course and headed over to a park with a lovely walking trail in an environment that I find peaceful.

 

Upon arriving, the first thing I saw was a woman sitting in a comfortable position on a checkered throw blanket on the grass, meditating. She appeared to be multitasking because I think her son was there riding his bike nearby.

 

I ended up settling at a spot on top of a tiny hill right behind three gigantic, beautifully wrapped gift boxes. Love it!

 

After satisfying my meditation appetite, I felt like writing, so I spent the next six minutes writing this journal entry that turned into this post.

 

Then, instead of taking that brisk walk, I jogged over to 42nd Street and Times Square. Gotta get those steps in, even on vacation! 😊

 

How did you start your Wednesday?

 

#nyc

Coaching

With the world’s most famous ball set to drop in Times Square in just a couple of days, I spent this afternoon getting in my last executive coaching session of the year outside by the Hudson River. As someone who thought I knew everything in my twenties and skeptical about hiring a coach, all I can say is time and money well-spent!

I purposely arrived at the meetup location thirty minutes early to enjoy the scenery and finish collecting my thoughts. When my coach arrived, we exchanged pleasantries, engaged in a little chitchat, and then got down to business!

After listening, asking questions, receiving valuable feedback, and taking a bunch of notes, our session was coming to a close. We took the last few minutes to update each other on some outstanding deliverables for a volunteer project that is near and dear to my heart, and then it was time to depart.

Before she left, I asked her to take a pic of me sitting on the bench. Since I rarely share a picture of myself, come to think of it, I didn’t share one this year; I am sharing this one so you can get a better mental image of us sitting here together. 😊

Have a relaxing evening.

#nyc #coaching

 

City Hall Park

Picking up where we left off, I departed Fulton Center to head over to City Hall Park. It was a quick two-minute walk to get to the park, and when I got there, I sat down on the first empty bench I could find, pulled down my mask, and started wolfing down my burger and fries!

Once done eating, I reached for a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer, squirted some on my hands, then rubbed them together in a fast motion to ensure they were super clean.

BTW - I have sanitized my hands so much this year that they look pale!

With my tummy full and ready to rush home to take a nap, I got up from the bench and headed to the parking lot to pick up my car.

After walking roughly six feet, I noticed one of New York City's Finest, standing guard at the front gate of City Hall, which stopped me dead in my tracks! I stood there for a moment, absorbing the experience, and became enchanted with the sun beaming down on City Hall, looking picture-perfect!

On the way to my SUV, I remember thinking that was a fitting end to my morning wandering around Manhattan two days before Christmas.

And with that, my promise of five posts in five consecutive days is complete. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I loved writing and sharing them with you. 😊

Spread kindness and enjoy your Sunday!

#nyc

 

Fulton Center

After I finished scrutinizing the Joie de Vivre sculpture at Zuccotti Park, my stomach began to growl, so it was time to get some grub. I eased over to stand by a car parallel parked on the street and stood next to it for a few minutes, mulling over what I wanted to eat.

Eventually, I decided to give in to one of my guilty pleasures and headed over to the Shake Shack inside the Fulton Center subway station, which was only three blocks away.

With my mouth salivating in anticipation of sinking my teeth into a Shack-Burger, I placed a takeout order on the Grubhub app so that my food would be ready when I got there, allowing me to be in-and-out and back outside in a New York minute!

When I arrived at the Fulton Center, I went straight to the spiral staircase and made my way up to the 3rd floor to get to the restaurant. Before I knew it, I had my food and was back outside, and now looking for a place to sit so that I could wolf down this burger!

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted City Hall Park and figured that would be the perfect place to chill and enjoy my food.

I will pause it here and post my final experience from gallivanting around lower Manhattan on a Wednesday in December tomorrow morning. 😊

Until then, share your thoughts and enjoy your Saturday!

#nyc

 

Zuccotti Park

With my time standing in front of St. Paul's Chapel complete, I proceeded to march four blocks over to Zuccotti Park to check out the Joie de Vivre (Enjoyment of Life) sculpture, which sits adjacent to One Liberty Plaza.

I must say, I've walked past this 70-foot-high sculpture many times and never gave it the time of day. However, that was about to change this morning because I set out to examine the red steel sculpture and its unique design thoroughly!

When viewing the sculpture from just a few feet away, the sight of it triggered thoughts of appreciation stemming from COVID-19 and our social distancing efforts.

Back when NYC was under siege by the pandemic, and we were on lockdown, I remember a moment of reflection that ended with me committing to having a greater appreciation of my surroundings, more specifically, the incredible array of landmarks scattered around the city.

Thus, taking the time to learn about and admire a sculpture that I've taken for granted was a perfect way to embrace that personal challenge!

So as I sit here in the park visualizing us enjoying a virtual cup of coffee together, I want to thank you for sharing this moment in the spirit of Christmas Day and consider it our gift to each other.

The Enjoyment of Life... Love it!

Merry Christmas! 😊

#nyc

 

Take My Breath Away...

After leaving Little Italy, I drove over to the financial district to intentionally spend time at one of my favorite places to walk around and contemplate life. I've learned that I always draw a tremendous amount of creative and positive energy when strolling in this area and often leave inspired!

With the temperature mild for this time of year and foot traffic light, I received a text from a friend asking me what I was up to as I was taking in the sights. She ended the message with several holiday emojis that made me light up like a Christmas tree inside. 🎄

Realizing that it was not wise to continue texting and walking in the city streets, at the same time, I started to focus on where I was headed next and was soon standing on the corner of Broadway and Fulton Street, which is where Trinity Church sits.

Once I moseyed over to the front gate and stood behind the red newspaper box, I looked up, and the sight of One World Trade Center and St. Paul's Chapel next to each other took my breath away!

Embracing the moment, I calmly transitioned into a meditative state and was then flooded with feelings of happiness deep inside my soul. Woosah…😊

Friends, that's it for this visit, and off to the next landmark. I will post tomorrow at 11 am. LOL!

Enjoy your Christmas Eve!

#nyc

 

Little Italy

With the first and last virtual Christmas just two days away, I wanted to have a little fun and engage with you in a new way. Instead of only sharing my customary 11 am Saturday post this weekend, I will post each of the next five days, intended to elicit a virtual smile together!

With that premise, I will share some of my experiences roaming around lower Manhattan this morning on day one of vacation.

When passing by several cool landmarks, each time, something I saw sparked a thought, which compelled me to stop and spend the next six minutes summarizing it into my iPhone.

In keeping with a family holiday tradition, my first stop was at a mom-and-pop bakery in Little Italy. I went there to pick up some fresh baked cookies that are out-of-this-world! Since I placed my order yesterday, it was ready when I arrived, so I was in and out in a flash!

Double-parked with the hazard lights blinking Brooklyn style and rushing to get back to my SUV, the sudden sight of the famous "Welcome to Little Italy" sign grabbed my attention! Of course, I stopped, waited for the traffic to go by to take a picture, and was back on the move a few seconds later. LOL!

Until the next post, have a lovely evening! 😊

BTW, a few of the cookies did not make it to the next stop!

#nyc