•ISSUE TWO •OCTOBER 2026

FROM ASA In Loving Memory of Daddy Andrew

Two Sisters and the Beautiful Art of Getting Away

There is something about New York City that makes me feel as though anything is possible.

Perhaps it’s the energy…. Perhaps it’s the people.

Or perhaps it’s the simple fact that millions of lives are unfolding simultaneously, each with its own dreams, heartbreaks, celebrations, and extraordinary little stories.

Whatever it is, New York has a way of reminding me that the world is so much bigger than whatever might be occupying my thoughts at the moment.

And this time, I got to experience it with my sister Traci.

Now, if you’ve ever traveled with your sister, you know there is a special kind of adventure that comes with that.

There are conversations that begin in the middle because you already know the first half.

There are looks that communicate entire paragraphs.

There are moments when you laugh at something that wouldn’t be nearly as funny to anyone else.

And then there are the photographs…. Some beautiful…. Some hilarious.

And some that should probably remain between sisters.

But that’s part of the joy.

Traci and I weren’t trying to conquer New York City.

We wanted to enjoy it…. To walk…. To eat wonderful food… To discover interesting places…. To take in the sights.

To enjoy each other’s company without needing to be anywhere except exactly where we were.

And New York, being New York, had plenty to offer.

I remember looking out of the airplane window, watching the city appear beneath.

Buildings clustered together.

Streets stretching in every direction.

Little patches of green interrupting the concrete.

And that unmistakable feeling of arriving somewhere with a personality all its own.

New York doesn’t whisper its presence.

It announces itself.

And I was ready to listen.

SOMEWHERE TO GO

Central Park: Finding Stillness in a City That Never Stops

One of my favorite parts of our trip was walking through Central Park.

I have always loved the contrast between nature and architecture.

The way a beautiful tree can soften an entire city block.

The way water reflects buildings and clouds.

The way a garden can make you forget, even for a few minutes, that you’re surrounded by millions of people.

And Central Park does that on a magnificent scale.

Traci and I walked, talked, looked around, and enjoyed being outside.

The city was still there, of course.

You could feel it beyond the trees.

But inside the park, everything seemed to move at a slightly different pace.

I love places that offer that kind of contrast.

Places where you can be surrounded by activity and still find a little quiet for yourself.

And as we walked, I started thinking about the history beneath our feet.

Central Park wasn’t always this beautiful green sanctuary.

In the 1850s, New York was growing rapidly, and city leaders wanted to create a public landscape where people could escape the crowded streets.

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won the park’s design competition in 1858, creating a landscape of winding paths, open lawns, wooded areas, bridges, and lakes.

What fascinates me is that so much of what feels natural was deliberately designed.

The hills.

The pathways.

The placement of trees.

The way the landscape reveals itself as you move through it.

There is something poetic about that.

Sometimes beauty is spontaneous.

And sometimes it is the result of imagination, patience, and an extraordinary amount of work.

But there is another piece of Central Park’s history that deserves to be remembered.

Before the park existed, part of the land was home to Seneca Village, a predominantly Black community established in the nineteenth century. Its residents included property owners, families, and institutions whose lives were disrupted when the land was taken for the park.

I found that especially meaningful.

Because as much as I love beautiful places, I also want to know their stories.

Not just the polished stories.

The complicated ones, too.

History has layers.

And I think traveling becomes richer when we are willing to look beneath the surface.

As Traci and I continued walking, I thought about the generations of people who had passed through this same park.

Lovers. Families. Artists. Dreamers. People celebrating something wonderful. People trying to figure out what came next.

And now here we were.

Two sisters adding our own little chapter.

Not a particularly dramatic chapter.

Just two women enjoying a walk together.

But sometimes those are the chapters we remember most.

A Sunset Cruise and a Lady Named Liberty

There are moments when a city reveals itself in a completely different way.

For me, that happened on the water.

Traci and I took a sunset ferry cruise toward the Statue of Liberty.

And what an experience.

There is something about being on a boat that immediately changes my mood.

Perhaps it’s the movement of the water…. and the open sky.

Or perhaps it’s that beautiful feeling of leaving the land behind for a little while.

