A Holiday Party

Friday night, I hosted a dozen friends at my third annual holiday party.

This year, along with the usual spread of cold hors d’oeuvres, I brought in White Castle sliders and pigs in a blanket. Hot comfort food goes a long way when the mercury drops -- even my trainer Crystal was all for the caloric indulgence.

Celebrating The Season: (from left) Cindy, Rachel, me and Jason

Travel was one of the hot topics of conversation. Galpal Cindy and hubby Jason filled me in on their upcoming trip to Costa Rica, while my friend Prince shared his plans to visit Tanzania after the new year. My 2010 travel resolution -- see more of the U.S., especially cities with a happening singles scene.

Fellow dating blogger Lost Plum and I talked about mining the past for material during present romantic droughts, and she also told me about the stalker who wants consent to use her likeness in his upcoming book. Only in New York.

Toward the night’s end, pals Andrea, Rachel and I settled in for some kvetching about singlehood in NYC.

As we shared stories and a few laughs, I was reminded of how lucky I am to have such great friends -- friends who make the holiday season something to celebrate.

What's your favorite part of this time of year?

Girls Night Out: Meatpacking District

Last weekend, my friend Bobbi and I enjoyed a girls night out in NYC’s Meatpacking District.

Agave: adobe walls and flickering candles contribute to the hip yet relaxed atmosphere at this Mexican eatery

Over dinner and a shared pitcher of sangria at lively Mexican eatery Agave, we talked about past and present affairs of the heart -- from our respective experiences of cops being major players to our different takes on May-December romance.

Bobbi is having fun with a twentysomething personal trainer-aspiring rapper. I prefer men who are my contemporaries or older, having had three boyfriends who were approximately 15 years my senior, and parents with a 25- year spread between them.

Later, Bobbi and I encountered a well-coiffed mixture of twenty and thirtysomethings at a crowded bar across from Pastis. Just when we were about to call it a night after a few glasses of wine, a tall, adorable guy with an Australian accent brushed past us with a group of male friends.

Originally from Melbourne, he introduced himself as Dave and quickly reminded me why Aussies have a reputation for being great storytellers.

Dave told us the tale of how he met his most recent girlfriend. While traveling to Africa, he found himself naked when his clothes were stolen during an afternoon of skinny dipping. His soon-to-be sweetheart stumbled upon him and took pity on his embarrassing situation, and so a romance was born.

Which just proves that you never really know when Cupid is going to strike. And that it’s preferable to be fully clothed when he does.

Girls Night Out: Connolly's Klub

Last weekend, I headed down to Connolly’s Klub in Times Square to catch up with my good friend Amanda and see cover band M-Theory.

Amanda and me

Fronted by Amanda’s galpal Courtney, M-Theory performed an energetic mix of Top 40/pop rock tunes. During a rousing rendition of “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” Courtney came into the audience and gave me the chance to sing a few notes – when it comes to indulging your inner karaoke diva, nothing’s better than 80’s music.

Rocking It Out: Amanda and M-Theory revved up the crowd at Connolly’s Klub 45

Amanda briefly took to the stage to lead the band on Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold,” dedicating the song to all the ladies who’ve dated men that fit this description.

Over a few cocktails, we talked about our own hot and cold exes, and about her upcoming trip to Panama with fellow Lost Girls authors Holly and Jen to pen the epilogue for their eagerly-anticipated memoir (due out in spring 2010 from HarperCollins). I’ve had the privilege of getting a sneak peak at the book and it’s fabulous. You’ll fall in love with The Lost Girls and find yourself itching to follow in their footsteps and embark on your own year-long journey around the globe.

A mutual love of travel is what first brought Amanda and I together back in ’05, a tale that she chronicles with her inimitable flair here. She’s one of my heroes – as a writer, intrepid globetrotter and all around fabulous woman. I can’t wait to be first in line at The Lost Girls book signing.

Coming up…a farewell to online dating and a review of a departing Broadway hit.

