Lunchtime and retail exploring

Spending my days working from home can sometimes give me cabin fever, so I've been trying to go outside and explore my new neighborhood. It seems like a no brainer, but it's easy to get caught up in my work and not want to take breaks. Not good!

I've also been working on my new website for Distill Creative, and it has been going terribly. I am used to Squarespace and there's definitely a learning curve with Wordpress theme setup. So this will be a short post so I can get going on my website. 

Our neighborhood is perfect for wandering. We have beautiful streets with pedestrian paths, cheap food options, and inspiring retail. 

Here are some photos of where I ate this week. Cheap and delicious dumplings in Chinatown, fancy lunch at de Maria, oysters at Crave Fishbar in the Upper Eastside. 

Lunch in Chinatown at Good Century Cafe

Walking in Chinatown

Coffee at De Maria

Oyster shooter at Crave Fishbar

Here are some photos of retail I enjoyed stumbling into -- the sticker room at CW Pencils is crazy. And I can't wait to get some plants at the Sill. Or, cheaper plants nearby. We also visited a potential retail space, but it was already taken by the time we got there! 

Garage mural at the Sill

Sticker room at CW Pencils

Funky retail space under the Manhattan Bridge

Schedules, Keeping Track of Things, and Staying Sane

I love the idea of 'being present', but come on, when you have a lot of thoughts and ideas racing around in your head all the time, like me, it's really hard to be present and focus. It's also hard to be present when you have big goals for yourself and a million things in your head that you know you need to get to in order to make them happen. I've been obsessing about this because I am in a new city, with a new job running my own new business, a new boyfriend, and a new apartment that is still being set up. 

So in between taking down boxes, figuring out how to get from point A to point B on the subway, and why our hot water doesn't always work, I'm trying to figure out two things so I can be more present and sane: How to schedule my time and how to keep track of things.

Dinner in Chinatown to celebrate Chinese New Year. We've been eating out a lot because it's NYC and our kitchen is full of boxes.

Schedules + Scheduling

I am still figuring this out because I have client work, workshop development, content development, and personal projects that take up time in different ways and require different types of work spaces. I also want to spend time with friends and family and meet new people in this great big city. Here are some methods I am trying:

• iphone + agenda -- I'm a big believer in the digital - physical method of schedules. I keep everything up-to-date on my iphone and then once a week, usually on Sundays, I transcribe everything in my planner in big chunks. I record appointments and large projects. 

I'm using the Tropical agenda from UO, which I got at a museum in Barcelona. It's in Spanish so it is nice if you are practicing/learning Spanish. 

• Project planner -- I am using the Poketo Project Planner and loving it. I am honestly still figuring out how to make it work best for me without being overwhelming, but I do really like how it forces me to choose what I can realistically work on in a week. I'll probably have more on this later. 
• icalendar -- This goes back to my iphone-agenda method, but basically I use my calendar app on my iphone a lot, which syncs with my google calendar. Sometimes I over do it, scheduling in everything thing, but I am trying to instead block out more free time for myself, while still making sure I have a realistic amount of time for work, gym, family, friends, and everything else essential in my life. I also use the reminders calendar to remind myself of little things, like trimming my bangs. 
• Calendly -- I have been trying to use Calendly to book coffee dates. It works when my calendar is up-to-date. I feel strange using it for friends, but want to because it makes my life a lot easier. Still testing.
• Daily walks -- I'm still figuring this out, but my goal is to go walk a bit every day. My boyfriend does this and I'm always envious.  I realized I could do this, too. We're both working from home in the same tiny apartment right now, so it's pretty important I schedule this in to help me stay sane. 
• Gym time -- I joined the local gym, Ludlow Fitness, and it's been great. I schedule in the classes and gym time I want to have each week and stick to it. This helps me schedule everything else I need to do around it. 

Valentine's Day dinner, when I tried to be present but instead obsessed about how I can't figure out my schedule. 

Cocktail. Necessary to stay sane. 

