L&J Simply Take a Trip Through NYC & the Catskills
A sober and plant-based life changing adventure
We took a life changing trip to NY last March. I call it life changing for multiple reasons. It changed our trajectory of where we see ourselves in ten or less years, it launched our yoga retreat endeavor and it was our first Simple Life vacation together. By that I mean our first plant-based eating, sober vacation. I was feeling a little hesitant at first. What is vacation without eating whatever the hell you want to eat and hitting up bars and breweries? At least that has been my personal experience around adult vacations thus far. Sure, I have always been “healthy” and adventurous, seeking out outdoor fun, skiing, hiking, etc… but at the end of the day…some cocktails and a delicious cheeseburger was calling my name.
The internal dialogue swirled in my mind. Would I just be thinking of having a drink all day? Would we feel like we were having a good time without trying out breweries and indulging in some of our past favorite foods? Would the trip even be worth it? As I write these words, I realize how insane our mind becomes when we attach so much worth to alcohol and comfort food. I am more than that. I’ve been numbed down by the ease of grabbing a drink and then another and voila! there is an excuse to not explore other curiosities and interests. We did something, we checked out something new. Check. Taking away these go to options really gave me pause and reflection. What do I really want to do? What makes me truly happy and feel good? The beers and cocktails are temporary and honestly can make for a more tired and foggy me. I want to make clear memories of what truly inspires me and brings me true joy and happiness.
So I immediately committed myself to a Bikram yoga class in Brooklyn. I love yoga — Bikram is a challenge for me and entering an unknown studio in the middle of Brooklyn was taking me out of my comfort zone. I really love pushing myself and enjoy experiencing yoga in other people’s worlds, seeing how other studios run and hearing the perspective of other yoga instructors. So off we went walking 2–3 miles from Bed-Stuy to Williamsburg. I nervously arrived too early, so we walked around the block a couple times finding a place for Jesse to hang out and take pictures while I was in class. I walked into the studio and felt at home. I was greeted by a couple beautiful ladies who truly knew how to run a yoga studio. They let me borrow a mat and towel for free, asked me about my yoga experiences and even traded experiences they had from Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. My nerves were calmed and I was able to focus on giving myself time and space to dive into this class. It was hot, it was challenging, it was centering. It was exactly what I needed to to get over the (what do I do on a vacation without alcohol and comfort food) hump. Thank you YOBK Williamsburg.
After a couple nights in the city, eating amazing vegan food (I will share some of our favorites below), the yoga class was our pivot point for what do we really want to get out of this precious week we have on our own? We headed to the Catskills. We have some very good friends that offered their beautifully restored farmhouse and yoga barn for us to stay. It sits on ten acres of land right in the heart of the Catskill mountains. You might as well be in another country — yet it is a quick 2 1/2 hour drive outside of the city. We rented a car and off we went dodging the city traffic and then winding through the sleepy yet unique towns of the Catskills. We stopped at an enormous family owned Italian Grocery Store (I truly felt like I stepped into another world — sensory overload in the best way) to pick up food so that we could cook and explore new recipes while there. We unloaded our things and both felt an immediate connection to this magical place. Yes, life changing. We both knew it. This is where we want to be. While we were there, we explored, hiked, slept, took pictures for some of our many projects, dreamed and planned our future (or phase 3 as we call it), read a lot, listened to music, Jesse recorded some music, cooked and ate delicious food and woke up to the possibilities of living past our lives of excellence and inching our way to our lives of genius.
I recently read a wonderful book recommended to me by my beautiful twin flame cousin, Lindsey, called Unbottled Potential by Amanda Kuda. She says we all live in four main zones: The Zone of Incompetence, Zone of Competence , Zone of Excellence and the Zone of Genius. If you identify as a high performer or achiever, naturally competent at a wide variety of things then it is most likely you are riding the Zone of Excellence. Kuda says that this Zone of Excellence is seductive for successful people because it can tempt you to remain there rather than take the leap to the Zone of Genius. The Zone of Excellence is a world where you excel professionally yet you aren’t fully fulfilled. On the other hand, the Zone of Genius is about taking the next step to do what you are uniquely suited to do and brings you complete fulfillment. She says “society at large wants you to stay in your Zone of Excellence because it is safe and reliable. However a deep sacred part of you will wither and die if you stay there.” Ultimately alcohol can keep you stuck there.
In conclusion, it was a life changing journey. We “unbottled” our potential, stepped out of our comfort zone, held to our intentions and enjoyed an amazing vacation. We did not feel the vacation bloat from foods we normally would not eat and too much alcohol. Our minds were clear to be creative, make the most of every single minute and truly relax together and do the things that inspire us. As we flew home to rejoin our life, we both carried the understanding that we were currently in our “real lives” living in our zone of excellence and it is a good place to be together — for now.
Below are some of the delicious vegan restaurants we enjoyed on our trip. The picture is from my personal favorite — Momo’s. We stumbled upon this gem on our last evening in the Catskills. We drove through a couple small towns to get to Dehli, NY. Momo’s served authentic Tibetan dumplings (amongst other dishes)and had quite a few vegan options. It was in a converted gas station — perfect. The owner was palpably excited about us being there and about the quality of his food. We shared veganisms and recipe follows on Instagram and then basically ordered everything vegan on the menu including the toffee cake. It was beyond delicious, fresh, and amazing service. This is a must visit — vegan or non-vegan if you are anywhere close to Dehli!
The Butcher’s Daughter — a plant-forward restaurant, cafe, juice bar and “vegetable slaughterhouse.” Try the BLAT (vegan bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato) and Golden (turmeric)latte! Great ambiance. Would eat here everyday.
Modern Love — vegan comfort food from scratch in Brooklyn. Milkshakes are homemade and amazing using oat milk ice cream. I had the mushroom fried chick’n and mashed potatoes with gravy and coleslaw. Definite comfort vegan food and so worth it.
Double Zero — upscale plant based pizza and wine bar. We ordered three pies and they were all great, but the truffle mushroom cashew cream pie was my personal favorite. Also, a really nice sober living bonus was the lemon basil spritzer.
Leaf — salads and bowls for a healthy lunch or dinner. I had the Roasted Sesame Tofu salad. Really good flavors and portion.
The Garden Carver — plant-based butcher shop cafe. We split the Italian Hero and a couple sweet treats from the bakery. I honestly wish I was hungrier when we went because it was wonderful and the ambiance was just what you want a local deli & bakery in Brooklyn to be. Cute, fresh, small and friendly. We sat outside at the one of the 2–3 tables and enjoyed our coffee and vegan delights.
We are writing this blog to share our thoughts, ideas, results, surprises, tips, feelings, recipes, challenges and everything else that comes up when you start a new journey. We welcome feedback, tips and encouragement! We will also be creating short videos to go along with this blog. Please subscribe to our publication (Lee and Jesse Try Something Simple) in order to get updates when we put a new blog out to follow us on this journey to simplify together.