Chicago: My Kind Of Town

Ever since a brief business trip to Chicago fifteen years ago, I’ve been hankering to return. This week, my wish is coming true, as I enjoy a three-night stay here in this great city.

Cruising Around Chi-town: The view from a cruise covering Chicago’s rich architectural past and present

Since arriving Wednesday night, my whirlwind visit has covered everything from cruising Chicago’s waterways and dinner atop a swanky museum to catching up with a producer at Oprah and mingling with a few adorable locals.

Today, I’m getting some creative inspiration here at BlogHer, the largest annual female blogging conference. It’s impossible not to be inspired when you’re surrounded by 1,500 amazingly talented, accomplished women from all walks of life.

Coming up…more about my eventful jaunt to the Windy City. My kind of town, Chicago is!

An Inspiring Pair

When you’re single and happy, there are some couples that nevertheless manage to get you thinking about domestic bliss. For me, one of those inspiring duos is Morgan and Arthur.

An Inspiring Pair: Morgan and Arthur during their last visit to Africa

Morgan, one of my PR colleagues at Quinn & Co., met her husband of two years when she moved to Paris and became an au pair for his family. It was love at first sight. After a lengthy courtship, they married in a beautiful ceremony by the water in NY’s Westchester County that seemed like something out of a storybook.

One of the truly amazing things about Morgan and Arthur -- they’re as devoted to making a difference as they are to each other. This summer, they’re spending two weeks in Rwanda on a mission trip to help build houses, nurture children orphaned by the country’s 1994 genocide -- and to meet two children that they have sponsored for over a year.

Since 2004, Rwanda Building Blocks, the organization that Morgan and Arthur are working with, has built houses, sponsored more than 800 children and provided medical training for local inhabitants. Click here to learn more about the group’s great work and how you can be a part of it.

Drinks At Trata

Tuesday night, after dinner down in the West Village, I headed up to my Upper East Side neighborhood for a late-evening drink with my brother Andrew and his business partner Parker.

I met them at Trata, a trendy Greek seafood bistro that happens to serve delicious white sangria.

Parker, a former financial big wig turned consultant, joined Andrew in giving me the scoop about their current venture capital project involving new medical technology and an heiress investor with spellbinding charm.

We also talked about my shortlived candidacy for Murphy-Goode Winery’s highly coveted Lifestyle Correspondent gig.

Earlier in the day, I had learned that I didn’t make it onto the Top 10 shortlist of contenders. Given how stiff the Top 50 competition was – seven other New Yorkers among them, including a guy with Food & Wine magazine on his resume – I wasn’t too surprised.

Once I got over the disappointment that I won’t be living on a vineyard for six months, I was actually relieved. Had I made the final cut, it would have been tough to weigh my wanderlust against my love for NYC. Because, for as much as I’m a travelgirl at heart, there’s still no place I’d rather be than the Big Apple.

By The Numbers: One Year Anniversary Edition

It’s official -- Single Gal In The City is one year old.

Much has happened since, at the prompting of my good friend Carla, I entered the blogosphere 365 days ago. From multiple first dates to old flame disappointments, from foot surgery to climbing Sydney’s majestic Harbor Bridge, I’ve covered a lot of ground. Along the way, I’ve fallen in love all over again with my beloved NYC, and with the joys of being single.

Sky high Smile: The view from Sydney’s Harbor Bridge, January 2009

Here are some of the highlights of SGITC’s first year -- By The Numbers:

Number of blog posts (including this one): 386

Number of men mentioned: 22

Number of dates with men met online: 8

Number of encounters with old flames: 3

Number of Opening The Vault posts with entries from old diaries: 40

Number of trips: 9

A travelgirl at heart, I’m excited about the journeys coming up -- including a trip to Chicago and, fingers crossed, my first-ever jaunt to California wine country if I make Murphy-Goode Winery’s Top 10.

And I’m looking forward to many more years of blogging about my adventures. Thanks to all of you out there for joining me in the fun!

Opening The Vault: Part Twenty Two

For as long as I can remember, travel has been one of my greatest passions. I’ve often said that I never met a trip I didn’t like.