Keeping Track of Things

But first, some notes on blogging:

I've been thinking a lot about what blogging means these days -- what is it? why would someone do it when there are so many other ways to make and share content? what is the point? 

I've also been doing a lot of research regarding internet businesses and it's super overwhelming to see all the ways that people make money and share media on the internet, either as the main activity of their businesses or as a part of it. I'm thankful to live in a time of so much possibility, but I do kinda miss the time before hyper-media-explosion. 

In my own business, I am figuring out my content strategy. It will definitely include blogging, but not as much as it would if I had a bigger team or if I also didn't have to think about social media and all the other outlets. It's always been easy for me to think strategically for clients, and still is, but for some reason when running my own business it's harder to figure out a content strategy. It's like how you can give great advice to a friend, but can't give the same advice to yourself. 

So I'm going to start following my own advice. On my business blog, I'll follow my soon-to-be determined content strategy, which starts with moving my site from Squarespace to Wordpress. More on that soon! On my personal blog, which is here, I will share updates on my life. 

Why? Because every once in a while I look back on my old blogs from when I lived in Spain, started out in San Francisco, and my early days in DC. I wish I had been more consistent with those personal blogs because they are super meaningful to me now and help me remember things I did, things I loved, and who I was. 

I also realized that blogging is a key part of how I keep myself sane and organized.  I take lots of photos and want to remember places, locations, and feelings. I share these on social media, but something about blogging feels more permanent (I know, silly, because it's the internet, but also not silly, because it is the internet). On my blog I have total control of what is shown, and I'm not at the mercy of some algorithm deciding whether or not my content is shown. I don't expect anyone to read this, but if you are reading, awesome! Welcome to my mind! 

Notes mailed to me from my best friends. 

Peg board in my home office. Slowly but surely our apartment is coming together. 

How I keep track of my daily life: 

• My agenda. I keep a handwritten old school agenda and look at it pretty much every day. I also use a project planner to keep track of work and art projects. See notes above.
• A journal. I write thoughts every morning, kinda like the morning pages concept from The Artist's Way. 
• This blog. I'll post updates weekly about my week and any thoughts on my mind. 
• iphoto on my phone -- when I take photos of something I want to remember or write about later, I'll add them to shared folders I've set up so I can add comments to them. You can't add comments to a normal photo, which is really frustrating. I also will export the photos I want to use on my blog and resize them so they are ready to put in blog posts. 
• notes on my phone -- I've tried so many other apps, but really the notes app on my phone is the best. It opens quickly and I can search for terms when I am trying to find or remember something I know I recorded. 
• notes in a notebook -- I try to always have a notebook on me so that I can write handwritten notes as I often need to physically write things down to get them out of my head. I'm trying to make a habit out of taking photos of my notes so I can find them later, instead of trying to move the same notebook around in my bags and purses. 

Testing: 

• taking photos with my dslr + film camera -- I want to start taking photos again. I use my dslr to take photos for photo shoots, so there's that, but I want to start taking it out on walks. I also just got a film camera I want to learn how to use. We'll see how this goes. 

Street art on garage door in LES.

Street art on door in LES.

Paying for Storage

It's annoying, but I realized I really needed to do this to make my life easier. 

• Paying for more icloud storage -- I just need to take photos and have them available in a way that connects to all my devices and that requires more storage. Once I stopped stressing about whether or not I should buy more storage and just made the decision to pay for more storage, I felt a lot better and now I am not constantly having to delete things to take new photos. I am trying to delete photos I don't need more often, like the blurry ones. 
• Dropbox + Google Drive storage -- ditto. I have files, they are often big. I need to put them somewhere. 
• Blog hosting -- I'm using Squarespace for now. But, I don't love it for blogging. 

Exploring Chinatown -- Wing On Wo & Co Storefront

Staying Sane

I was going to write that the journalling is a therapeutic activity, but really everything in this post is therapeutic for me. When I don't have a schedule or I don't know how to keep track of things, I start to lose it.