As we moved into the harbor, the skyline began to take on that gorgeous golden glow that happens just before sunset.

Buildings that had seemed enormous from the street became part of a much larger picture.

The water reflected the changing colors of the sky.

And there she was.

Lady Liberty.

Standing with her torch raised, just as she has for generations.

I had seen countless photographs of the Statue of Liberty.

But seeing her from the water, with the city behind her and the evening sky beginning to change, felt different.

It was one of those moments when I wanted to put my phone away and simply look.

Of course, I took photographs. I’m a writer and a traveler. Some habits are simply part of the job.

But I also wanted to remember how it felt.

The wind.

The movement of the boat.

The light on the water.

And the pleasure of sharing the experience with my sister.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, dedicated on October 28, 1886. Her official name is Liberty Enlightening the World. Her symbolism includes freedom, enlightenment, and the breaking of oppression, represented in part by the broken chains at her feet.

And here is something I find fascinating.

Emma Lazarus wrote The New Colossus in 1883 to help raise funds for the statue’s pedestal. Her poem later became inseparable from the statue’s identity as a symbol of welcome and hope.

I thought about how many people had looked toward that same figure over the years.

People arriving in a new country.

People leaving everything familiar behind.

People hoping for safety, freedom, opportunity, and a chance to begin again.

And I wondered how many different meanings one symbol could hold.

For me, standing on that boat, Liberty became a reminder of something deeply personal.

Freedom isn’t always about crossing an ocean or changing your circumstances.

Sometimes freedom begins when you give yourself permission to live differently.

To make choices that honor who you are.

To stop carrying expectations that were never yours.

To recognize that your life belongs to you.

I looked toward the statue as the light continued to soften.

And I thought….

What a beautiful thing it is to be free enough to choose your own becoming.

The City After Sunset

After our cruise, we spent time walking around the waterfront area.

I love walking through a city in the night.

Everything feels different. The lights begin to glow. Restaurants fill with conversation.

People move with that mixture of purpose and possibility that seems especially characteristic of New York.

And I love observing people… observing Us. And wondering…

What they’re celebrating.

Whether they’re falling in love.

Whether they’re visiting for the first time or have walked those same streets for twenty years.

A city is really a collection of human stories.

Traci and I wandered, talked, looked around, and took in the atmosphere.

We didn’t need a grand plan.

We were already exactly where we wanted to be.

And that, to me, is one of the greatest luxuries of travel.

The freedom to let an evening become whatever it wants to become.

SOMETHING TO TASTE

New York, You Had Me at the First Bite

Now, you know I cannot talk about New York without talking about food.

Because if there is one thing I absolutely love about traveling, it’s discovering what a city tastes like.

I want the little neighborhood restaurants.

The beautiful dining rooms.

The interesting cocktails.

The dishes I’ve never tried.

The food that makes me stop talking in the middle of a sentence because something is just that delicious.

And New York is a city where you could eat somewhere different every day for years and still have places left to discover.

One of the dishes I particularly loved photographing was a gorgeous smoked salmon toast.

And when I say gorgeous, I mean the kind of plate that makes you admire it before you even pick up your fork.

Thick toast covered with a creamy spread, generous folds of salmon, delicate greens, and little accompaniments of capers, pickled onions, and thinly sliced white onions.

A bright citrus wedge finished the presentation.

Now, that is my kind of food…. Fresh…. Beautiful…. Full of flavor.

And just enough little details to make the experience interesting.

As someone who loves cooking, I pay attention to those things.

The colors.

The textures.

The balance of acidity and richness.

The way the chef has arranged everything on the plate.

Food is an art form, and I appreciate a chef who understands that.

And then there were the drinks.

One beautiful reddish tropical drink arrived with an elaborate fruit garnish, looking entirely too pretty to disturb.

And there were two lovely cocktails in martini glasses, with creamy foam resting on top.

I love those little moments.

Two sisters sitting together, enjoying something delicious, with nowhere urgent to be.

There is something luxurious about having the time to enjoy a meal without watching the clock.

Not eating because it’s time to eat.

Eating because you want to experience something.

A Little More of New York’s Flavor

Another food photograph I love from our trip is a plate of beautifully sliced, seared tuna.

