I took a quick hiatus from my North Carolina hiatus to visit New York. I had originally planned on being in NC for an entire month over the winter, but ended up planning this mini-trek within that month. It was literally a vacation within my vacation. It’s an odd concept. Maybe you’ll try it sometime… probably not.

I was actually going for more productive purposes… primarily for the APAP (the Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Conference in Manhattan, to represent Porto Franco Records. It was an exhausting, work-filled week, but I managed to come away with quite a few great experiences and new friends under my belt.

NYC Highlights:
- Immediately remembering how it feels to have your facial extremities being eaten off by ever-present winter New York temperatures
- Falling completely in love with New York all over again despite these ever-present winter New York temperatures
- Meeting folks with similar outlooks on the new music industry (so refreshing and validating)
- Forcing myself to speak in front of groups of industry professionals 10-30 years my senior
- Feeling validated when I was introducing concepts to them that made sense
- Murray’s Bagels and their selection of 16 types of smoked fish
- Conversationally life-altering lunch with Mark Schoneveld
- Walking along the Highline and realizing I desperately miss innovative public use of modern architecture and I must live in NYC at some point in the future
- Seeing and catching up with Mariana Garcia, Matt Bauer, Mikey Lythcott, Brooks Wood, Mark Woloszyn, Greg Galant, Sam Rhodes, Masa Tanaka, + more.
- Mikey’s roof (as always)

And some photos. I didn’t shoot much, as it was freezing and it wouldn’t take long before my camera froze. But here are the few I actually took from the week.

See you soon, NY. xoxo