I've realized it is especially important for me in a time of transition to figure out these very simple things: scheduling and keeping track of things.  In my line of work I need photos and records, especially because my work is very visual. I often need to recall an artist, a retail storefront, a restaurant, a recipe, and I need to be able to find the records of these things to guide my approach to research, create content, or give guidance. 

I am also the kind of person that needs to write things down to get them out of my head, and I know I feel better when I use these methods to do so. Am I neurotic? Maybe, but that's ok. 

Moving Update: Finding an apartment in LES and our new place!

I recently moved to New York City. I moved in with my boyfriend and we are both still unpacking and getting settled. I've gone through a lot of changes in the last few months and it is really great to get started in a new city, even if things have been a little bit stressful. 

It was hard to find an apartment that we both loved, was a good size, was within our budget, and was in Manhattan, but not impossible! We came out from DC for a long weekend, a Thursday through Sunday, in the middle of January and had our own little House Hunters. Jeremy, my boyfriend, was a little reluctant to go to Upper-anywhere and was more insistent on laundry in building than I was, but other than that we agreed on most things. So instead of passive-aggressive arguments we just had a lot of coffee and overpriced snacks between tours. We had a really tense week after we found our dream apartment -- a 1-bedroom at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge in the Lower East Side -- but once we got past the pay stub hump, the rental history explanations, and the co-op application, we were able to celebrate with some champagne and start packing. 

Tips for finding an apartment in Manhattan:

• Ask friends for a broker recommendation. We saw some really crappy apartments with some shady brokers, or rather people who may or may not be brokers that we found on Craigslist. It's not that Craigslist isn't helpful, it is, but going with a reputable broker will make the process a lot easier. You can find an ok apartment without a broker, but we did not and we didn't have time to wait it out. If you are looking for a room in a house/apartment, try something like this Facebook group. 
• Have all your paperwork ready to go before you start tours. This includes: 
  • Letters of Reference from past landlords. I suggest getting these before you leave your prior apartment, because it will be annoying to track down your landlord later and these may become time sensitive. We were asked for a letter of reference after we already started the application process and thankfully my last landlord pulled through for us quickly.
  • A lot of cash -- there's the broker's fee, which is usually about 15% of one year's rent, the security deposit, including first and last month's rent, and anything else that might come up, like an application fee. You often will need it in the form of a certified check, which means you should be conscious of where your bank is and when it is open to make sure getting your money doesn't prevent you from getting your dream apartment. You may also have the option of taking the apartment off the market if you pay a deposit, which we did, so you'll want to factor that cost into the cash you will need ready. 
  • Pay stubs. If you are like us and are self-employed, you should have a contract ready that shows ongoing work, or your business's books in order to share. If you have a willing client, have them write you a letter saying the kind of work you can expect as some proof that you get paid regularly. If you don't have any of those things, you might want to have a guarantor ready just in case, with all of their paperwork. Fortunately, we ended up not needing one.
  • Last two years of tax returns.
• Be patient, but don't hesitate when you find the right place. If it checks all your boxes and you have a really good feeling about a place, you should apply immediately, as apartments go very fast.
• Be realistic. If you have a budget, stick to it. Brokers are likely going to push it anyway. 
• View as many as you can. We viewed almost 20 apartments, some that were a little out of our price range or outside of the bounds of our ideal location, but this made us even more confident about our final choice. 

Good luck finding an apartment! 

Here are photos from our place -- I'll update on our decor progress soon, but right now it's time to bust more boxes open and get organized. 

When you first walk in there is a mini-kitchen area, with a washer and dryer, stove and oven, dishwasher, and microwave. Down the hall is the bathroom and some closet space. 

Our living room has exposed brick and while it doesn't get a ton of natural light, it is a really cozy space. 

The bedroom is the highlight of our apartment. You have an amazing view of the bridge, sky, high rises, and even the Chrysler Building. The double-pane windows keep it pretty quiet for being right next to the bridge. And there is also exposed brick! 

