Hi friends,

So after a full week of dealing with some seriously hard-core jet lag (I mean, we’re talking serious jet lag here!), I’ve finally managed to drag myself out of the foggy haze.

It’s always worth the jet-lag in the end though, isn’t it? I can’t believe my trip to Italy is already a thing of the past. So sad.

Anyway, after pulling myself through the haze, I was facing a 3 and 1/2 day weekend, and I was feeling … antsy. Chris and I had plans to head to Far Rockaway with some friends for one last beach-filled weekend, but I bailed at the last minute. So instead, as Chris caught the subway to meet up with our friends, I hopped the train and headed upstate to my mom’s, where we took in a wine and crafts festival in New Paltz (which has seriously become my new favorite place to spend my falls, with its wineries, hiking trails, breweries and gorgeous fall foliage), ate dinner at The Gilded Otter and just generally chilled out.

I even managed to wake up early Monday morning and drag myself out to the back porch swing with my blanket, coffee and the book I’m currently reading.

I truly believe that only if you actually live in a city can you really appreciate what it means to get out of the city every now and then. I mean, I spent my entire high school career living in this same house, and never found as much solace in its back yard as I do these days.

So that was my Labor day! What did you guys get up to?