Returning (Home) Part Two - Places I Visited
On family, ADHD meltdowns, and beautiful hotels ✨
(The C&O Canal in the Georgetown neighbourhood of Washington, D.C.)
Travel looks very different for me these days. I have to schedule more rest days, I need to make more space for myself, and I have to put strategies in place to manage sensory overwhelm. I now travel while neurodivergent. Now that I am newly diagnosed with severe ADHD and ASD, trips I used to take with no problems whatsoever (or what appeared to be no problems because I was masking) are now much more involved. I have to pace myself differently, give myself more time to get places, and - for those of you unfamiliar with my relationship to astrology, please bear with me - I had to take even more care because I was travelling during an eclipse season and a very intense Mercury Retrograde. This meant delayed flights, troubles with technology, and all sorts of freezes on my bank card. I was prepared for this and if anything, I embraced Mercury Retrograde chaos as part of the process, as well as a reminder to slow down at times, to take in my environment, and - hopefully - not to panic.
I was travelling home for the first time as an adult and was not staying with my family. As a matter of fact, most of my family did not even know I was in the States. This choice came down to the drama that erupted when I told them I would be travelling to Canada (Vancouver specifically) the previous summer, where I would be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. This led to so much stress, strife, guilt, pressure, and manipulation to see them on the opposite coast that the multiple months of planning this expensive wedding trip - on top of a move back to Edinburgh from Glasgow, severe sleep apnea, and a sudden pause in a project for a huge client - drove me into ADHD burnout. My anxiety was so severe that I had trouble leaving the house for simple things like meetings. My sensory overwhelm (which at the time I did not recognise as such) made the daily noises of commuting impossible for me. It felt like perfume, phone calls, and the normal sounds of getting on the train were an assault on my senses. My relationship with my family is already complicated, but when you add in six years of not returning to the States by choice and the pressure to see them on a journey that had nothing to do with them, you can understand why I was in an ADHD crisis that summer.
This Spring I had to be smart. I had to set boundaries. I was not going to stay with anyone. I needed to be able to move quickly and freely. I also had to be smart about how I would conserve my energy, given that I was travelling to 6 cities in 10 days. I was taking planes, trains, subways, cars, and any other method of transport that you can think of, to move up and down the East Coast. I was seeing multiple friends, staying in different types of accommodation, from Airbnbs to hotels to friends’ houses, and I had a book event on the last leg of my journey to top it all off. It would be exhausting for anyone, but it was particularly challenging for me. I had to pace myself, yes, but more importantly I had to treat this trip like a visit that did not require me to see all of the things. It was a visit that would allow me to simply be rather than a visit in which I needed to ‘do’, to be active, busy, and constantly moving. I was doing enough of that already. So, I made a decision to stay in places that would afford me quiet, comfort, and convenience.
I stayed in some lovely, sustainable, and very beautifully designed spaces, a number of which I would like to share with you.
In New York City, I stayed at Made Hotel, conveniently located in Koreatown, near the Flatiron District. It is a stone’s throw from Chelsea where you can find one of my favourite galleries (The Whitney) and the lovely, prolific walk The High Line. At the Made, you are also close to some of the most notable New York City landmarks, such as the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Bryant Park, and Times Square. Made Hotel’s design is subtle, having been built using earth tones, woods, and neutral colours. It has a beautiful café and plant lined rooftop bar (that I actually never made it to). The staff are lovely. The rooms are spacious and it is a beautifully quiet street for New York, especially slap-bang in the middle of busy Midtown. I ate well. I loved the Malin + Goetz beauty products. I loved its sustainability certifications and its lovely tapas restaurant, Debajo (which I also did not get to, but from which I did enjoy a lovely breakfast on my second day in the city). This hotel definitely had the kind of style that a travel conscious minimalist or millennial would appreciate. No fuss, complimentary tea & coffee, complimentary red or white wine for happy hour, walking distance from a lot of major sites, but also simple, pared down, and beautiful on the inside. You could miss the wood-panelled entrance if you were not looking for it. The building melts into the street and into the New York City skyline.
(An image outside of Made Hotel in Koreatown, New York City)
In Washington, D.C., I stayed in a beautiful restored former bakery in the East Capitol neighbourhood of Hill East (as the Washington Post calls it, ‘a new name for an old neighborhood’). Capitol Hill is named after the building which sits at its centre. It has always been a neighbourhood for families, and particularly families that needed to be in proximity to the Hill. The neighbourhood is lined with traditional brownstones and row houses. I stayed in a traditional row house attached to the owner’s own home,with my own front garden and main door entrance. The furniture was beautifully chosen and the space expertly designed, with a superior king bed, spacious bathroom with a waterfall shower head. A kitchen area, lovely sitting area, and hilarious black-and-white pictures of political figures alongside pop stars lining the wall above a substantial desk outfitted with a typewriter. The National Mall was within walking distance, as well as a number of gorgeous restaurants near Eastern Market and Navy Yard. The orange and blue metro line was only a few blocks away. I was struck by how gentrified this formerly historically black neighbourhood was, even since I had last visited.
