Chai tea lattes, large coffee mugs, yellow&orange leaves, crisp autumn air, lazy mornings, cozy sweaters, warm blankets, indie music, string lights, boot socks, candles, bubble baths, coffee scrubs, bookstores.
Fall vibes much needed.
A day like yesterday is something everyone should set aside time for. A day like yesterday is relaxing, chill, and satisfies your craving for freedom from piles of work sitting at your desk at home. A day like yesterday gives you room to breathe, take in the fresh air, and appreciate the change in season and all the wonderful things that come with it.
That is why Agata and I took a day off from all of our homework and studying, hopped on the 7 then to the R, got off at Central Park and let our cameras and boots take us the rest of the way.
We found one of the many rocks to sit down and take various pictures and videos ---- For the past month, we have been compiling a number of videos for a couple of cozy autumn vlogs to be edited at the end of the season so be on the lookout for those :) ---- With "Best Shot" by Birdy playing in the background, we enjoyed relaxing on the big rock surrounded by so many fallen red, orange, yellow leaves. Since we live in Queens, the fall foliage is not as vibrant, so being in Central Park, lying down under a huge yellow tree is much appreciated.
We strolled for a while, taking various shots whenever we felt the inspiration. Talking while we walked, we quickly lost track of time and soon, an hour was up and we were still walking under the large trees of Central Park. We got lost in our conversation about self-confidence and believing in your dreams no matter what. Agata mentioned the quote, "Everything will be okay in the end, and if it's not okay, it's not the end" and that really stuck with me. As a junior, I feel the stress of getting ready for college but still being stuck in all the honors, APs, and SATs of high school. I can easily give up and give in to the stress, but my determination won't let me. Self-confidence in your dreams, goals, aspirations is key so don't let a little stress drive you to the edge. Fight back because everything will be okay in the end --- write the quote down as your daily dose of inspiration :))
We had a huge, carefully thought out plan to go to Lush Cosmetics and buy the coffee scrub which smells amazing, feels amazing, and leaves your skin amazing, BUT it was closed. So we tried another one near Spring St. but unfortunately it was closed as well. Disheartened only a little bit, we walked to Peace food Cafe, a cozy, delicious vegan restaurant. I ordered the roasted pumpkin sandwich and a large mug of chai tea and Agata orded the pumpkin quiche. Obviously, we had to get pumpkin everything!! We sat and talked, and talked and sat and even watched as the man with the manbun placed candles on each table, waiting expectantly for ours. And you can bet that we took videos when the candle was placed on our table, creating a warm and cozy ambiance. We stayed for another hour and ventured off to our next location.
Housing Works Bookstore & Cafe.
Our favorite.
String lights. Coffee. Books.
Books. Coffee. String Lights.
The vibes are insane.
We love this place so much because it is so friendly and creates such a welcoming, cozy atmosphere that we could sit in for hours. But unfortunately, it was closed off for those who wanted to see the election results so we were not allowed in at that time. So now we are 0/2 for Lush and 0/1 for coffee shops. At this point, it was getting late and we had to consider our options. There was Joe Cafe a 20 minute walk away, a Juice Bar a little closer, and Starbucks. Now don't get me wrong, Starbucks is my second home but we were originally hoping for a place more unique, but Starbucks will have to do, we thought. It was a short walk from the bookstore so we got there in no time when the mermaid sign greeted us and a decor inside screamed "Coffee, Peace, & Justice for all." Ordering a Pumpkin spice latte and a Chile Mocha, we sat by the window, took a few pictures of our coffees,sweaters,&scones and talked and talked and talked until...
Lucy Hale.
The gorgeous Lucy Hale stepped into Starbucks wearing completely normal clothes. I thought I recognized her but I was hesitant at first. Agata's excited look and the fact that she took her phone out right away and started taking a video confirmed my suspicion. It was Lucy Hale, the beautiful actress who will forever be the first celebrity I've seen in New York City despite living here my entire life. Naturally, we were freaking out.
Do we go up to her? We will regret it the rest of our lives if we don't.
So we did! We cautiously walked up to her and asked for a picture and with a very calm demeanor, she smiled and said of course. She even apologized for being sweaty considering she was wearing workout clothes and most likely on her way back from soul cycling. We took the picture, she walked away, we sat back down, and posted the picture on every possible social media we had. Lucy Hale has probably forgotten us already but she doesn't even know that she made our day last night.
We stayed for a little longer, still crying over what had just happened and then we walked to the train.
I got home later than I expected, had less time to study, but I was too tired to care.
Yesterday was worth everything.
Go out, drink coffee, take pictures, and enjoy life!!
Love, Rachel