There's no place like home

Oh it is good to be home. Well, in the city that I call home because I don’t actually have a home – staying with my sister until I find a place. Looking forward (trying to be positive) to the challenges of being a good raw houseguest in a tiny Brooklyn studio apartment.

Yesterday’s looooooong travel day went well. I fasted on the first leg of the trip, from Brussels to Dublin, and then for about half of my 5 hour layover. Wandering around in the airport, I stumbled onto a fresh juice bar! They made juices (celery, carrot, beet, apple, orange) and smoothies (mostly with a dairy base). I was beside myself with excitement, to have a cucumber celery apple juice. But when I got to the front of the line, the woman at the counter told me that the juicer was broken, but I could have orange juice or a smoothie. Too bad, but I am so happy to see a (albeit nonfunctioning) juice bar in a airport to contribute to hydration in the air and good health! So instead, I had an apple and some raisin nut mix (charmingly called “student mix” in Europe).

Once settled into the flight, I was eager to see the raw vegetarian meal that I had requested for my infight meal. It came, with a big sticker on it that said my name and “RAW VEG”. However, on the plate was: hot lasagna (cheese, pasta, cooked tomato sauce), cold pasta salad, a roll, packet of margarine, packet of cookies, and an sad-looking fruit salad of honeydew, orange, and grapes. Sigh of disappointment. Looking back, it was the perfect opportunity to educate someone on the fundamentals of raw food and possibly help other raw foodists down the line, but at the time I just didn’t want to bother the harried-looking flight attendant. So, I’ll send an email to the airline. Not because I’m particularly angry/annoyed – I didn’t really have high hopes – but just to spread awareness that RAW food is vastly different than just veggie food.

I got back to the apartment on the late side, and my sis didn’t feel like going out for dinner. I was pretty hungry, though, and craving greens – not something that she regularly stocks in her fridge. But she mentioned a (new?) place nearby in Brooklyn Heights that her boyfriend had referred to as, “One of those places that has wheatgrass that your sister would like”. We found it on line, Siggy’s, on Henry between Orange and Pineapple. There are some really lovely salads on the menu, juices, and they delivered! Oh, the wanton luxury of NY living. I had a salad with greens, tomato, avocado and sunflower seeds with a vinagrette and a celery apple greens juice. So exactly what I was craving.

One love,
Marissa