A personal top ten of New York restaurants I return to again and again. Not the usual “best of” list, but rather the meals that shape my relationship with the city. Places that feel intimate, familiar, and quietly essential.

Somewhere along the way, growing up became synonymous with editing myself. This is a rejection of that narrative and a reflection on the journey from performative confidence and self-criticism to a quieter, sturdier kind rooted in self-trust, nostalgia, and resilience. An exploration of mid-twenties clarity, creative courage, and why your teenage self might have been right all along.

An honest telling of my experience about the pressures and uncertainty that come with being in your twenties, and why it’s even harder for us fellow Type A divas. It’s a decade that demands patience when you’re wired for urgency, flexibility when you crave structure, and self-trust when every choice feels impossibly high-stakes. Navigating that tension has become its own kind of growing pain—but also the place where I’m finally learning who I am without the checklist.