My return to the city that never sleeps

A lesson in letting go.

I knew it had been a while since I was in NYC but I never would have guessed it has been 7 and a half years. A camera roll search is now my timeline as the years seem to fade together. My mother told me time starts to speed up as you get older but my school aged self never believed her. This is one of my last NYC photos, a boomerang from backstage at Watch What Happens Live. It now dawns on me why I was not too eager to return and the PTSD kicks in.

I am not going to feel sorry for myself or point fingers. Overall, my time on Southern Charm was wonderful and an absolute blessing. The show has opened doors I never imagined and I was honored to be a part of the cast. But that does not mean it was drama free. My WASPy upbringing taught me to bite my tongue and to suppress those negative feelings. I’ve been wanting to let go of this baggage for years and writing is helping me to do just that. If no one reads these stories at least I have released them and no longer carry the weight. A lot of you have asked what became of Roam, my travel website, that story I am saving for its own post.

I clearly remember taking off the microphone at my last reunion and knowing in my heart I would never put it back on. I was tired of being told who I was by the media, the network, and the producers. They were all angling for a storyline and a pay check.

As a society we had moved into the MeToo movement and I believe it did everything but help women advance in their careers. We were now treated with kid gloves but worse if I didn’t denounce masculinity then I was not a feminist and if I defended the boys then I was part of the problem. It was a lose-lose situation and made the work place unbearable for a girl who grew up with these boys and thought of them as brothers not par amores. To keep it light I’m going to share some highlights from our cast trips to the city as I am now able to look back and laugh. I want y’all to smile too after all we did have a lot of fun.

I was invited to New York City to celebrate one of the happiest occasions in life, the christening of a child. My dear friend Anna, whose friendship predates Southern Charm by a decade, gave birth to the most perfect angel. Once I realized my past anxieties I was ready to make new memories in a city that has had my heart my whole life.

A little flashback to the mid-seventies when my mother was living there as a part-time model and flight attendant for TWA. My Dad used to come up and try to woo this new city girl but was having trouble dragging her back down south. I need to interview my Mom about this time period she has WILD stories. Hanging with Billy Joel when he really was just a piano man, running around with Warhol and Twiggy, dancing the night away with Steve Rubell at Studio 54, hosting the Allman Brothers and showing them the city before they played the Beacon Theater and last but not least jetting back and forth to Paris for work. I wish I had been around for this time period and am actually quite jealous of my mother when she tells these tales but it also explains why I am the way I am…I learned it from watching you Mom ;)

We got to NYC late Friday night and checked into The Yale Club. My boyfriend is a member of another club with reciprocity so he was able to get a reservation. There are no photos but here are some from their website. A very impressive building that opened in June of 1915. Designed by Yale Architect and alumnus James Gamble Rogers in conjunction with the construction of Grand Central Terminal. The build actually sits above the train tracks to New Haven, CT, a direct line to Yale University. This interesting fact was told to me by Dennis, the night bellman, who is of a dying breed. A hospitality worker who actually loves his job and the historic building he keeps watch over. I feel you really only find this in Europe. His stories brought me delight since the night before I had lost sleep stressing over my return to Gotham. Before bed I found the library and the history section. I opened the first book I found on Charleston and turned to a random page. It was St. Michael’s Cathedral, my father’s name, and the church I used to walk to daily when he was in the hospital at MUSC until his death. I smiled and then teared up - a little wink from the heavens telling me I was in the right spot.

Friday night was also the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. I simply call it the Tyson fight because I grew up in his time. It was fun going down the 90’s rabbit hole and coming out with a pigeon. Seeing Tyson’s evolution has been interesting. He blew through $300 Million, a tiger, Robin, and so much more. He probably deserves his own story but I’m just one writer. I will if I find time I will cover it. All the pageantry of the fight and only thing anyone really talked about was Netflix buffering and Trump in the house. Getting to see Bobby on the big screen made me grin ear to ear. He deserves this victory lap so much and I won’t let anyone spoil it for him. I love how the athletic community is backing them all. But the best photo of the night was from Don jr. as they all enjoyed McDonald’s on the flight home. Bobby looking like a fast food prisoner but along for the ride. It was also inspiring to see NYC’s skyline lit up in red, white, and blue as we walked the streets. America is back baby and it feels so good!

