Day-Cation

With the fast pace life of New York City, it's easy to get bogged down by the daily grind of work, the commute, errands, the list goes on and on.  You probably experience this to some degree wherever you are.  Most of us have gone through that wonderful human condition called burn-out.

In the summer, New Yorkers who are fortunate enough to have the means usually escape to the Hamptons or jet off to some exotic location for the weekend.  My less-glamorous-but-still-fun version of getting away from the Concrete Jungle is taking a car or scooter trip to Robert Moses Beach.  It reminds me of my regular trips to the beach with my girlfriends in California.  It's a nice balance between relaxing and getting my body moving with some swimming.  And with a nude beach nearby, I can pretend we are in some foreign country among lots of foreign naked bodies.  It's my go-to day-cation!

Image via redbubble.com by Jay Morena

This past weekend though, we had an exciting change in routine and visited our aunt and uncle in the country! Check out our adventures in the Hudson Valley.

After an hour and a half drive from NYC, we pull up to their oh-so-cute house.  This is their front view.

The house

We were starving, so it was quite a treat to be able to attack this incredible spread below.

Curry chicken salad, strawberries, fig & cheese spread, tomatos and Bufala Mozzarella

The cheese spread to put on top of the figs was to-die-for.  My aunt made it with goat cheese, LOADS of garlic, and herbs.

The house is over 200 years old. It was amazing to explore the inside and the grounds of the place.

Fantastic Hard Cider for $6 at Whole Foods

A view from upstairs

Our booty! We cheated and added some store-bought yellows and reds to add color.

Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb

I got to play with a ball python.

And go shooting!  With various guns.

Here's a vid of a successful shot.

I had such a super fabulous time with loved ones being outdoors and sharing stories over some awesome meals. I highly recommend a day-cation for anybody who needs a little break from the stressors of life.  It can be a quick trip to go hiking, the beach (!), picnic in the park, ANYTHING.

I'm awaiting some news back on two jobs I'm on hold for, and I was so busy having a good time that I hardly thought about it.  It really helped me stay in the present, and I hope the residual feelings from this state of mind hold me over until my next mental break!!