Hither & Thither turns four

Another milestone we like to celebrate: the anniversary of the blog. Aron wrote the first post for Hither & Thither after a freezing walk to work on a bitter January morning, four years ago (technically, four years ago yesterday, but a certain six-month-old got some vaccines on the eve and we were all a bit zonked).

Ever since that first post, the site has managed to surprise us. We are surprised by all the pleasure that it gives us, by the friendships it has led us to and the community it has introduced us to. We are also surprised by how time-consuming it can be and, frankly, that we still enjoy writing it as much as we do! Sometimes we find ourselves doing something in the city because we know it might lead to a good post, but more often than not we’re glad to be nudged–it has led us to see many things and many places with different eyes; I think we’re better for it. And I’m especially grateful for that motivation now that our pace and our comings-and-goings are changing so much again with the addition of Hudson.

Thank you so much for reading along and motivating us to continue with your nice comments and your emails these past three years! It really does mean a lot to us.

Here are some of our favorite blog highlights from the past year:

In January, I snuck out for a long lunch and took photos of Central Park after a snow storm; we made an appearance in Rue magazine; and we made a delicious upside-down pear and cardamom cake.

In February, we celebrated the Year of the Rabbit; went on a cruise to the Caribbean (and tacked on a visit to San Juan); finished our travelogue about our trip to India; and announced we were anticipating our most exciting collaboration–a baby!

In March, we posted photos of a favorite stop in Old San Juan; I started writing Baby Mine (where I posted weekly pregnancy photos and shared things like our registry checklist, “what it’s like to travel while pregnant” and some thoughts on having a baby in the city); we shared how we told my parents they would soon be grandparents; and I I did my best to decoupage like Derian.

April brought amazing life-size images of whales; a wanderlust itinerary for a trip to Vietnam; spring blossoms; and a recipe for a delicious strawberry salad. (I can’t wait until it’s berry season again!) We also traveled to California for baby showers and made time for a romantic side-trip to Napa.

In May, we took a short trip to D.C. for a Urology conference (and celebrated our anniversary there) and I was promoted to Editor at my publishing house. I also wrote a breakfast column for Serious Eats, and shared some of my finds. We sampled fresh donuts; snacked at Madison Square Eats; and greeted spring at the greenmarket while counting down to my due date. And we shared photos of the beautiful phenomenon called Manhattanhenge.

In June, we checked out the newly opened extension of the High Line; watched spring turn to summer at the greenmarket; and welcomed the return of the New Amsterdam market. We shared a travelogue from our last pre-baby hurrah in Cape Cod; wrote a love letter to New York; rode on a bicycle-built-for-two; and sought out cool breezes along the Hudson on hot summer nights.

Hudson arrived in July, bringing with him a burst of sunshine. (Literally. The temperatures soared to record highs that week–it was 105 when we first met with our pediatrician.) Nothing that month (or any) could match our excitement to introduce our beautiful son, but a few other things did happen before he came: we watched the sun set from atop the Met; swam in waters off Sandy Hook; ate watermelon salads in Battery City park; and I contributed to the inaugural issue of Kinfolk. Generous, wonderful guest posters stepped in to help us take a break to enjoy our new baby.

In August, we took refuge from Hurricane Irene with… dessert; strolled the length of Summer Streets; crossed the Brooklyn Bridge for a movie in the loveliest of settings; and continued to stock up on Sungold tomatoes and other summer favorites at the market.

September took us on our first flight with Hudson (California at two months)–a success! We shared our favorite spot for Fish & Chips; posted about going Dutch in the East Village; and reminisced about a ride out to the Little Red Lighthouse.

In October, we shared a travelogue from a family road trip to the Berkshires, as well as our failed attempts to procure a pumpkin during a daytrip along the North Fork of Long Island. The city looked beautiful when it suddenly snowed, in an odd preview of winter, but we were saddened to learn how many trees were destroyed by the early storm. Oh, and we hugged and kissed a shark!

 

November is always beautiful in New York–especially when the marathon comes through Central Park. We updated the site and gave it a new look (on WordPress), and I bid farewell to Baby Mine. I spent lots of time watching Netflix Instant with a sleeping baby on my lap and revisited freshman year of Felicity–and found I wasn’t the only one.

In December, I contributed to Manhattan Magazine. And we enjoyed the holidays: we took Hudson to meet Santa; trimmed the tree; and strolled Fifth Avenue with the crowds to see the holiday windows before flying to California for Christmas.

Thank you again for reading and for helping to make this a fantastic year. Enjoy the weekend!

[Favorites from last year, here]