(My beautiful digs in East Hill in Washington, D.C. - a semi-detached house in historic brick and row frame house style)
I spent my days wandering galleries and museums, walking through familiar neighbourhoods, visiting my old school, my old church, and eating as many Caesar salads as possible. I walked near the water and I let my soul wander around my favourite places like The Bishop’s Garden and the Washington National Zoo or the Hirschhorn.
In Montréal, I stayed in a Sonder location - Sonder Apollon - in the Old Montréal or Vieux Port.tThis was one of my favourite stays throughout the entire trip. I had a suite with a lovely statement sofa, a view of Vie Saint-Sacrement, a dazzling shower, and a fully equipped kitchen. The cool, glazed cement floor was grounding for my first few days of jet lag. The exposed brick walls in the room gave New York City loft vibes paired with an old-European charm. I was walking distance from museums, gorgeous bars, and delicious restaurants. I mostly stayed in bed and wandered out for food when I could manage it. I had a delicious salad from Mandy's, a woman-owned salad restaurant -yes, that’s an entire restaurant dedicated to salads (something I was craving but that has not quite taken off in Edinburgh)! This Sonder had a private gym, a sauna, and a rooftop jacuzzi with expertly chosen furniture. Tucked away in this gorgeous part of the city, I cannot recommend Sonder Apollon enough. Self check-in included your own exclusive room code, so if you did not want to speak to anyone, you did not have to, which came in handy for me when I arrived several hours delayed, close to 9pm from YUL airport.
(My room at the Sonder Apollon in the Vieux Port area of Montréal)
There is something about being close to a Basilica or Cathedral that reminds me of home - a foot in Washington, D.C. and a foot in Edinburgh. I grew up within walking distance of the Washington National Cathedral, and one of my favourite flats was on Victoria Street or West Bow in Edinburgh, a five minute walk from St Giles’. Unlike European cities, where a cathedral or basilica can be found at the heart of the city centre, only in a handful of US cities is this the case. It is more common on the East Coast than on the West Coast, given that the West Coast is only comprised of three states.
In Wilmington, DE I stayed in the glorious Quoin Hotel, positioned within a former bank. The Quoin is a boutique hotel, featuring a beautifully painted vault bar and a rooftop with views of Wilmington. The bathroom is stocked with Aesop products, the rooms are spacious, and the minibar is filled with dreams. The Quoin Restaurant served up a beautiful Branzino, and its rooftop bar was the perfect place to read a chapter of my book (The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté) before dinner. Within easy walking distance of the train station and Wilmington’s downtown, this is a hotel that I would highly recommend.
Lovely Places to Eat -
Montréal
New York City
Washington D.C.
Dolcezza (Hirschhorn Gallery)
Philadelphia
Philadelphia Distilling Bar & Restaurant (go on a distillery tour if you can!)
Sky High at The Four Seasons Philadelphia
I wandered through galleries, independent bookstores, cafés, and through gorgeous neighbourhoods in each city I visited. Here is a list of some of my favourites wanders and visits:
Montréal
Mile End
New York City
Chelsea
The High Line
Flatiron District
Bryant Park
Central Park
Upper East Side
Union Square
The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Whitney Biennial
Washington DC
East Hill
Georgetown
Cathedral Heights
Woodley Park
Cleveland Park
The Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
U Street Corridor
The National Mall
The National Museum of the American Indian
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Bishop’s Garden at the Washington National Cathedral
(A view of the Washington National Cathedral from the Bishop’s Garden in Washington, D.C.)
Philadelphia
Chestnut Hill
Mount Airy
George T. Hobe Fine Art
✨Make Good Trouble News ✨
Last Saturday I appeared on the BBC Radio Scotland Sunday Morning show with Connie McLaughlin to talk about disruption, making good trouble, short attention spans, Beltane, and the symbolism of fire with guests Bob Davis, Professor of Religious and Cultural Education at Glasgow University, and Philip Blackledge, Rector of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Melrose. Listen to the episode here on BBC Sounds.
✨ Make Good Trouble Events ✨
Last Night
Watkins UK hosted a Reinventing Women’s Health event at Vout-O-Renee’s in London on 08 May. This event hosted by Integrative Psychologist Vikki Scott explored how we can reframe women’s health by five authors including me. We heard from Tally Frosh author of Hooked: Why We Are Addicted and How to Break Free; Jackie Lynch author of The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help Your Flourish; Frankie Paz author of forthcoming book Plant Feasts; and Sophie Scott author of new book You Are Not Alone in This.
Tonight
On 09 May 2024, my London book launch takes place at Watkins Bookstore in Covent Garden. If you’re in London or have friends or family in London, please invite them to join! Get your own exclusive tote bag, bookmark, and a chance for me to sign your copy of Make Good Trouble.
Things I’ve Watched
TLC Forever (2023)
This film had me in tears.It documents the rise to fame of the biggest selling girl group in world history - TLC. It takes us from their beginnings, through the loss of Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, and on to stories of resilience,, illness, loss, and artistry. I highly recommend this.
In The Land of Saints and Sinners (2023)
This film about the Troubles features a star-studded cast including Liam Neeson, Jack Gleeson, Ciáran Hinds, and Valentine Olukoga. Harrowing, action-packed, and beautifully directed by Robert Lorenz.