BlogHer '10: lost in the city

08/10/2010 at 5:31 pm | Posted in Bloggy, Friends, oh the places we go, PPD, snap happy | 15 Comments
Tags: blogher conference, new york city, postpartum progress

I love New York City.

So even though I only had a Saturday pass to BlogHer ’10, I flew up for a long weekend. To be sure to have a little adventure about town.

My head is STILL spinning from BlogHer, so the best only way I can tell my story is to do it chronologically.

Here’s Friday …

Wake up. Shower. Hit the subway. Here’s the scene that greeted me before I crossed the river into Manhattan. Pretty neat, huh?

This memorial stopped me in my tracks. It’s a mangled piece of one of the World Trade Center buildings, decorated with artifacts of lost loved ones.

First stop in the city? The New York Public Library.

Well, technically, my first stop was Sephora to pick up some moisturizer. And some fun makeup for Sparklecorn. And then H&M. But who’s counting, right?

I’ve walked past the library every single time I’ve visited the city and never gone inside. This time, empowered by my alone-in-the-city-ness, I climbed the steps and went inside.

It was beautiful and peaceful and so, so quiet. Almost a shock to my ears, coming off the noisy streets. A welcome change, for sure.

(Welcome to the library. RAWR.)

(This is the spot where Big stranded Carrie at the altar. I think.)

Realizing I hadn’t yet eaten breakfast, I scarfed a Clif bar and wandered the streets. Aiming for Rockefeller Plaza, I was just about to cross yet another street when I looked up and saw this:

(Oh hello St. Patrick’s Cathedral.)

Walking, walking, more walking.

And some more walking.

Hello blisters.

I took the train to the Upper West Side to find a restaurant that served ONLY mac-and-cheese and pizza. Yes, friends. My mecca.

Since I’d essentially skipped breakfast and had been plowing all over the city in the heat, I was STARVING.

The restaurant? Closed. Or maybe not yet open. Once I saw the brown paper covering the windows, I almost shed a little tear.

But then, right across the street was this lovely place:

I sat in a quiet banquette, tucked into my lunch and read my book. Heaven.

Next stop was the Met, to catch an exhibit I’d been waiting months to see —  American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity.

So, I’ll just walk across Central Park to get there.

Yeah. Just walk across the park. Because it’s easy and there aren’t a million paths, ponds and boulders to traverse.

I ended up walking 12 blocks south, instead of east. Then I doubled back, unknowingly trekking right through a JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE MOVIE SET. No, I didn’t see him. Yes, I contemplated hiding behind a tree to get a better look.

I finally made it across the park, walking alongside a major thoroughfare, wishing I’d just hailed a cab or one of those cute little rickshaws. But then I finally landed here:

The exhibit was amazing, and I cried at the end, standing in the middle of a circular room whose walls were covered with rotating videos and images of some of my favorite women like Tina Fey, Madonna and Michelle Obama. Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman” blared from the speakers.

Breathtaking. Made me feel womanly and proud.

Thanks to my little adventure through the park, I had to move quickly to make a 6 p.m. photo shoot down at the conference hotel. I changed out of my sweaty shirt in the bathroom, swiped on some makeup and busted a move to the Hilton.

Where I met these ladies. And my heart went ka-boom.

(meet Allison, Ivy, Beth Anne and Katherine)

Katherine Stone, who writes Postpartum Progress, had arranged a group photo of bloggers who had survived a postpartum mood disorder. To be in the presence of these women was wonderful and emotional and just plain fun.

Here’s a little video of us, too.

My first day in New York? Awesome.

My first 30 minutes of BlogHer? Even more awesome.

I could not wait for Saturday ….