Letting Down Your Hair, Even Without Any

A small-town charm is everywhere in Peekskill, NY..

It's nice to have a friend you can see from time to time, someone with whom you can truly let down your hair—even if you don’t have any. To let life's serious side fade away and simply revel in the moment. Such friends are rare and precious, and sometimes, expressing how much they mean to us is even rarer.

I have a friend like this; someone I met today in her office. She holds a special place in my heart, and I always cherish our time together laughing, talking, sharing stories shaped by our diverse backgrounds. She hails from the Dominican Republic, while my roots trace back to the backwards pockets of the South and the streets of San Francisco, where I found myself.

We always enjoy our time so much that we’ve decided to make it a weekly tradition. Perhaps we’ll take a leisurely stroll through Peekskill at lunch, savoring an hour of walking and talking. Though Peekskill may lack the pretzel and hot dog stands of New York City, the abundance of delis on Main Street makes it feel almost like a walk through the Bronx.

Ah, Manhattan—always on my mind. A city that never fails to stir nostalgia and longing, weaving itself into my thoughts no matter where I go.