After my six weeks exploring the Iberian Peninsula, Istanbul, and Paris it was back to the US! I spent the next couple of weeks visiting friends and family all over the country.
First stop, New York City
Paris had been chilly and when I arrived in New York it was cool but still in a crisp fall-like way. But after two days, all that changed and it was time to bring out the big guns. The temperature dropped over 30 degrees overnight and all of the sudden it was winter.
I began my visit in Brooklyn with one of my oldest and most hilarious friends, Jenn. We grew up together in South Carolina, were roommates at Clemson together, did our study abroad in Paris together, and share a million old jokes and experiences. We went to watch the Clemson game at a divey Brooklyn bar and enjoyed all the old guys coming up us and asking us about our small corner of orange and purple.
Summer 1996 Myrtle Beach, SC
Next I traveled to West Chelsea to stay with the sassiest couple in the city, the Friel-Vishwas. When you pair the classiest broad from Belfast and the man with sharpest wit to come out of India, you end up with my dream brunch date! Le Pif is always a delight and we smashed the bottomless mimosa brunch (well two of us did). Karna was hangin’ like a bat from the Iron Maiden concert the night before and couldn’t even manage to remove his sunglasses indoors. Bronagh and I joked we were having brunch with a famous Bollywood actor. Sláinte, Craters!
Now, the important stuff. Sofie Cahill was turning one, so Bronagh and I headed up to the Upper Westside for her birthday party/Steelers watch party.
Oh yeah, and Sofie’s dad, Barry, was there too. Great to see that Crater.
Bronagh and Karna live right next to The Vessel and Hudson Yards, so it was awesome to see this beautiful structure in person. What a great addition to the cityscape and the amazing High Line that cuts right through the area.
Charlotte, NC
Ok, enough freezing temps it’s time to head south, see some family, eat some good food, and watch some more football! Watching games was one of the things I missed most while I was away. Sometimes I could stream the Clemson game on Sports Surge, but other weekends it was on in the middle of the night or I didn’t have internet.
A highlight of stopping to visit my Dad and Dorothy is visiting my darling niece and nephew. Four has reached the age where he literally does not stop talking! I sat next to him at dinner and I swear I barely got a word in.
Ava is making everyone so proud by getting all A’s, playing violin, and she was about to try out for the cheerleading squad. I love these two!!!
After dinner we all nerded out with a huge puzzle! It got competitive!
Got my dad his early Christmas present, his first bottle of Redbreast 12. This is me and Barry Cahill’s favorite sipper!
Greenville, SC
Aaaaah, fall in the south is one of my favorite times of year. The trees were showing off their perfect jewel tones of red, gold, and orange. Walking around felt so peaceful.
This stop was the most important for my future! It was time for me to pack up all my clothes, souvenirs, toiletries, etc. that I had accumulated over the past year at my mom’s house and mail it all to San Francisco. Back to reality!
Another weekend means another Clemson game and I got to watch it with my best friends from Clemson! These are my go-to girls and spending time together is our happy place. Another Clemson win also felt pretty damn good!
Happiness is also Lil Pigs BBQ
My friends the Howes are also on my Must Stop list anytime I’m home. Her three kids are so much fun and I always love a sleepover at their place. Ellie George is also going to enroll in the French Immersion school so we practice our French phrases together!
Denver and Boulder, CO
Gotta keep moving! Next up is visiting my friend Moose who moved to Denver from San Francisco about a year ago. We met at the Clemson Club in SF and have been good friends ever since! He even bought me a CO Clemson Club shirt to add to my collection and I love it! We need an SF version!
After a few days with Moosey in Denver, I went to stay with my friend Shaina and her friends at a beautiful house in Boulder. Mother Nature had some surprises in store for us and dumped about 14+ inches of snow on us overnight the day before we were supposed to depart on our next trip!
They cancelled our flight 24 hours before we were even leaving, so we had to scramble to find a new way out of the city and down to Mexico! It worked out in the end and we had to add a diversion to LAX but we just rolled with the punches.
I’m so thankful for all the friends and family I got to visit as I slowly work my way back to San Francisco. As they say, it’s more about the journey than the destination!
Where's Lindsey? 