The only thing better than exploring a new destination is sharing that experience with someone you love -- as I first discovered years ago when I visited long distance love Mark (a.k.a Sparky) in California.

A West Coast native, Sparky was the ideal tour guide. My inaugural L.A. visit included a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway (with stops at stunning Morro Bay and majestic Hearst Castle) and a visit to Disneyland.

The look of love: Sparky took this picture of me just before we arrived at Hearst Castle, August 1994

Unlike our blissful week together in London, though, this encounter forced me to see just how much was against us. I now Open The Vault and take you back to the summer of ‘94...

August 30th, 1994
Sparky’s Office, Universal Studios, CA

This vacation has been much bumpier than I anticipated it would be…The most disarming thing -- the level of intimacy our relationship has reached.

Part of the unadulterated freedom I felt with Sparky in London had to do with the fact that I was completely absorbed in the moment. Because everything between us was so new, thoughts of the future entered my mind only fleetingly, and even when they did, I didn’t attached any significance to them. This week, all that has changed.

For the first time in my life, I’m experiencing true love. And it scares me a little. For so long, I have yearned to have a great romance. What I never expected was that I would find something as intense, as passionate, and as near perfect as what Sparky and I share.

I find myself wondering over and over, how will all this resolve itself? The timing is wrong, but everything with Sparky feels right. In my years of mistakes with the opposite sex, this is one dilemma I’ve never had to face.

Well, Sparky just told me that I haven’t said two words to him, so I guess I should pretend I’m having a good time.

*Smile.* At least one thing is as I dreamed it would be--we are completely and truly in love.

* * *

Sparky remained on my mind and in my heart as I embarked on my senior year at Mount Holyoke College. Though I was determined our next encounter would have Sparky doing the traveling, that’s not what ended up happening.

Remembering Dad

Today marks the second anniversary of my father’s passing. Dad died following a lengthy battle with prostate cancer, just a few weeks after celebrating his 90th birthday.

Dad packed a lot of living into those 90 years, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of those who know him. He charmed with his legendary wit and storytelling ability, and inspired with his generosity and understanding.

Dad and Me: Matching smiles at our annual family holiday party, December 1996

I’ve lost count of how many heart to hearts we had. Sometimes, Dad and I would talk for hours -- usually about life and love, often about the amazing experiences that his hard work and desire to see the world had given him.

It was from Dad that I inherited a passion for travel (not to mention food, one of his other great loves). A global jetsetter during his entrepreneurial days, he never lost his wanderlust, continuing to rack up frequent flier miles well into his 80's.

I remember perusing a list of destinations served by an international airline with him, amazed when he said that he’d been to nearly every single one (including London and Rome upwards of 30+ times). I considered it a great accomplishment when I finally traveled somewhere he had never been – Australia – and was able to share it with him in the same way he had regaled me with tales of his own journeys to the far corners of the world.

As for his gastronomic pursuits, Dad would have been the first one to admit he lived to eat. While somehow managing to stick to a very disciplined diet, he thoroughly enjoyed the pleasures of a good meal.

Many times, after dining out with friends, I would call Dad to give him a blow by blow description of each course. He invariably responded with enraptured sounds of delight.

It felt fitting to spend tonight having dinner with friends. Many of the best meals I’ve ever had were with Dad. I know he was there in spirit -- just like he always is whenever I need him.

By The Numbers - Take Two

It occurred to me after publishing yesterday's By The Numbers post that I omitted major mileage in my calculations of romance-related travel. I failed to include nearly 900 miles accrued by a thoughtful old flame who drove a Ryder truck with me from Marion, Illinois to Dover, Delaware during my days as a TV news reporter. In the interest of accuracy, here are the correct totals, with a few related stats added for good measure.

Cumulative Miles I’ve Traveled for Men: 49,156
Cumulative Miles Men Have Traveled For Me: 33,994
Number of Miles Traveled During Longest Road Trip With A Boyfriend: 886
Number of Road Trips Followed Immediately By A Breakup: 2

Happy 4th, everyone!!