It’s been a short three months since I gave up Instagram, after about 5 years of sharing my daily life through the lens of my iPhone. When you remove that portion of your day it’s a weird adjustment. I’m not going to lie, giving up Instagram was tough…for about three days. The freedom has prevailed and I don’t plan on returning anytime soon. Life is so good.

Since October, I’ve been up to many, many fun things. As a brand partner for LetsGetChecked, I attended the WELL Summit in Brooklyn, which was a blast. Anyone who may think they have issues with their thyroid, I encourage you to pop onto LetsGetChecked. (The company is Irish, yay!)

Some miscellaneous updates: Conor McGregor lost to Khabib and all hell broke loose, making me grateful I wasn’t in Vegas. We had our first snowfall of the season and purchased my first Anastasia Beverly Hills product, which did not disappoint my eyebrows- I definitely want to share some new eyebrow products with you all soon.

I’ve finally made some time to get out and explore New York, it only took me two years to do it! Eva from one of my favorite blogs, EvaMurphyRyan.com, and I climbed (took the elevator) 102 floors of the World Trade Center to access the One World Observatory. The views were breathtaking, but the tickets weren’t cheap. Definitely a cool experience if you’re in New York for a quick trip and want to see the city from, well, the sky.

I ventured to Brooklyn on Sunday morning for a visit to the NYC Transit Museum, which was cute and nice though I wouldn’t recommend if it’s your first visit to New York and your time is limited – definitely not a ‘must-see’.

Keeping with the theme of museums, I got to see the American Museum of Natural History which floored all my expectations. Map out ample time to wander all the floors and don’t forget about the dinosaurs.

Throughout the fall, I spent Thanksgiving in Maryland, kicked around crispy leaves and got to see Mean Girls on Broadway. I walked out of the theatre and wanted to walk back in and do it all over again. I.LOVED.IT!

Christmas began to appear and holiday parties started rolling through. I got to visit the tree at The Rockefeller Center, living the Home Alone Christmas of my dreams. I browsed the Bergdorf’s windows (so good they have their own blog!),  saw the light show at Saks and lapped up the buzz around Radio City, The Plaza and 5th Avenue in general. There is nothing as warm as Christmas in New York, despite it being the coldest time of year.

Last, but definitely not least, I got to see The Nutcracker! Definitely another bucket-list item ticket off for me. I adored the theatre and the classical music –  it was such a nice night out and so relaxing. If you’re looking for something different to do in NYC, book tickets to the ballet.

Which brings me to today. All my bags are packed up to the brim with gifts, I have clean sheets on my bed and I have just one more holiday party to attend (and a TON of work to do) before I jump aboard that Aer Lingus flight back to Dublin. I already have butterfly’s in my stomach. I can’t believe it has been another twelve months away from home.

I’ll never understand why time moves quicker in New York, or why everything is harder and although I missed so much of what I wanted to accomplish this year, I ended up achieving things that I never thought were in my wheelhouse. New York is hard on your system and hard on your head. Each year here feels like a ton of bricks paired with an indescribable magic sprinkled generously on top. 

There is no doubt that this city demands sacrifice but going back to the slower pace of life in Ireland is like a warm hug from a friend you haven’t seen in so long. Or when someone asks how you are and you know they really want to know the answer.  It’s cozy, comforting and safe. Going home for Christmas the only thing I care about. Much to my mother’s dismay, I couldn’t care less if I have Christmas dinner or not, or if I got no gifts at all. I’m just chasing the comfort of being home, which is absolutely everything I want and need.

I wish you all the most wonderful Christmas season, at home and abroad. I’ll be sharing some updates on my Snapchat if you’re interested! – @StephanieOQ