a New York goodbye drops May 2nd. Pre-save here now

🎥 More visuals and behind-the-scenes reels coming soon—will update here as they go live.
Follow along on Instagram or TikTok for the journey.

New York has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My first memory is of my brother and I taking a standby flight when we were younger because we wanted to hangout in and see Times Square lol…I still need to dig through the family photo vault to find that gem. Or those high school fashion marketing trips…anyone else go see Blue Man Group with their classmates? 

Or that first day of corporate America, when you send your mom a hotel room selfie to confirm you look cute before going into training…

And now? It feels representative, symbolic of outgrowing a place, an identity—the end of an era. Who you were in that time period… and honoring + celebrating that version of you.

It was only fitting then to go take pictures and videos for my latest single, a New York goodbye, and capture a bit of the timeline, then & now.

Hotel Hugo & NYC Arrival

I decided to drive this time because… why not? It just hits different. I didn’t fully realize Virginia > New York is like only 4 hours. Omg, it’s so hard to focus for that many hours though—I was stopping all the time to take lil’ breaks. Who else calls all of their people on the drive? Hehe.

For parking, I did not want to be stressed about this when I got there. I’ve learned over time that it helps SO much to pre plan and (if applicable) pre-pay for parking in major cities. We set ourselves up for success over here and with the intention that parking will be easy.  Park Fast nearby was so good and the guys there were so kind & efficient. I pre-reserved on ParkWhiz to eliminate any city parking stress. Highly recommend.

Hotel Hugo was the pick for this trip because it was close to one of the areas we wanted to shoot in and I do love a boutique place. That’s sort of the first thing I do when finding a hotel where I’m going — is it near the things I am doing? Does it have a vibe & environment that makes me feel good? Can I relax here? Convenience, luxury, and overall energy stuck out as clear travel values as I’m reflecting!

Hotel Hugo Food & Bev

And, as everyone knows by now, a vibey coffee shop in a hotel is becoming a must-have for me, lol. They had Felix Coffee Roasting inside, where I had salmon crudité and the chopped Greek salad with grilled chicken for dinner. Honestly, really tasty and if you’re tired and don’t feel like leaving the hotel, it’s fully worth it and satisfies the need for a good meal that felt healthy, nourishing and light so you’re not going to bed like so full before the big day. I had a $25 F&B daily credit that came with my rez so I was taking full advantage.

The next morning, I started my day at Felix (again) with none other than a matcha with almond milk and the whipped ricotta and fig toast—honestly, neither item was totally my thing, which really just made me realize how ridiculously particular I’ve gotten about matcha lattes lately 🙃

At least I got a cute photo of it. Priorities.

Shoot Day! NYC in Motion

Morning started early: Drybar Soho for hair, then a walk-in at Sephora for makeup (ask for Miryah!) because even though we pre-plan parking, we live on the edge like that for other things, lol. And then—game time. Met up with photographer girlina Maddy at 12:45 for a 1 PM start at the High Line.

And no, I didn’t get the glam BTS shot—too busy running through the city like a main character 😛. You’ll just have to imagine it & know that I was determined to be on time to the shoot versus get extra pics.

We are official girlies and got a permit for the High Line in order to be able to shoot comfortably 🙂 Make sure you do your research on photoshoot locations before going if you’re planning one! It was windy and cold… but we do it for the art. That was the theme of the day. 

Here’s a lil’ sneak peek from the High Line part of the shoot!

Back to the hotel for an outfit change – the changing tent didn’t make an appearance this day, but we planned for everything, including potential rain dates. Then—Soho.

BTS of the Photoshoot & Lyric/Music Video

The inspiration behind the creative direction was luxury lonely. Breakups are timeless, and NYC was the perfect backdrop to capture the mood from good times to sad times with the city coming to life as we interacted with it. That contrast felt striking all day long — with the city bustling around us yet feeling like we captured so many moments that were just us and the city, intimately. The mood? Captured.

Soho: A City of Two Timelines

This shoot was about two timelines of a story: One where you’re in love with the city, the vibe, the rush. And the other—where you’ve lost the spark. You don’t know where she went.