The outside had that lovely seasoned crust, while the center remained beautifully pink.

It was presented with greens, a delicate sauce, ginger, wasabi, and a little decorative flower.

And I remember thinking about how much I love this style of eating.

A little of this…. A taste of that…. Something unexpected.

Something familiar prepared in a completely different way.

And that is one of the reasons I love traveling with someone who enjoys exploring.

You don’t have to order the same things.

You don’t have to like everything.

You can each have your own experience and still share the pleasure of discovering something new.

Even the restaurants themselves become part of the adventure.

The artwork…. The lighting…. The menus…. The music.

The conversations happening around you.

One of our photographs captured a beautifully colorful menu from Mi Casa Cantina, filled with vibrant artwork.

Another showed a striking portrait with bold red, black, and white details.

I love places that have personality.

Restaurants that give you something to look at and talk about before the food even arrives.

For me, a memorable dining experience is never just about what is on the plate.

It is about how the entire place makes you feel.

And New York certainly knows how to create an atmosphere.

This Sunday’s Taste: My New York-Inspired Salmon Toast

I wanted to bring a little of that beautiful salmon toast home.

And fortunately, this is something we can recreate without buying a plane ticket.

Start with a thick slice of good sourdough bread, lightly toasted.

Spread it generously with whipped cream cheese mixed with lemon zest, fresh dill, and a little black pepper.

Layer on smoked salmon.

Add thinly sliced red onion, capers, and a few delicate greens.

Finish with fresh lemon.

If you want to make it especially beautiful, arrange everything thoughtfully on the plate.

And please use the good dishes.

I have never understood why we save our beautiful things for company.

A Tuesday morning is a perfectly good occasion to make breakfast feel special.

Pour yourself something delicious, sit near a window, and take your time.

Because sometimes a little luxury begins with breakfast.

SOMETHING TO DESIRE

Freedom Looks Different When You Stop Waiting for Permission

I kept thinking about that sunset cruise long after we returned from New York.

There was something about seeing the Statue of Liberty from the water that stayed with me.

Perhaps because freedom has been on my mind in so many different ways.

Financial freedom.

Creative freedom.

The freedom to travel.

The freedom to love without losing myself.

The freedom to create a home and a life that reflect who I really am.

And the freedom to stop feeling responsible for absolutely everything.

I think many women understand that last one.

We become so accustomed to being the person who figures things out.

The person who makes the plans.

The person who remembers what everyone needs.

The person who keeps moving, even when she’s exhausted.

And eventually, being capable becomes an identity we don’t know how to put down.

But standing on that ferry, watching the skyline and the water, I wasn’t thinking about everything I needed to accomplish.

I was enjoying something I had chosen to experience.

I was traveling.

I was laughing with my sister.

I was eating wonderful food.

I was walking through a beautiful city.

And for those moments, I was allowing my life to be about something other than responsibility.

That matters to me.

Because I don’t want a life where I am always working toward the moment when I can finally enjoy myself.

I want enjoyment woven into the fabric of the life I am creating.

I want to write from beautiful places.

I want to explore the world through its food, its people, its history, and its mysteries.

I want to experience love that feels as wonderful in ordinary moments as it does in extraordinary ones.

I want beautiful surroundings, meaningful conversations, creative freedom, and enough financial abundance to make choices without fear sitting beside me.

And I want to do all of that without feeling that I must first become some more accomplished, more deserving version of myself.

I am already worthy of beautiful experiences.

Not because I’ve earned enough.

Not because I’ve sacrificed enough.

Not because I’ve proven that I can survive enough.

But because this is my life.

And I would like to enjoy living it.

New York reminded me that there is a whole world happening beyond whatever problem might be demanding my attention.

And I intend to keep exploring it.

A LITTLE MAGIC

Two Sisters, Two Birth Charts, and One Very Interesting City

Now, you know I couldn’t spend time in a city like New York without thinking about its energy.

New York is fascinating to me because it seems to contain every possible expression of human experience.

Ambition…. Creativity…. Romance…. Competition…. Loneliness…. Community…. Wealth…. Struggle…. Beauty…. Transformation.

It is a city of contradictions.

And perhaps that is why it feels so alive.