Oaxaqueando: Where to eat, drink, learn, and wander in Oaxaca

It's a funny thing: when I spend a while in a place, I forget to take photographs. I have been meaning to post this list of my favorite places in Oaxaca and now that I am finally getting my thoughts together, I can't find any photographs from my last trip. 

Markets in the Plaza in Oaxaca, Mexico

I have plenty of photos from when I visited Oaxaca in May of 2017, but few good ones from when I went for a few months last fall. This past trip, I often left my DSLR at home and opted for my iphone camera instead. I did this partially because I didn't want to feel, or look, like a tourist, and partially because it was annoying to carry around my DSLR all day, especially if I also had my computer and had to do work. 

So, this post has many photos from my May trip and some from my November - December trip. 

And now for the list. These are spots I really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone wanting to explore Oaxaca. 

Enjoy!

Templo de Santo Domingo, Oaxaca, Mexico

Tip: Check the facebook pages of places - Facebook is very popular here ('el Face') and often that's where they post events or updates. If you speak Spanish, obviously try to make friends with the locals. I don't know what they do for año nuevo, but I imagine there will probably be fiestas in the center or in the pueblas surrounding, which will be worth the visit for festivals. 

Transportation
In Mexico City they have uber, but in Oaxaca they don't. You can walk everywhere in the center of Oaxaca. And if you go to a puebla or out of the center, you can take a taxi colectivo to wherever you want to go. It's basically uber share, but with no app. You pay around 20 pesos to go with 5 other people (three people in the front, three in the back) and they can drop you off at the highway intersection of that village and then you can wait for another taxi colectivo to go into the village. It's kind of an experience. If you are going to Mitla, Tlacolula, Teótitlan, you can get one near the Estado Eduardo Vasconcelos -- just ask where the station for taxi colectivos is and people can help guide you if you can't find it. 

You also can take a collective van from the airport. It should be fairly cheap. They can drop you off anywhere in the centro -- it's like super shuttle. You'll probably see a queue of people waiting for this when you leave the baggage claim area.

La Cosecha, Oaxaca, Mexico

Restaurants
There are lots of 'fancy' places, but honestly I think the best food is in the markets! You just order food from different stands, sit down, and they bring you the food. You go around and pay after you finish your meal. It's so fun because you can try lots of things and there's a nice buzz to every market. 

My favorite markets are La Cosecha and Pochote (this is on the street Marcos Perez between Privada La Paz and Joaquín Amaro). You also have to check out Mercado de La Merced (eat at Fonda la Florecita), and 20 de Noviembre (the main market), which is next to Benito Juarez (has crafts and well, everything). For a very overwhelming, but amazing, experience, go to Abastos. You can google all of these and walk to them from the center of the city.

Boulenc - Great for breakfast (but they stop serving breakfast at 2 so don't sleep in!)

La Popular - it's best to eat the street cart quesadillas that are on the corner, across from La Popular, and then get drinks inside La Popular. Ask the wait staff at La Popular if it's ok if you do this before you bring in outside food. 

La Zandunga - Good food, great cocktails.

San Pablo - Good food, great view. A little pricey for Oaxaca (by which I mean, the price of a meal for two is probably what you would pay for one person going out to dinner in San Francisco). 

Origen - I like this place, but it is a little over-hyped. A little pricey for Oaxaca also. It's cozy. Great for a romantic dinner.

Los Danzantes - I haven't been here, but it has been recommended (though is probably also over-hyped). When we tried to go they said we needed a reservation, so I'd try for a reservation if you want to go. It looks like a jungle inside hah. 

La Jicara - Good for a casual lunch or dinner. There's a bookstore connected to it, so you can linger. There's also wifi (I've done work here) and the menu is vegan/vegetarian/paleo friendly. I like their chicken curry. 

Sabina Sabe - ASk for a cocktail with the corn whiskey by Pierde Almas.

There are SO MANY MORE. If you are looking for something specific, let me know. I'll rack my brain. 