We leaned into impromptu moments, vibing with the city’s energy. The graffiti, the quotes, the messages on the walls—NYC had so many little details that just made the song’s story even stronger. A quick outfit change in a pizza shop bathroom (classic) and then Matchaful—which seriously felt like I had discovered heaven on earth & had complete redemption from any other mid matcha moment I had ever experienced.

Why I loved it > Cozy, community-oriented, kind staff, and all the drink variations & snacks I love. The first day, I ordered their seasonal special, the Hazelnut Houjicha Latte, made with Houjicha roasted green tea powder, housemade hazelnut milk (roasted hazelnuts, monkfruit, water), housemade almond cream (almonds, water, Himalayan salt), Madagascar vanilla bean, and maple. There was obviously a second stop here later on in the trip…

FiDi: A Ghost of My Corporate Past & Shoot Wrap Up

Final outfit change, then down to Financial District—where I spent so many weeks (read: months) of my corporate life. It’s a weird thing: nothing had changed, and yet, everything had. New restaurants open. Old ones closed. The same scaffolding all over the buildings. People networking and doing business whether you look left or right & the bars + restaurants were packed, which actually made me really happy because it was a Monday night and it felt like the city was alive.

Side note here: If you’re in your own end of an era moment—whether with a job, a city, or a version of yourself—and you’re feeling the call to move, reflect, or start fresh… I offer Travel Visioning & Intention Setting sessions. These are 75-minute guided spaces to reconnect with your direction and see where your next chapter wants to take you.
🔗 Book a session here or hop on a disco call with me!

We wrapped up after some final drinks, I said goodbye to Maddy, and then did one of my favorite travel rituals: Uber Eats to the room. This time? Shuka. I picked their Spit-Roasted Chicken Shawarma, paired with Turmeric Rice and Crudité. YUM. So happy to have had this moment to recharge & absolute guilty pleasure. I snapped a shot of the resto as I was walking to get the morning bev in the AM!

Brunch, Matcha, and the Drive Home

The next morning, I met up for brunch with a friend at Smør in the East Village —I LOVE meeting my long-time internet friends and distance mentors IRL & this was no exception. SO much fun chatting about life, travel, spirituality and so on. I had Eggs & Co.—which comes with a choice of scrambled or sunnyside eggs, bacon, crispy potatoes, toasted rye, and a side of yogurt & granola & my friend had the Whitefish Plate. She had highly recommended those options & it did not disappoint.

And, of course, one more Matchaful stop, with extra treats for the drive home because, duh. I did not want to be stuck in the middle of a highway in New Jersey with no healthy treats 😑. So Antioxidant-rich Cacao Loaf by Keay.k was the to go choice, along with their Cacao Dream—a blend of Hikari Ceremonial Matcha, ceremonial cacao, chaga, maple, and macadamia milk—like what??? You can blend cacao & matcha? Why hadn’t I thought of that yet??? I used to love getting a matcha latte with coconut milk at Starbucks and add a shot of espresso & was so into it for awhile… so this was like next level to have another tasty idea.

Closing Thoughts: Money Mindset & Conclusion

A moment for the pricing though—real talk. I’m here for abundance and all the money mindset rewiring, but wow… NYC will humble you. From Uber rates to a simple brunch, I was like okayyy, noted. 💸 Things add up fast, even when you’re moving with intention.

But honestly? This whole trip felt like an up-level—in my energy, in what I’m normalizing, in how I’m choosing to move through the world. And sometimes, that feels really uncomfortable—even in a fun, celebratory moment.

Is it that the receipt just reflects the expansion? 😅 Or is that too far on the delulu end?

The Full-Circle Moment 🚕 Sitting in the car, I thought about how I didn’t know how I’d feel going back to NYC after five years when it had been such a huge part of my life over the years. But honestly? It was pretty neutral. The memories will always stay—but it didn’t feel like “home” anymore. It just felt like… a city I once knew. And maybe that’s the best way to leave things sometimes.

a New York goodbye drops May 2nd. Pre-save here now—can’t wait for you to hear it 🙂