Astrologically, I found myself thinking about how differently Traci and I experience the world.

My sister is a Sagittarius Sun, Leo Moon, and Pisces Rising.

I am a Libra Sun, Leo Moon, and Scorpio Rising.

And if you know anything about astrology, you can probably imagine how interesting that combination can be.

The Sagittarius and the Libra

Traci’s Sagittarius Sun carries the symbolism of exploration, freedom, curiosity, and the desire to experience life beyond familiar boundaries.

Sagittarius wants to know what’s over the next hill.

What’s happening around the corner.

What else is out there.

My Libra Sun is drawn to beauty, art, culture, interesting people, and experiences that engage my senses.

So while Sagittarius is discovering the next adventure, Libra is noticing the atmosphere, the architecture, the presentation of the food, and whether the restaurant has beautiful lighting.

Together, these energies make wonderful traveling companions.

One brings the spirit of exploration.

The other brings an appreciation for the experience itself.

And both love a good story.

Two Leo Moons

Now this is where things get especially interesting.

Traci and I both have Leo Moons.

And I love that.

The Moon in astrology speaks to our emotional needs, instincts, memories, and what makes us feel nurtured.

Leo is associated with warmth, creativity, joy, affection, generosity, and the desire to experience life wholeheartedly.

So beneath our different personalities, we share a similar emotional language.

We appreciate experiences that make us feel alive.

We love moments worth remembering.

And we understand that sometimes you simply want to enjoy yourself without having to justify it.

There is also something wonderfully playful about Leo Moon energy.

It appreciates a little drama.

The beautiful kind.

A sunset over the harbor.

A gorgeous meal.

A memorable photograph.

A moment that feels cinematic.

And New York gave us plenty of those.

Pisces Rising Meets Scorpio Rising

Traci’s Pisces Rising and my Scorpio Rising add another layer.

Both are water signs.

Both can be intuitive and sensitive to their surroundings, although they express that sensitivity differently.

Pisces tends to absorb atmosphere, imagination, and emotional nuance.

Scorpio wants to understand what lies beneath the surface.

So while we were walking through Central Park, I imagine we were both responding to the environment in ways that went beyond simply admiring the scenery.

There is something about being surrounded by trees, water, history, and people that awakens the imagination.

And I think that’s part of why I love travel so much.

Every destination gives us something different to feel, question, and discover.

The Numerology of New York

And then, of course, I had to play with the numbers.

Using the Pythagorean numerology system, the name New York City reduces to 6.

PYTHAGOREAN NAME NUMEROLOGY

NEW YORK CITY

5 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 9 + 2 + 3 + 9 + 2 + 7 = 60

6

60 → 6. The symbolic energy of beauty, connection, love, harmony, and belonging.

And isn’t that interesting?

Because New York is so often associated with ambition, movement, and excitement.

Yet in this particular numerological interpretation, its name carries the vibration of six.

The number of beauty…. Relationships…. Connection…. Home…. Care.

And the desire to create harmony.

For a trip with my sister, I rather love that symbolism.

It reminds me that sometimes the most meaningful part of an adventure isn’t the destination itself.

It’s who we share it with.

A Little Liberty Magic

I kept returning to the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty.

Her torch.

Her crown.

The broken chains at her feet.

And the idea of freedom as something that must be continually recognized, protected, and lived.

I decided to turn that feeling into a simple reflection…. Not a complicated ritual.

Just a moment of intention.

I imagined standing beside the water again, looking toward Liberty, and asking myself…

What am I ready to free myself from?

Not necessarily a person…. a place.

Perhaps an old belief.

An obligation I never consciously agreed to carry.

A fear that has become so familiar I mistake it for wisdom.

Or the idea that my desires must always come after everyone else’s needs.

And then I imagined the torch as a symbol of the life I am choosing to illuminate.

A life filled with love…. Creativity…. Abundance…. Travel…. Family…. Beautiful food…. Passion…. Peace.

And the freedom to follow my own rhythm.

My affirmation for this escape became…

I release the expectations that no longer belong to me.

I honor the woman I have been and welcome the woman I am becoming.

I choose freedom without abandoning love…. I choose abundance without abandoning peace.

