Getting to know Saudi Soccer Ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi

In the spirit of FIFA World Cup, I have my eye out for Saudi football spirit and fervor. Not only did Saudi Arabia qualify again for this year’s Cup, but they are also hosting in 2034. So I began manifesting a football sighting and BAM! they appeared! Hello members of the Al-Zulfi SFC (First Division - Second Tier). Thanks for giving me a reason to cheer on Saudi in June!

NY's NoHo is trending in Riyadh

 

Greetings from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where there is a NY deli chain named Noho Deli! Everything In Riyadh Is new so this Is such a sign that NoHo NYC cool is trending!

The guy at the register was so happy to meet me and told all the employees where I was from. He also told me that their pastrami sandwich didn’t have as much meat as “the famous deli.” I told him the amount at Katz’s was ridiculous! Anyhow, there’s nothing like a taste of home.

Deciding to Travel to Saudi Arabia

 

Today I’m off to explore Saudi Arabia (and Abu Dhabi). If you are wondering why I decided to go to Saudi Arabia, there are so many reasons… First, you may not have heard, but Saudi Arabia just opened to non Muslim tourists in 2019. I love going places before the tourist routes are too busy. Second, over the past 10ish years, Saudi Arabia has been experiencing real change and liberalization. I’m an experiential learner and I want to see what’s going on. I’m taking a women’s only tour and one of the missions behind it is to help build the businesses of the women rising in the tourism sector as a way to elevate the women in society. It will also give us opportunity to hear directly from women about on all the societal changes. Third, I’ve been wanting to get a deeper look at the Persian Gulf for a while. Going to Iran was the most eye opening trip of my lifetime, because reality was so much more nuanced than our Western press reported.

Another reason is the generation above me often speaks about traveling the hippy trail through the Middle East and Central Asia in the early ‘70s and being able to see liberalizing in real time. I’ve been jealous, so I’m taking advantage of this opening and diving in.

In preparation for the trip I’ve read five books and watched countless videos and podcasts. It’s hard to wrap my head around so many years of history and all the power dynamics, while also trying to learn about local culture. I am aware that I can’t just count on what people tell me always being the full story, so I’ve started with book knowledge and show up as an educated observer. I know many of you look blankly at me when I’ve told you where I’m going, but I hope my photos and stories after will open your mind to another part of the world you may not have thought that deeply about. Updates soon!

2025 End of Year Letter

Happy Holidays! 

 

Another year flew by, but the good thing about being guided by mantras like “live every day to the fullest” and “you only live once,” combined with my “fear of missing out,” is they drive me to action. 

 

I'm still working at the NoHo Business Improvement District and enjoying the daily surprises I encounter on the streets there (pop ups, experiential retail experiences, fashion, and many forms of artistic expression), as well as, the satisfied feeling of daily civic action that helps NYC flourish. I'm the Secretary of the NYC BID Association and helm the Mentoring Committee, so I get to help others connect so we all can all do even better to serve our neighborhoods. 

I also am still living in Jackson Heights, Queens, possibly the most diverse area in the world. The cultural vibrance there is perfect for a world traveler like me. I don’t need a plane ride. Instead, I can just walk a block or two to see whichever religious or cultural festival is happening. There are always new foods to try, traditional dress to appreciate, holidays to celebrate, parades to cheer on different ethnic groups, and over 165 languages to overhear in my zip code alone!  

 

As for travel, I rang in the New Year in Biggar, Scotland with the sound of bagpipes, a GIANT bonfire and the tastes of fresh haggis from the local butcher shop.  In March, I headed off to explore the Silk Road with a stop in Istanbul along the way. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were beautiful and so different. I enjoyed thinking about the vast amount of history and cultural transfer that has happened there. I came back just in time to fly to Las Vegas for a family reunion of my stepfather’s family, which was a chance to learn much more about the many legs of their Jewish diaspora around the world. I spent another summer week in Cape May with my sister’s family.  And went to the International Downtown Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Not a new place for me, but it was fun to look at things through a new urban planning lens and reminisce about my years of living down there.

Another highlight was my second year as a balloon handler in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. This year I was with Gabby’s Dollhouse, which I hadn’t heard of, but little kids on the route certainly had and lit up as we passed on the clear, beautiful fall day.

 

As a political person, this year has been very hard to watch. I have tried to protest what I can and have doubled down on local New York civic engagement where I can. I’m hoping our new NY Mayor can get things done and provide a different example for the way things can be done.

 

Wishing everyone a happy holiday and a new year filled with bright new opportunities!