Time keeps moving faster and faster. December flew by so fast I didn't have time to write my Holiday Letter till now! Wow! 2023 was a pretty good year for me, but it sped by feeling more like a month than a year! I was considering skipping this letter this year, but if I don't force myself to reflect on the past year, I'm afraid it will all just be forgotten and I will speed into 2024.
In short, my life has stabilized after the daily excitement of the Pandemic. I'm still working at NoHo Business Improvement District and enjoying the energy, fashion and trend setting on the streets there. Then I am still living in Jackson Heights, Queens, possibly the most diverse area in the world. Each day I get to travel the world on my way to and from the subway. The incredible differences between NoHo and Jackson Heights are sometimes exhausting for a curious person like me. I have to keep my eyes open to enjoy both areas' richness. In one day, I can see supermodels in haute couture and indigenous women in their traditional dress.
I rang in 2023 in Havana, my favorite place. Then I focused a little on visiting the United States. An early visit to Miami, my third, finally showed me the pulse everyone talks about. I went to Houston, for my first time, for their Art Car Parade, which was amazing! Hundreds of decorated cars and another interesting micro culture. I headed to Minneapolis and St. Paul for a conference and made time to visit Prince's home, Paisley Park, George Floyd Square, explore Somali culture and, of course, drive by many lakes. In the summer, I had long weekends in Cape May, NJ and Maine for some beachy vacation charm and then was off to Chicago for the Annual Downtown Association Conference. My stepfather's family was from Chicago, so I've spent a lot of time there and every time I peel off another layer.
Of course, I also did some international travel. First to Bermuda on a cruise, but not just any cruise, a Broadway Cruise, which was definitely the highlight of my year. Some of you can imagine how marvelous it is to fill a cruise ship with Broadway people. Nights by the piano singing songs. Special performances by Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Laura Benanti, Randy Rainbow and more... I also ended the year on a South American roll. First to sweet, beautiful Montevideo, Uruguay and dynamic Buenos Aires, along with a special stop at a guacho festival in Argentina in November and then another trip in December to spend the holidays in Ecuador.
The toxicity of the world these days definitely troubles me, but I'm trying hard to keep busy and distracted versus letting it get me down. I'm not stupid enough to hope that 2024 will be less toxic, but I'm hoping November Trump will lose again and maybe fade. Fingers crossed. I plan to hit the campaign trail starting later in January to at least try to get better local candidates elected.
Click the links to see photos and write ups on my blog and Facebook.
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