And I give myself permission to live a life that feels as beautiful as the dreams I carry.

That is the kind of magic I want more of.

The kind that changes the way I move through my ordinary days.

ONE THING TO DO

Take Yourself Somewhere That Reminds You Who You Are

This week’s invitation is inspired by our walk through Central Park.

I want you to take yourself somewhere this week.

It doesn’t have to be New York AND …It doesn’t have to cost anything.

And it certainly doesn’t have to involve an airplane.

Choose a place that allows you to experience something beyond your usual routine.

A park…. A museum…. A beautiful neighborhood…. A waterfront.

A little restaurant you’ve been curious about.

Or even a quiet place where you can sit and watch the world.

Go alone or invite someone whose company you genuinely enjoy.

And while you’re there, ask yourself…

When was the last time I did something simply because I wanted to?

What part of myself comes alive when I explore somewhere new?

Take a photograph if you like…. Write a few lines in your journal… Order something delicious.

Or simply enjoy being somewhere different.

But please don’t turn it into another task.

The point is not to accomplish something.

The point is to experience something.

And sometimes that is more than enough.

BEFORE YOU GO

The City, the Sunset, and the Stories We Carry Home

As I think back on our trip, I realize that some of my favorite memories aren’t necessarily the biggest moments.

Of course, I loved seeing the Statue of Liberty at sunset. I loved walking through Central Park.

I loved the food, the beautiful drinks, the artwork, and the extraordinary energy of New York.

But I also loved the smaller things.

The conversations with Traci…. The laughter…. The photographs…. The moments when we were simply enjoying each other’s company.

The little details that might not mean much to anyone else but become part of the story we carry home.

And that’s something I’ve been thinking about as I continue creating The Sunday Escape.

We often imagine that travel has to be transformative in some enormous, dramatic way.

That we must return with a completely new perspective or A life-changing revelation.

A grand declaration about who we are becoming.

But sometimes the transformation is quieter.

Sometimes it is simply remembering that we still love discovering new places.

That we still enjoy trying new things.

That we can laugh, explore, be curious, and feel excited about the world.

That we are more than our responsibilities.

More than our worries and more than the roles we play in other people’s lives.

And perhaps most importantly, that there is still so much we haven’t experienced.

I think about Traci and me on that ferry.

The water moving around us.

The city glowing in the distance.

Lady Liberty standing against the evening sky.

And two sisters sharing a moment that would eventually become a memory.

I wonder how many more moments like that are waiting for us… How many cities How many meals and sunsets.

How many conversations that begin with something silly and end somewhere unexpectedly meaningful.

I hope there are hundreds.

Because I don’t want to reach the end of my life with a collection of things I always meant to do.

I want stories. … want photographs…. I want recipes I’ve brought home from places I’ve visited.

I want memories of laughter and beautiful evenings.

I want to remember the places that surprised me.

The people who made the journey special.

And the moments when I felt completely, wonderfully alive.

New York gave me another one of those memories.

And I am grateful.

Not because everything in my life was perfect when I went.

But because I went anyway.

Because sometimes life doesn’t need to be perfect for us to experience something beautiful.

And sometimes the best thing we can do is simply say yes to the adventure.

Come Sit Around the Fire

Now, before we leave New York behind, imagine we’re sitting around our firepit.

Something delicious to drink….. some music playing…. The evening settling around us.

And we’re sharing stories about the places we’ve been and the places we’re still dreaming of visiting.

I want to ask you something.

Have you ever taken a trip with someone you love and realized afterward that the best part wasn’t where you went, but the time you spent together?

Maybe it was your sister…. Your daughter…. Your best friend…. Your partner.

Or perhaps it was a solo adventure where you discovered something wonderful about yourself.

I’d love to hear about it.

Hit reply and tell me where you went, who you went with, and the moment you remember most.

And if this week’s escape reminded you of someone you’d love to travel with, send it to them.

Perhaps it’s time to start planning your next adventure together.

There is a whole world waiting.

And we have stories left to live.

Until the next Sunday,

Asa 💜

Writer • Traveler • Seeker of Beautiful Ordinary Things

Five minutes away. Something to carry home.

There is always room around our firepit.