I ended my 2020 road trip in Brooklyn, my former home, with some of my best friends.
Hallie + Jesse’s place had a bit of a tense vibe this time around, mirroring the overall vibe of the USA in the summer of 2020 - the only social events condoned by mainstream channels were protests. For me, rolling in from a weeks-long trip across the continent, I was more interested in detached humor and sincere hugs. I followed their lead about masking and distancing, but the tension was hard to melt away, unfortunately. It gave me this sense that a certain class of metropolitan people aren’t allowed to relax, given their privileges.
Raj joined us and helped cut through some of the divisive political ideas. He then brought us over to his place in Williamsburg, which was a breath of fresh air by comparison - no pun intended, we were indoors much more in his apartment. Neil joined us, eager to party, and that was awesome.
Christine was in town too, and always brings the party. Katlyn was in a super fun mood as usual, rounding out our perfect little party. It was my first “Zoom Rave”.. it worked!
I still can’t believe Neil wore his mask the entire time, including sleeping! But to each his own - I respect people’s individual decisions regarding their health. We did get into quite a debate about the Black Lives Matter zeitgeist, but between lifelong friends, it was manageable. I hope he always knows the love is always there. Good people can disagree.
We enjoyed the late morning around Williamsburg - it felt like nature was healing, that life was returning to some normalcy.
21 June at Fort Tilden, possibly my favorite beach in the world. It’s Brooklyn on the beach (technically in Queens), with great people-watching, waves and VIBES. It’s not as iconic or bustling as places like Bondi or Barcelonetta, but that’s also what makes it cool - it’s more of a discovery.
I really value my crew in NYC. It’s hard to imagine living there, through its frigid winters, humid summers, intensity and claustrophobia, but it’s awesome to have best friends there. And now I’m friends with Jeff too 🍻 Looking forward to my next visits.
