I’m standing in the parking lot of Wegmans in Ithaca, New York. I open the backdoor of my parents’ banged up white Caddy, the car I use every time I’m upstate. Before I set my grocery stash in the back of the car, I reach into the hot plastic bag to shred a piece of …
Today is my last day being 34 years old. Like every year, I am reflecting on all of the ups and downs, the best places I’ve traveled to, the things and people I’ve lost, the things and people I’ve gained. 34 is a strange one. Some of my best memories and accomplishments happened this year. …
Read more “Birthday Reflections: Goodbye 34, A Year of Extreme Gains and Near Losses”
After a long day, I headed to my local watering hole for a glass of wine. As I sipped subpar Pinot Grigio, I felt a blaring light behind me. The man sitting next to me at the bar screamed, “Yes! Bourdain!” I turned around to watch a younger, less-gray-haired Anthony Bourdain tossing fresh pasta in …
Read more “Will The World Ever Be Ready For a Female Bourdain?”
“Why do you love Italy so much?” my mom asked me at Cafe Florentine in New Hartford, NY over espresso.“Because it feels like home,” I said. I grew up in a small town in Upstate New York, mainly consisting of Italian-Americans and Polish-Americans. To no coincidence, my mother’s side mainly comes from Eastern Europe, while …
Read more “My Journey (So Far) Obtaining Italian Dual Citizenship Through Lineage”
I work day shifts at a bar in NYC, and its main patronage are dudes who throw back every ounce of beer in a can during their lunch breaks as they can to face going back to their 9-5s. I understand in a sense; I could never give in to the idea of sitting at …