Cafés
Note: There isn't really drip coffee (or at least I haven't found it) -- so I'd stick to latte or cappuccino (I'm kinda a coffee snob). If you order a cold drink, maker sure you clarify if you don't want sugar, whipped cream, etc., because they often come like desserts. 

Café Brujula - The one at Calle Macedonio Alcalá 104 is my favorite because there is a courtyard. They all have wifi, but it's sometimes spotty.

Café Caracol Purpula - It's at Calle Porfirio Díaz 810. They just changed their hours so now they close at 5pm, which is annoying as it used to be my favorite late afternoon spot. It's cute and and unpretentious. They have wifi. 

Plaza outside of El Volador, Oaxaca, Mexico

El Volador - it's at Calle de Xólotl 118. I get a coffee here most mornings. It's super cute on the corner. They also have wifi, but not much space to sit down inside. Best to utilize the adorable plaza!

Convivio - If you need reliable internet/to do work and want free coffee, internet, mezcal, you can pay 100 pesos/day at Convivio. It's a nice space, but beware they have mosquitos. I swear I only get bitten here, it's a little better not that it isn't so hot out. Convivio also has lots of events, though there seem to be more extranjeros than locals. Worth just checking out if there is an event. 

Cuish storefront of location on Alcalá, Oaxaca, Mexico

Bars
Cuish - There are two locations now, but the one more in the center (cuish mezcaleria - Alcalá between Cosijopí and Xólotl) is super tiny and cute and my old housemate Vinik works there, hah! You can try lots of mezcals. 

Tattoo - This place is funny and plays music, like a club if you want to dance. But not club club. Like a neighborhood club? Ask for their promotions (for example, one night we got three giant Corona Lights for 100 pesos). 

Aguavero - They can make a decent martini.

El Destilado - Expensive and I don't think that great, but it's a nice space.

Casa Estambul - Go for the ambience, stay for the cocktails -- a little 'high class' says one local, but it's my style, so I recommend it.

Home weaving and dyeing taller in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca

Agave

Preciosa Sangre de Cristo Church in Teotitlán del Valle

Side trips
Depends on what you are interested in. There's seriously so much (check this out for villages and photos). I am into textiles, so I have been taking workshops in Teotitlán del Valle. Read about the craft workshops I took. 

You can do group tours anywhere, but I really recommend just deciding where you want to go and then taking taxi colectivos - it's a lot cheaper and you can go at your own pace and you aren't with a bunch of annoying tourists. If you have a travel companion, it's also totally safe and fine, in my opinion. I finally have the confidence to go to places alone.

Museo Textil de Oaxaca

Art Spaces -- Just Wander!
There are so many amazing art spaces, little galleries, etc. I LOVE printmaking, and there are many printmaking spaces here. 

The Textile Museum. Just go. 

IAGO - This is my favorite space. It is an art gallery and art library. You can go, sign your name, and ask them for any theme and they will pull books for you. I love it. You can't bring coffee or computers inside . . . otherwise I would be here everyday. 

Must do: Drink mezcal, eat quesadillas from that place across from El Popular, try the fried grasshoppers, drink atole, wander, wander, wander. 

Adelante!

Check out my posts from Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in Oaxaca.

Weeks 4, 5, and 6 in Oaxaca

My last chunk of my time in Oaxaca was fascinating. I spent about half of the time in a nearby village called Teotitlán del Valle learning how to weave tapestries and dye yarn with plants, roots, and insects and the rest of my time in Oaxaca City. I got to see Oaxaca all dressed up for Christmas and spent time with new friends from my group house (I miss it already!).

Designing my weaving at Fé y Lola in Teotitlán

With master weaver at Fé y Lola in Teotitlán

Natural Dyes workshop with Gutierrez in Teotitlán del Valle.

