8 Things I Brought Back from New York That Cost Nothing
How this city gave me belonging, humor, and a soundtrack: all for free.
I devoutly curate all my notes on my iPhone.
I add emojis, bullet points, links; I share them or keep them private, and I revisit and update them regularly.
There’s always a very specific moment on every trip when I open a fresh note on my phone and begin creating lists of things I want to change, buy, achieve once I’m back home.
It’s beautiful to realize we want to become, evolve, and grow because what we observe around us stretches our imagination.
The Italian word evolvere (evolve) comes directly from the Latin evòlvere, meaning “to unroll,” “to unfold,” “to open,” or “to develop.” A gradual unfolding, like when a book opens up or a flower bud slowly blossoms.
Every single decision and new habit I’ve taken on over the years can be traced back to one particular adventure somewhere in the world.
My “solo dates” at the cinema, born in London
The promise I made to wear every single item in my wardrobe at least once a year after coming back from four months in SE Asia where I lived out of the 42-liter backpack that carried my entire existence.
The introduction of Tajín seasoning on fruit, also thanks to Brenda during my years in Lisbon.
My passion for coffee and the very act of savoring that first morning cup—born after tasting my first specialty brew in San Francisco back in 2018.
I’ve been in New York for almost two weeks now (I wrote about the hell of adventure when I arrived here in my last piece below) and as I prepare to leave, I can’t help but notice that once again, what I’m bringing home is much more than postcards or souvenirs.
Therefore I’ve gathered 8 random things, moments, situations, and material objects New York has gifted me and that have without question made this trip one of the most memorable of the last years.
1. Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend
Score: 8.5/10
I discovered this seasoning right before leaving for NY, while reading Anna’s Once In list of U.S. products to buy and bring back to Europe.
And yes, I followed it religiously (Anna, you’d be proud of me).
I’ve got three jars in my suitcase, and only now do I really get the hype for what could look like “just a blend of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, salt, and black sesame seeds.”
But it’s not just that: it’s one of those flavors that makes me want to sprinkle it on basically everything for the next few weeks.
2. The primary role of the subway
Score: 7-
The New York subway is yet another space-time dimension you’re forced to live and observe when you’re here.
A kind of physical metaverse you reach by descending into the underworld: hot, dark, almost torrentially humid.
Its smell is unmistakably New York: rancid, heavy, acrid.
The scenes you witness down there are brilliant and filthy, genius and pitifully true.
(Sometimes I wonder if there’s a theater company secretly directing it all).
It’s wild out there. But I’m here for this too.
And in the late-night rides home, the subway has rocked me like a tired but loving mother who can’t wait to put me to bed just so she can finally have a cigarette.
3. The glorious apartment I’m living in
Score: 10
Last May, Katherine and I decided to swap houses for the month of September.
Usually I rely on Twin Cities, which for me remains the best swapping platform, but having had the chance to do it with someone I personally know made my stay here perfect and unforgettable.
When you exchange houses with someone you know, you have the honor and privilege of catching a glimpse of their life.
Katherine’s apartment is care, grace, and an oversized love for the search that goes beyond simply looking.
With great joy, I found a selection of books that made my heart skip a beat, not to mention the huge gift I received from Katherine herself (besides letting me stay here): a book I am devouring, arriving at the perfect moment in my personal story.
The late summer light, at certain hours in the early morning or late evening, creates games of light that are incredibly perfect.
Abundance really is at every corner.
4. Things that make no sense to a European but make me dance if I let go
Score: 7+
Locks that turn in the same direction as the latch (in Europe it’s always the opposite), buildings where the first floor isn’t counted and from the Lobby you go directly to the second, tipping basically for everything even when you didn’t receive actual service.
Everything is unpredictable, sometimes without any logical sense, and so quick you don’t even have the time to think about it.
At times I feel like I’m dancing with the city: every gesture, every tap, every pause, the running, the sitting and standing again.
The city leads and I follow: at first clumsy, making mistakes, stepping on toes, then little by little I let myself go.
5. Free things (and smiles) and community
Score: 9+
Isn’t it weird that I’m feeling more of a sense of community here than in my own city?
In front of the garden fences in Flatbush, where I live, you find stuff, books, clothes that people leave outside their home to give them a second chance: on my first day I picked up a mug and decided to bring it with me.
In these neighborhood streets, people stop and chat.
It’s not that I’m unfamiliar with this way of creating community (of honoring the small interactions with the shopkeepers who weave into our daily lives - I do live in Italy after all) but I’m genuinely fascinated by how strongly I’ve felt it here.When Hosanna and I went for a glass of excellent wine at Colonia Verde, run by her dear friend Tamy in Fort Greene, people in the street recognized and greeted my friend, even though she hasn’t lived there in years.
That sense of belonging, of connection, of community (ironically, something Hosanna talks about in her “The Open Series” podcast, which I highly recommend) is a concept that has come back to me over and over since I’ve been here.
6. The insanely good food
Score: 10
My dear friend Hosanna (besides being a sophisticated, multi-passionate artist and producer) is also the one who planned many of the events, performances, dinners, and gatherings I had the honor of attending these past weeks.
Some of the unforgettable things I ate with her:
A shrimp taco at Colonia Verde that I’m still dreaming about
One of the best ceviches ever, also at Colonia Verde
The Za’atar dip from Sahdi
Scallion pancakes straight out of a dream in Chinatown
A BEC without the B, with salt and pepper and ketchup on the side, of course
Baby lettuce from the Fort Greene Park Greenmarket, which Hosanna dressed with something so good I could have drunk it
Tacos at Ramirez Green Point
The Golden One at Peck’s
7. The irony of New York
Score: 10+
As a proper millennial, I grew up on all the classic New York TV shows and the distance between Italy and the U.S. made them even more irresistibly charming.
Friends, Seinfeld, Gossip Girl, SATC, and later And Just Like That.
Not to mention the endless list of 90s rom-coms and Christmas movies I rewatch every year (just yesterday I watched Serendipity, the other night Something’s Gotta Give, and soon, with autumn, it’ll be time for You’ve Got Mail again).
With all that city culture absorbed, these past two weeks truly felt like home - I belonged.
And New York’s irony is deliciously sharp: I eat it up on the IG pages I follow religiously (Subway Takes and Overheard NY my absolutely favourite).
The city’s soundtrack
Score: 7 ½
Not an 8 only because of the sirens (that scared the hell out of me) and the car alarm blaring at 6 a.m. - those I didn’t appreciate.
But all the rest (the sounds, the vibrations, the stump-pts-pts-chaaa, the melodies, and Coltrane playing during my evening at MoMA) gave me one hell of a New York soundtrack that made me love this glorious city even more.
Darling, you really embraced the city with a full and open heart (and running shoes😮💨😅) and the city felt your energy and hugged you right back! So happy you had such a rich and fun time of discovery and true connection with my city. It was a joy to show and share her with you:) Until the next time…