While I’ve been raving about New York City in my recent posts, I find it refreshing to actually escape the beast. There was a recent outing to Fire Island and then this past Sunday, I went out to Montauk for a mini-getaway with old and new friends.

It was my first time in this seaside town at the very tip of Long Island’s South Fork. The long sandy beach was packed, for it was a sun-drenched holiday weekend and a zillion happy families and eager fishermen were out.

Our little group – comprised of five adults (Ukrainian, Brazilian, Angolan, Croatian-Guinean, and Croatian) and two kids – tuned out in great conversation. We spent the afternoon on the beach talking about Mayan philosophies, music, Murakami and expectations vs goals. We had a great seafood meal that night – there’s nothing better than eating fresh fish right on the ocean!

On Monday, we took a long way back to New York, driving along country roads and stopping at different farms en route. At Harbes Family Farm, we went apple picking, stocked up on farm-fresh fruits and veggies and had deliciously sweet roasted corn while the kids wandered around a huge corn maze.

I came back to Brooklyn that night with bags and bags of goodies, recharged, relaxed and happy to be home. I love leaving New York but even more so, I love coming back!