Life in Bits & Pieces.

Life has been a rollercoaster these last few months. So much so that writing has been quite difficult to do. Most weeks have been blurs and I can only remember things these days if I take a picture in the moment and then look at it later in my camera roll.

With all the awfulness happening all over the world and feeling pretty helpless about it I find that leaning into what I can do for my immediate community usually helps.

Cry-Sis.

This fall I found myself crying a lot. I cried due to missing my dog Latte (fall was her favorite season). I’d cry due to the intense amount of work that I do daily. And crying every time I came into contact with asylum seeking families who came to my job looking for any kind of help that we could provide. I was physically and emotionally drained. I couldn’t bring back my dog and I couldn’t stop working, but I could help with the migrant crisis that is currently at my front door.

As weeks went by I got familiar with some of the folks at the shelter two blocks from my house. I would drop off dozens of meals despite the hostility that I was met with by staff and security guards. Most of these families walked by foot from Venezuela or Ecuador through the Darién Gap jungle to get here. How was I not going to help?

These were meals that I dropped off for asylum seekers. I had to call folks outside to grab the food as security and staff make it very difficult for any food donations.

I set up ESL classes at my job that the adults could participate in and set up a clothing donation drive where we received well over a thousand pounds of clothes from the community. Some volunteers slipped flyers I made under the doors of the asylum seekers so they could come on a Saturday to get free food, a resource packet with information I translated into Spanish, and warm clothing.

Fraction of the clothing donations we’ve received at work. We took over the women’s shower stalls to store everything 😬.

I was exceptionally nervous that something would go awry during this event. The night before I had nightmares of a stampede of people running everywhere and pure chaos. That morning my stomach was in knots as I braced for the worst. What ended up occurring was quite the opposite. Folks arrived fifteen minutes early and formed a tidy line without anyone even asking them to. Even the children waited quietly as I stepped out of the building to use my “big girl” voice as a megaphone to tell people we’d get started soon. As wonderful as that line formation was it quickly dawned on me that these people didn’t need me to tell them to get in a line because they’ve been doing this same line in different places for God knows how long. At the end of the day, the event went off without a hitch and we were able to provide a safe space that wasn’t run by any government agencies.

What was left after asylum seekers took all the clothing and necessities they needed at the special event we hosted for them.

Natalie x Nature = Nat².

I’ve been hanging out in nature more often. Inhaling the cold air into my lungs has been medicinal. Walking the trails by my apartment have been a necessary balm for my soul these days.

Yep, this is in New York City + it’s not Central Park. I sometimes even see deer!

And Of Course Food.

This is still very much a newsletter about food so here’s a peek at what I’ve eaten recently…including some food that I ate in Mexico City in October (I’ll write about that trip soon, promise).

The most delicate grilled branzino I’ve ever had from Bangkok Supper Club.

More deliciousness from Bangkok Supper Club.

Food that is still making my tastebuds salivate from Mexico City.

Cook. Eat. Repeat.

Natalie ❤️✨