Saturday, we started out at Bryant Park since it was near the hotel. On the way I quickly entered the NYC Library looking for Ghostbusters but found a beautiful Audubon Exhibit. Of course, the extinct Carolina Parrots were featured. Another sign I was in the right place. My old roommate who passed away had this print in our living room in Santa Barbara seeing it back lit filled me with emotion and now I want to create an installation like this in my home. Trying not to cry around every corner of the city I pressed on and had a lovely lunch at the Bryant Park cafe and walked the Christmas market afterward. Getting to see NYC preparing for the Holidays is something everyone should experience just once.

We then ventured down to the West Village. This is the area where I would most likely want to live or maybe Chelsea possibly Tribeca. I like the historic parts of the city and in the village the building heights are lower so you get more sunlight. Also I am a sucker for cobblestone, another reminder of Charleston and that I am actually an East Coaster.

I found my old friends at Noortwyck. We saved the bartender the trouble of mixed drinks and ordered a bottle of Chablis. I have to give that restaurant some love as they locked us in during closing duties so we could have more time to catch up. As much as savored the moments with my buddies I also I enjoyed chatting with the staff. Go there the food was awesome and service even better. (Maybe I have become jaded by LA servers and expect everyone to be cranky. Some waiters in Lala land are actually annoyed you are there and then demand outrageous tips on already expensive food. Or maybe deep deep down I’m actually a New Yorker. TBD)

Now with my whole crew and warm from the wine we walked the village and peeked our heads into a few spots. Nowhere could really take us as we had grown to a party of 7 so we headed to my friend’s place and I got a peek of the water. I alway said I could do NYC if I could see the water. That is when I started negating a house swap haha. The moon was rising and I was falling in the love with the city I refused to speak to for so long.

Learning my lesson on large groups and no reservations. My beau and I ventured off on our own. We had spotted a little French place earlier on our stroll and went back to see if they could seat us. Another food victory at Le Gigot. The space was maybe 600 square feet. I knew it was a good sign when the first thing I heard was French being spoken a the bar by two patrons. The French take food seriously and it must be good if it brought in the actual French people. I highly recommend this charming little spot.

It was early to bed as I wanted to be fresh for the main event, my first time at St. Patricks’s Cathedral to Christen la petit ange. The structure absolutely takes your breath away. I have already rambled on so I shall spare you the history this time. Many a Kennedy gathering has taken place under this roof and it was wonderful to now also be part of that history. After the ceremony we all walked to lunch at The Baccarat Hotel and were spoiled in their Grand Salon. After lunch it was back to our hosts stunning high-rise overlooking Central Park. We sang Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York with the legend Sal Sinatra. Who is for sure getting his own post once his book comes out. He went from homeless to being a touring musician. Sal IS the American Dream. For me, getting to meet people like this is why I want to write and share these beautiful stories. It’s the human experience that makes you realize how connected we really are. In one trip NYC went from being the loneliest place on earth to an old friend greeting me with open arms. I am so glad we made up and cannot wait to return.

As I dashed through JFK I saw a billboard that said “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” - Tim Cahill. I could not agree more and left the city with a smile on face feeling all warm and fuzzy, no wine needed.

*P.S. I had to stop and get a photo at Trump Tower. Before when I would walk by I would scoff, how garish I would think. I opened my coat for the photo to hide a giant bag of trash but looking back the better joke would have been to feature the trash. For I am now Trump Trash and rather proud of it!

*P.S.S - This is the only time we went to NYC as a family. My mom was friends of friends with Maury Povichs’ wife Connie Chung. He invited us on the show to talk about childhood modeling. The story was actually pretty true, my Dad didn’t like us modeling and they made my Mom out to be a stage mom. It’s sort of funny because my Dad actually did not mind and taught me how to use his camera. To this day photography is my favorite hobby. I loved being on set as a young girl and thank my Mom for driving all over Atlanta so I could do it. I was terrible at school and this gave me self esteem and a lifelong career in show business. Currently, manifesting a news type show. Since legacy media is falling apart maybe there is space for me to interview America. A girl can hope.