mindholiday: november edit
An anti-gift-guide guide, where I ate in NYC last month, travel news, and things to read + watch
Hello, and happy December! Welcome back to the the monthly MindHoliday edit, the corner of the internet where I share my newest finds and current favorites, places I’m dying to visit, and travels I’ve booked.
November was all over the place.
The lows:
The election outcome, obviously, and feelings of general helplessness and doom!
I was diagnosed with two skin cancers and had to have invasive procedure to get them removed. I mostly spent the month lazing about until the 30 stitches were removed from my face. PSA TO WEAR SUNSCREEN. I didn’t take sun protection seriously until ~5 years ago, and I’m now paying the price and cursing my parents for never putting sunscreen on me as a kid. Learn from my mistakes.
The highs:
After weeks spent healing, we headed to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica for Thanksgiving. Not the best place to go for someone that’s not supposed to seek the sun, but I got permission from my doctor to live my life in the shade, responsibly, and stocked up on cute UPF shirts, zinc sticks, and a ridiculous surf hat. Life goes on, and it’s my happy place, so it was in fact just what the doctor ordered. Comprehensive post coming soon on all of my favorite spots in my slice of heaven.
My film travel photography was featured on Substack reads, a weekly roundup of some of the best essays, art, and ideas created on all of Substack. As a creator on Substack, this is a huge deal! Hundreds of thousands of people receive their weekly newsletter, and I was shocked to receive message requests from readers asking to purchase prints once this went live. Selling prints was never part of the plan, but I’ve already received several orders, and I’m excited!
where I ate in NYC this month
Esse Taco - Whenever it gets slightly cold outside, I crave a trip to Mexico City. Sure, it can get cold there too, but the morning chill there feels refreshing and different, and nothing is more warming to me than delicious spicy food. I was hoping a trip to Esse in Williamsburg would stave off the need for me to hop on a plane, but sadly, it only made the journey feel much more necessary. I’d describe Esse as the sad, gen-alpha iPad addicted love child of Los Tacos No. 1 and Tacombi. It’s a liminal space, not a place where you’d want to stay and linger. There are no chairs or stools, and there is no character or soul. Ordering on giant tablets felt dystopian, and the spiciest salsa didn’t make my eyes water at all — I couldn’t even conjure crocodile tears. The tacos were edible and inoffensive, but not inspiring. Someone get me on an AeroMexico flight, stat. 5/10.
SMØR - SMØR was an incredible surprise. We stumbled in for a 5pm dinner (my favorite thing), looking for a cozy, belly-warming meal. This might now be my favorite restaurant in Clinton Hill. I'm a self-proclaimed hot dog connoisseur, and their Danish dog was the best I’ve ever had. The remoulade they adorned it with made me feel things I’ve never felt before, and made Copenhagen soar to the top of my travel bucket list. Their massive, brothy beans with sourdough defrosted all of the ice inside of my soul. They are known for their cardamon buns, so I need to go back for breakfast, but this is a very solid spot. 9/10.
Laziza - A brand new Lebanese restaurant/funk listening bar in Bed Stuy. Laziza really shines with their meat skewers. The chicken one was the best I’ve had in a long time. The service was sort of messed up — our fries came 20 minutes after dessert, but they’re brand new, and still working out the kinks. I’d go back on a night when DJs are actually spinning, as they weren’t when we visited on a Wednesday. 8/10.
Theodora - Everyone knows I love Theodora, but this month, we had the opportunity to go to the friends + family preview of their brunch service. They haven’t opened to the public for brunch yet, but when they do, it’ll be the hottest ticket in town. The lemon ricotta pancakes were a must order for the table, and the shakshuka and dips were straightforward yet delicious. The burger with eggplant wasn’t my favorite. We’ll see if they change it before starting brunch service. 8/10.
my approach to christmas gifting + my christmas wishlist
I’m so tired of reading generic gift guides from everyone and seeing Black Friday/Cyber Monday roundups. I loved Harling Ross’ post on how to give better gifts — gifts with personal meaning that people won’t stuff in a closet, or regift anytime soon. From Harling:
The catalyst that forever changed my approach to gift-giving came courtesy of my friend Virginia. She’s always been exceptionally good at giving gifts that feel “just right,” but then she started doing something that kicked it up a whole other level. For my last few birthdays, she’s curated a small selection of what she refers to as “Virginia’s Favorite Things” and attached notes to each one, explaining why it made her life a little easier or more enjoyable and why it might do the same for mine.
With that approach stated, here are 5 of my favorite things that I believe would make great gifts and my little notes:
FUN candle taper holders and accompanying candles for hosting! I’ve given these as gifts time and time again, and they’re always an easy hit because they’re such a low-lift way to dress up a table when hosting for the holidays, and not everyone already has them. I like to make sure I’m gifting ones that are pretty enough to leave on display. My dream is to be a cooky old woman with hundreds of taper holders in her collection.
