Unwinding With A Staycation

For as much as I love to travel, there's something to be said for staying put. This week, I'm doing just that and enjoying a staycation.

According to a 2008 survey by the Travel Industry Association, about 9% of Americans were planning a staycation this year.

Lunch At the Times: Today, I caught up with a j-school friend over lunch at the NYT's cafeteria with sweeping city views

For my hometown retreat, I'm availing myself of the best of the Big Apple -- including happy hour at swanky Haven on NYC's Upper East Side -- and catching up with friends old and new, from lunch with a journalism school buddy at the New York Times to drinks with a veteran news editor at Star magazine.

And yes, I'm doing my best to follow one of the top rules for a successful staycation -- telling my nearest and dearest I'll be unreachable. Because sometimes you have to completely disconnect to reconnect with yourself.

The pleasures of Pilates and Work Friends

Tonight, my good friend and colleague Caroline and I unwinded from work by participating in a tower mat Pilates class.

Our second experience at the Center for Movement (http://www.centerformovement.com) on Manhattan’s Upper East Side --- we took a reformer pilates session back in June -- proved to be just as invigorating as our first. Once again, I found myself appreciating the differences between Pilates and its equally popular yet more exhausting exercise sibling Yoga. Pilates is less new age and more laidback in its approach to getting in shape.

After a 45-minute mind-clearing session of stretching our muscles, Caroline and I rewarded ourselves with a delicious meal outside at Haru, a trendy Japanese eatery with a great selection of sushi and sake. Over two rounds of sake and the course of two breezy hours, we covered a lot of ground -- from what to do when a friend lets you down to what exactly the travel buzzword ‘staycation’ really means.

As I made my way home, I remembered an article that I read not too long ago about the increased productivity of people who have at least one good friend on the job. I am fortunate enough to have two -- Morty, otherwise known affectionately as my work husband -- and the lovely Caroline, both of whom light up my life in and out of the office. How lucky can a girl get?