moving from the pov of my dog
we love you, brooklyn
Floor Time
/flôr tīm/
noun
the 15-60 minute time period spent laying on the floor in the middle of the work day, typically as a relief from the soul-sucking reality of corporate America.
It happened. After 5 years of living blissfully in Brooklyn, I have made my way back to Work Island—Manhattan, girl, we back!
I have run the gamut of emotions leading up to the move, with the three big feelings being: 1) excitement, 2) nostalgia, and 3) grief. I am excited about the new chapter of life that this move marks. I’m nostalgic about the growth I’ve undergone during my time in Williamsburg, the dinner parties and movie nights I hosted, and the DIY project after DIY project I tackled during the height of the pandemic. And I’m grieving this era of my life—living with best friends, learning to build my business, and becoming a puppy parent for the first time.
Which brings me to Klaus. The sweetest of eggs, Klaus. Klaus left the only home he’s ever known. I moved into my apartment in July 2020 and adopted Klaus in September at 11 weeks old (his birthday is July 6—everybody say, “happy almost birthday to da little cancer baby!!”). I was very nervous about the move with him. For a week, there were loud, large, plastic boxes that took over the entire apartment. My room was in a state of disarray. And on moving day, I had to give him some of the good drugs so he’d be more comfortable when the moving men came to take away all his possessions.
Luckily, he took it like a champ. I didn’t bring him to the new space until the end of the day, when half the boxes were unpacked and there was enough runway for him to roam around and get his sniffs in. We spent the next couple days going on long walks around the new neighb. He was thrilled to be close to both a dog park and dog-friendly cafe (where he met his new boyfriend—on Pride month, no less!). And the more we wandered, and the more he took to his new environment, the more I felt excited about the decision to move. I felt reassured that this new neighborhood would feel like home very soon.
In Williamsburg, I knew every shop owner and neighbor—that’s what happens when you raise a puppy that requires you to take him on potty breaks every 15 minutes (you think I’m kidding, see this). I became a regular at Gertie (which closed at the same time I moved…kinda poetic and emotional), knew everyone who worked at de Mole, and befriended a few key neighbors1. Establishing a community makes it all the more difficult to move. Yet, knowing that I had invested enough time and forged enough relationships (even if just in passing) to feel that melancholy was kinda amazing. And I don’t think I would’ve had those deep connections if not for Klaus.
At the point of writing, we’ve only been in the new neighborhood for 3 full days2, but in that time, I’ve had encounters reminiscent of those early days with Klaus. The first day, I took him on a 1.5-hour-long walk. We spotted hawks in the park with two women who shared a heap of hawk + dog stories with us. I was stopped by a guy who has lived in the neighborhood for 20+ years. He opened the interaction by shouting, “Oi! Is that one of those rat-hunting dogs?!” which made me physically jump. Apparently his friend breeds rat terriers and “we need more of them in the neighborhood.” Hear, hear. We received two compliments about our training (we’re always working on reactivity with Klaus, as there are certain dogs he has decided are his nemesis). One runner and his dog stopped to acknowledge “amazing training going on here,” and another woman with two poodles said, “what a well-trained boy!” *Hair flip*.
I hope Klaus knows how seen he is in the neighborhood already. Because it’s felt like a warm welcome for me by proxy, and I can’t wait to build a new community in our new space together.
Finally, not like Williamsburg will read this, but shout out to her for being the best home for us these past 5 years. You don’t forget the places that morph you into who you are, and for that I’m eternally grateful.
Something I Thought of in the Shower
What does July 4 look like in this new hellscape?
Something for Clarice
Hey! This newsletter is free and I intend to keep it that way. That said, if you love it and want to show your appreciation, buy me a coffee :)
Something Pretty
I spent the past week in San Diego, and man, there really is no place like California. I hung out in the Lafayette Hotel for an evening and it was like a mix of old Hollywood, a Wes Anderson lobby, and the hotel from “The Shining.” So beautiful.
By the way…I’m reading this.
With the move and subsequent travel, I’m still finishing up The Long Way to a Small , Angry Planet. But on the docket are the Island of Sea Women and Woodworking. Did ya’ll also see the trailer for Project, Hail Mary?! I can hardly wait to see what Rocky looks like.
And I’m watching this.
I’ve watched every episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for the past ten years. But lately there have been some particularly well-executed episodes that I’ve enjoyed. I loved / hated this episode on AI slop because it made me feel equally disturbed and sad. And I still think about how Stephen so expertly conducted this joint interview with NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander and now-primary winner, Zohran Mamdani.
I have conflicted feelings about July 4, but I will celebrate any excuse to enjoy summer and be with people I love—hope you do, too.
‘Til next time, Official Klaus Fan Club. Your friend,
Clarice
one of which I ran into on our final walk around the block in the Williamsburg apartment. I cried in front of them, then continued to ball when I got back into the apartment. It was totally chill and normal.
note to self: moving and then going right into 2 weeks of travel = chaos. don’t do. bad.