California for Thanksgiving

Dad's cactus collection.

I hadn't made plans to visit my family this Thanksgiving because we were supposed to be drowning in work on a private equity deal. With the deal delayed or dead (like so many this year) and a family member in the hospital (thankfully not dead), I decided to make a last minute trip out to California. It was exhausting--physically and emotionally--but I was duty-bound to make the trip.

Savannah Riverwalk

View from the Classroom

I recently traveled to Savannah to give a presentation at a conference convened and organized by one of our pro bono clients. Working in a corporate practice group has required surprisingly little travel over the years (except relocation to new offices), so it seems like a special treat to be able to accrue some frequent flyer miles and check out a new city, albeit briefly. The trip also provided a perfectly-timed break from the office.

Giving the presentation reminded me of how much I miss teaching. Preparing and presenting independently was a pleasure--so often big law partners act like no project can be successfully completed without their magic touch. I enjoyed the in-person interaction with the students. I found the students' questions thought-provoking. It was a nice change of pace.

NYC for the Weekend

I was in NYC this weekend for the first time in almost ten years. 

The highlights:

• High Line - A 1.45 mile-long park built on an elevated section of a retired New York Central Railroad spur. The fall colors were beautiful and I loved the portion that's right on the Hudson.
• Fat Witch - In Chelsea Market, which was a fun pit stop in and of itself. The caramel brownie lived up to the hype. (I have found my vendor for corporate gifts for the 2016 holiday season!)
• Joe's Shanghai Restaurant - I've had some great soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung (in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and LA) and Wu Chow (in Austin), which were not eclipsed by Joe's, but this checked the box for hole in the wall Chinese.
• Broadway Show - Book of Mormon at the Eugene O'Neill theater. The cast was talented and the theater took my breath away, but if I go back for another show I'll pick one that's more dance-focused.
• 9/11 Museum - Despite having already read, watched or listened to much of what was displayed, it felt important to put this on the itinerary.
• Walking Everywhere - I haven't walked this much since I lived in Tokyo. The discoveries you can make while out for a long walk in the city just can't be compared to the experience of driving through suburbia. In Chelsea, I literally bumped into a classmate from my 1L small section. What are the odds!?! 

This mini-adventure lifted my spirits and left me with a long list of things I'd like to do the next time I visit. Thanks to Lag Liv and those who commented on her NYC post for the itinerary suggestions that were a great help in planning this last minute trip.