These chic metal ponytail holders from Etsy - I wear these when I want my hair to feel fun and interesting but I’m too lazy to do something real with it. These are fun too… my friend Jenna rocks a tortoiseshell one (she turned me on to the concept of these) and it looks great in her blonde hair.
Gift a friend a membership to their favorite local museum or botanic garden! Jenna did this for my birthday this year. I haven’t shut up about the fact that I’m a Brooklyn Botanic Garden member, and I’ve gone so many times since I received the gift! It would be so fun to give a membership to the MET, MoMA, etc…
AirFly - I’d be remiss to not include at least one travel product in this roundup, and the AirFly is a necessity! It allows you to use wireless headphones with devices that only have a headphone jack. I use this with in-flight entertainment on planes all the time, since it’s the easiest way to use your airpods while watching movies on a plane. When my friend David moved to London, I gifted this to him since I knew he’d be taking a lot of long-haul flights. I’ve had many people message me saying this recommendation changed their life!
OAS robe in berry - If I am at home, I am wearing this 80% of the time. It’s comfortable, washes easily, and keeps me very warm in our old, drafty home. I prefer it to all of the other robes I’ve owned in the past because its weight is somehow perfect for all seasons while regulating my temperature.
And here are five things that I wouldn’t mind receiving, and why:
These abalone earrings that shine like nature’s disco balls, and remind me of dancing on a beach under the stars, my favorite activity in life.
Speaking of candle taper holders and my imaginary collection, this is an absolute dream. It’s beautiful enough to be considered art, and I’d leave it on display year-round on top of my fireplace.
This vintage cigarette case seems like it would solve all of my problems. While I’ve never had nicotine, I do love a joint here and there, but I don’t currently have a good way to carry them around without them getting crushed.
In the past few months, I’ve been trying to buy most of my clothing secondhand because I’m so over consumerism, and vintage is much better made and more interesting anyway. I wouldn’t hate a RealReal gift card to help me in my search efforts…
Expensive/frivolous, but I love artist Marc Quinn’s flower polaroids. I think it would be cool to frame one in a bright green color! Similarly, I love Nobuyoshi Araki’s flower polaroids (the contrast on this one is stunning!). Our household has really been vibing with all things nature lately, and I want to bring everything flora and fauna related inside. I’m going to DIY this immediately! You could totally DIY this as a gift for a friend, too.
Bonus gift idea: You can send friends + family Airline gift cards / transfer your existing airline miles to someone else! An easy way to spread travel cheer.
in flight entertainment
Here’s what I consumed on the tarmac and at 37,000 feet last month.
Reading
The Overstory by Richard Powers - a powerful, fictional story about how people’s lives are unexpectedly connected through their relationships with trees. It’s packed with fascinating facts about trees and nature, making it both an eye-opening and emotional read.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney - TBH, I didn’t love this. I’ve read all of Rooney’s books and loved them, but this fell flat for me and was painful to finish. Curious to hear your thoughts!
I’ve been finding some beautiful Arabic poetry on Substack recently:
Listening
John Batiste’s Beethoven Blues - Batiste might be the coolest musician out there, and his new piano improv album on old classics is so refreshing and fun. His riff on “Für Elise” gave me full body chills the first time I heard it. I’m obsessed with this man.
Watching
Anora - A romantic comedy-drama directed by Sean Baker, following Ani, a Brooklyn exotic dancer, whose impulsive marriage to Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch, leads to unexpected challenges as his family intervenes to annul their union. Mikey Madison’s acting in this is INSANELY good. Enough said.
Martha - An intimate look into Martha Stewart's journey from a teenage model to America's first self-made female billionaire, highlighting her resilience through personal and professional challenges. Gaining insight into her unwavering ambition and ability to overcome adversity has deepened my respect for her.
travel news
Today is Travel Tuesday. Here are the best airfare deals.
Delta will be piloting Shake Shack burgers in first class! Starting on Dec 1, domestic first-class passengers will be able to pre-order a Shake Shack burger as their entree option. They’re rolling this out in Boston first, which is disappointing, since Shake Shack is a NYC institution.
After five years of meticulous restoration, Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral is set to reopen on December 7 fulfilling President Macron's promise to restore the iconic landmark "more beautiful than ever" following the devastating 2019 fire. It was the most visited site in Europe before it burned, an a massive influx of tourists over the holiday season is expected.
Starting January 8, 2025, U.S. travelers heading to the UK will need to get an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which costs about $13 and can be done online. It’s good for two years (or until your passport expires), and it’s a simple step to meet the UK’s new border rules.
Top MindHoliday posts last month:
Thanks for being a subscriber of MindHoliday! Here are other ways you can show your support:
❤️ tapping the heart below (it helps my content get discovered!)
💌 forwarding this to a friend