I’m on board the Lucky Star and arriving in Manhattan in half an hour. Kind of amazed, considering that I rolled out of bed this morning and was ready to axe this last-minute trip altogether. Then I showered, got a pep talk from Patrick (who loves it when I leave town so he can “finally get some peace and quiet around here”), and packed a bag with the bare minimums (laptop, camera, chargers, a book, toiletries, two t-shirts, and PJs). I was only planning on being away for a day so that I could attend Swagapalooza. Now it looks like I’m staying until Saturday because my girlfriends in the city ae dragging me out to Fashion’s Night Out tomorrow. (I was told that there’d be free stuff and booze, which seemed like a good enough reason to extend the visit.) I’d like to crash a Fashion Week show too, but I’m woefully underdressed. Said girlfriends bribed me into staying by offering to clothe me, but really, what I’m lacking is UNDIES.

Speaking of that, I am now having coffee with a potential employer in an hour, and I am wearing a hoodie. My t-shirt would be best described as “pirate-y”. Is this okay? He knows I’m on the Chinatown bus, so I’m sure wardrobe expectations are low.

And because I love to share, my rest stop lunch today consisted of four pathetic chicken nuggets from Burger King. Please note my index finger for size comparison:

Really, really sad. Especially since I’m about to informally interview for a food-related blogging gig. I desperately need some banh mi beforehand for a belated second meal of the day. Best bet will be the new location of Banh Mi Saigon (introduced to me this summer by former Serious Eats intern and Boston food blogger Lingbo Li).

Wish me luck, and if you and/or someone you know wants to talk dating while feminist and first date etiquette, shoot me a line at lena[at]lenachen[dot]com. I’ll be in town until Saturday!