Heat. Heat. That’s basically the theme of this NYC layover. I’m in Manhattan after a chaotic travel day (Boston–Buffalo–Boston–JFK), traffic from JFK, and me sprinting to get ready for dinner with Marina—no shower, barely enough time to fix my French twist, but brushing my teeth is a non-negotiable. We do the romantic part of New York: a French dinner (I’m praying for escargot), a raspberry soufflé that takes an hour and is genuinely divine, and then a detour to a Russian vodka bar where everyone’s speaking a different language around me (which I weirdly love). I also share little bits of my routine—what I’m wearing, what makeup held up through three flights, and the tiny things that make a layover feel like a movie. The next morning is my “keep it simple” NYC moment: Black Fox coffee (vanilla date latte perfection), a quick walk, and then back to the hotel to reset. I do a Whole Foods haul because I’m not in a heavy bagel mood, and I talk about what I’ve been loving lately—especially a protein drink that actually has clean ingredients. And then the “until it wasn’t” part hits. The workday spirals: van/dispatch chaos, delays, and then I get heartbreaking news that a friend from my Florida years passed away. Between the grief and a nightmare Pittsburgh turn that gets me home at 2:50 a.m., it’s one of those days that feels like hit after hit—and I’m just trying to power through and stay human in the middle of it.