Where You Can Find Me: A Summer of Introspection (and of Course, Travel and Culture!)

Where You'll FInd Me Friday

There has been a bit of radio silence here on this blog as of late. It’s been an unexpected summer of introspection, and I’ve taken time out in very real way. My kids went to sleep-away camp for the first time in our lives, so there were a few weeks of utter bliss. I’ve also been quite the world traveler this summer – it started in Turks and Caicos back in May, which I wrote about here and elsewhere. I went to Boston and back, where my son was in camp, and spent time in Salem, Mass and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I also spent nearly a week in Texas, which I will be writing about soon, for both a bit of personal and work time. This week I am jet-setting off to Canada and the Pacific Northwest with my husband and children.

The bulk of my summer was actually spent working with a non-profit that I helped found early in the year called Neighbors for Refugees. A group of about one dozen local concerned citizens and I have come together with a single mission: to help the more than 65 million displaced people in the world searching for safety today during a time when our administration appears to have rolled up its welcome mat for now. In March, we welcomed our first refugee from Pakistan who we have all come to grow and love, whilst helping him acclimate to American life. This summer we held several events and fundraisers to further our mission. More than 200 people gathered at my synagogue to hear from NYT reporter Jodi Kantor about the year she spent following the lives of Syrian refugees and their Canadian hosts. We also held two successful fundraisers in June. One of our core members hosted a garden luncheon and another volunteer hosted a kosher Syrian cuisine dinner. Lastly, we had a spectacular show of support for a collection that took place at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Larchmont on July 8th, 12th, and 15th, when hundreds of local residents brought essential items that filled bags and boxes in 2-1/2 rooms of the Church’s basement. The items will go to refugees in schools and camps in the northern part of the country. Two trucks, not just one, were filled by volunteers and the local fire department on June 20th. Despite the current administration’s apathy toward refugees, we have not given up on resettling more refugees in the near future, and I will have more news on that in the days to come.

But most of all, it has been a summer of introspection. I have decisions to make about my future that are work-related, and they are not the easiest of decisions to make. As the summer comes to an end soon, I hope to find clarity, and when I do, I will gladly write more about it here.

I’ve also been culture-obsessed and binged several shows including Gypsy and Glow. My favorite weekly guilty pleasure is Younger. I adored The Big Sick and The Women’s Balcony. I saw U2 in concert, as well as the Violent Femmes and Echo and the Bunnymen. And I finally saw A Dolls House 2 and Oslo on Broadway. Culture keeps me sane.

Meanwhile, I’ve also published a few articles. Here’s where you can find me:

Women & Hollywood

Interview: Theater Director Rebecca Taichman on Her First Broadway Show “Indecent”

Interview: Costume Designer Stacey Battat Talks Creating the Fashions of “The Beguiled”

Interview: Paula Vogel Talks About Being a Woman in Theater and Making Her Broadway Debut with “Indecent”

Medium

Larchmont Resident Cooks For Refugees

MiniTime

8 Filming Locations of Your Teen’s Favorite TV Shows

5 Kid-Friendly Beaches in New York City

A Family’s Guide to the Finger Lakes with Kids

Family-Friendly Guide to Turks and Caicos with Kids