Weave by Gutierrez Family in Teotitlán

I ate lots and lots of food and drank more mezcal than ever before, sometimes in cocktails. I met creators and innovators, using native corn to make whiskey and ancient techniques to make a rainbow of colors. I learned about the Zapotec peoples and was welcomed into the homes of strangers. I made memories that only I will be able to recall and had moments with people I may never see again. My decision to quit my well-paying job and take a little break before I run my own company was not without sacrifices, but it was definitely worth it. 

Meal at La Cosecha

Pescadillas at Pochote Mercado

Meal at La Cosecha

Chocolate Atole at La Cosecha Mercado

Drink with Punch Drunk Shrubs at Convivo

Visit with Pierde Almas at their Tasting Room 

The realities of living in Oaxaca are complicated. The cost of living is very low, but the salaries are as well, so having an income, or savings, in US dollars is a great asset. This makes me feel slimy and strange, but it is a fact. Seeing the effect of tourism and ex-pats on a historical and indigenous community was interesting -- it made me hopeful that traditions will continue to be passed on, but also scared that a bland overlay of Americanism will taint it.

I went to Mexico to learn about my own culture and Mexican heritage, but I also realized how privileged I am to be a fully-assimilated American with a college education living in a top city. Mexicans who do not have American residency or citizenship cannot travel freely to the USA. I can. I can travel freely to a lot of places just because I happened to be born in the USA. I have confirmed what I've known for a long time, but only recently have fully committed to, which is that it would be crazy not to develop my talents and use them to be the best I can be. 

Market in Teotitlán del Valle

Mask workshop at Espacio Mezcal

I feel gross when I see people posting photos of their 'cultural' experiences in other places, using the local people and culture as a backdrop to their own self-expression. There's a lot of this going on right now and while I think it is great that more Americans are traveling and experiencing new things, I think it's important to remember that everyone has his or her own story, history, and culture and we must try to go deep and connect with the people in a place, not just suck out the best instagram photos and move on. I hope that my trip helped inspire someone to try something new or travel to a place unknown. I hope your travels are unplanned and vulnerable. 

Globos in the Zócalo

In the Zócalo. Protestors took over the square. Photo by @samgraft

Read by updates from week 1, 2, and 3. 

Week 3 in Oaxaca: Natural Dye Class, Mask Painting and Market Meals

This past week went by super fast and it's kind of crazy that tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I'm currently home at my parents' house to have some family time and drink this Very Berry Vodka cocktail I just created for cocktails+craft out of pomegranates and lemons I found outside. But now a little bit about last week . . . 

I started out last week with an intensive Natural Dye class with Taller Teñido a Mano. I learned how to dye with pomegranate shells, brazil wood, indigo, cochineal, and marigold. It was pretty amazing to see how the colors changed when cooked and stewed with wool. You can read a full recap on this workshop on cocktails+craft. 

We finally made it to Boulenc before 1pm and were able to order off their delicious breakfast menu! I love their shakshuka, which is also one of my favorite meals to make at home. 

We also ate at my favorite markets: Pochote and La Cosecha. At both markets you can get a variety of food from different vendors. The prices are super affordable and the food is always amazing. It's fun to get drinks from one vendor, sides from another, a main from another and dessert from yet another vendor. It's the best way to try a little bit of everything and explore new tastes. I especially like it when what I am ordering is somewhat a mystery. My Spanish is getting much better, but I still fail at certain menu items. 

One of my favorite meals was at San Pablo, a (somewhat expensive) restaurant that over looks the plaza behind the Textile Museum. We spent what felt like hours there and it was really pleasant. They have a tasting platter that gives you a little bit of various local cuisines and they have sparkling red wine, which is my favorite. 

Beyond my dye workshop and eating, we worked at the co-working space Convivio and wandered around Oaxaca. We stopped in the Textile Museum, which had an exhibit of embroidery appliqué by the Guna people from Panama called Centaurs in the Tropics: The Imagery of the Molas.

Later in the week I had a studio visit with Adriana of Xhiaruxxa. She's an artisan that focuses on leather work and will be doing a workshop in Oaxaca in the next few weeks using natural dyes! 

hasta luego,