OUR GIRL IN NEW YORK
A few weeks ago, the dress was purple. The groom was missing. And the castle in Italy was filled with people who only cared about their own outfit. Luckily, not today. The man stands on the other side of the aisle that I will walk down – thank god – in the right white. I am ready. I stand alone without the people who should be here. I look into the empty space searching for a familiar face to ask about the plan, when Lotte strides in confidently. Our dearest wedding planner. Luckily. She does look a bit off though. Wild hair, in jeans with paint stains and a huge phone in her hands. ‘Everything is arranged,’ she assures me while looking at me intently. I can only focus on the streaks of paint along her cheek. ‘What’s going to be okay?’ I ask her. She tells me once again that everything is fine, that it ultimately comes down to Teun being there and that the guests from the other wedding agree to stay seated so the room isn’t empty. She pushes me onto the path. I nod at a few strange faces looking my way. The others are talking wildly with hand gestures to fellow guests. Guests who are not ours. I feel a panic attack coming on. But Teun catches my eye. I am going to marry him and he is here. The rest doesn’t matter.
Wild hair, in jeans with paint stains and a huge phone in her hands
Like a mantra, I repeat these words. Whispering softly. And then I am there. The walk to Teun seems to last an eternity. We sit down and the completely unfamiliar master of ceremonies in front of us begins. She enjoys doing a quiz. Takes a pan with tasks (?) and then I feel something on my right shoulder. Hundreds of white spiders are crawling where I felt something. I scream. I scream even louder. I swat them off me. And get tangled in the tulle. Luckily, a few hours later the curtains open and it’s a winter fairy tale outside. The countless snowflakes confirm that it is not yet May. Thank god. It was just a dream, it’s not spring yet. And while staring at the white scene outside, I realize that the stress has really crept in unconsciously now. The path to the altar is in sight.
That it is not yet spring is evident. But still, we were able to taste it for a moment yesterday. With open shoes, open coat, and an open blouse without a wool sweater, I went outside. And today, 12 inches of snow is expected. No, but there’s nothing wrong with the climate, you know (I am really team Leeuw)
Thai soup, hot dogs, Japanese sushi, tea, and a glass of water. A nicely balanced order. We are sitting at The Mercer Kitchen. I always find it more enjoyable upstairs than downstairs. The well-known shop in Soho remains a nice place. Especially in between shopping. In a metallic jacket, we storm the stores. Not for me unfortunately; men’s jeans are on the agenda.
And then there was the SS17 from Zara. Now I am indeed for myself in Soho. The store was colored fuchsia and soft pink at the front. I need to get used to that. But still, it drew me inside. The perfectly arranged racks in pink mean one thing: the SS17 has arrived. Of course, I had to browse a bit. With sixteen pieces, I go into the fitting room. With three, I stand at the checkout. Nicely done. I mean: my Zara addiction can lead to larger quantities. Completely satisfied, I walk towards the subway, towards home. It was a good week. Calm, but pure. Until exactly seven days from now!
