Here and at home

Hello again! I know it's been a week without a single peep, but I'm here. After a glorious weekend away on Fire Island, I'm actually starting to feel at home. It's been a tiring week of settling in, which involved a trip to the IKEA in Paramus (my first trip to NJ ever, ha), waiting at home endlessly for deliveries, assembling IKEA furniture, unpacking, and assembling more IKEA furniture. Our apartment is in pretty good shape though considering we've only had a few days to work on it together. It's funny how household tasks like getting new pillows become novel when you buy them from the Bed Bath and Beyond in Lincoln Center and schlep them home on the subway.

It's also strange to fight that touristic urge to see and do everything all at once. Aside from the trip away and a run around the Central Park loop, I haven't even stepped foot in any other NYC neighborhood besides my own. It's comforting to know that I actually live here (self: yes, really!) and that the city will let me wind my way through it at my own pace.

I am learning lots of new things every day, but namely, how to think in seasons. In SF, there are only two seasons: foggy and clear. In either one, you'd never pack away your wool coat because god knows you'll still need it in July. Here, it is stubbornly summer: shoulders are getting brown and freckly, girls are in cute, breezy dresses, boys are in shorts, chapeaus, and the ever-so trendy black Wayfarers, and diners are eating al fresco. I can't wait for autumn, but from a practical storage standpoint, I have to pack those sweaters, coats, and knee-high boots away until at least October. Seasons: who knew?

On a related note, does any East Coaster know what kind of tree this is with yellow leaves that are perfectly white underneath?
Very curious. I spotted these this weekend. More on that soon!