NYC 2026 - Week 6
New room in Bushwick
HALFWAY HOME
Oops, she did it again! Yes, I know I’m late with my newsletter. I’m not super proud of this, but I do believe this is how it should be from now on: delivery on Mondays! Why? Well, I’ve literally passed the halfway mark of my journey here in Brooklyn. In exactly six weeks from now, on July 13, I’ll be packing my stuff again to journey back to Belgium.
In this week and a half, a lot of things shifted again for me. I’ve moved places, and I’m writing from my new room in Bushwick—a small sanctuary I can rent for the rest of my stay here. Instead of using Airbnb again, I had the good luck of knowing someone who is renting out her room while traveling to San Francisco. I arrived yesterday and my soul is HAPPY. I’ve been co-housing for some years now, and being able to stay in a place by myself is a great gift! Can’t wait to cook my own meals again, and to not have to look to see if someone else has to use the bathroom or kitchen. Hallelujah!
Bushwick, baby
INSTAFAMOUS
Last week, I had some exciting news about a gig. Today, I can tell you more about it. So a fashion influencer I’ve been following for a while, needed a professional to help her with a small sewing project: to make 5 silk squares, in 3 different sizes. I shot my shot. She has 45k followers, and I didn’t think it would be possible for me to land this. But my proposal to make the scarves together in a workshop kind of thing spoke to her, and so we set up our sewing date.
I was in full focus mode. I’ve worked with a lot of different materials already, but I went and did some decent research to know every little detail there is to know about this. I purchased a yard of silk myself and headed to the New York Sewing Center to do a test, calculate the timing, and be fully prepared. But practice and theory don’t always match. (For real, does it ever really add up?)
Long story short, my four-hour proposed workshop turned into a 10-hour sewing project (I had to come back the day after). I did a lot of troubleshooting. I had to improvise to set up the workstation (we didn’t have access to a big table or an ironing board), and on top of that, the fabric seemed to react to steaming it to a point where I was afraid I had fucked up completely.
Dealing with all of this on top of being in a room alone with a person who seems flawless from the outside, gave me a lot of stress. We did a part of the scarf-making together, but since it took a lot longer, she had to run out frequently. On top of that, she also got the unfortunate news that there was a building on fire just next to her apartment. (See the picture of the fire department in the secret portal). The perfectionist in me wanted to deliver the best silk scarves you’ve ever seen. But at the same time, I had to be careful not to take all of the setbacks on my shoulders. So with a steady pace, with the space and materials I had, I did my best to deliver high-end silk scarves.
I’m still not sure if she’s happy with the service and the final products. Dealing with a true New Yorker taught me what a purely transactional relationship feels like, and it’s so different from how I operate. I take things to heart, which I realize might be keeping me from landing more of these gigs. Still, I’m here to learn, and I’m grateful the Universe is throwing these challenges at me to push me out of my comfort zone. It’s a process, but I can't shake the feeling that I failed, especially since one of the scarves had a bit of damage in the end.
Anyway, I’m a big believer of the fact that the Universe never throws you something you cannot deal with. I’ll try end remember this next time at the start of a project. Lol.
Working on promo for embroidery workshop @ BKYLNBLEND
KEEP IT ROLLING
Not only did I land a gig with the influencer, I had the opportunity to be a vendor at a little pop-up market. I hung up my Soothing Stitches collection while also offering flash embroidery: a small embroidered design to get on one of your favorite items. And I’ve been organizing a workshop morning with one of my new friends, which I’m really excited about! More about this next week.
Other things I did last week:
I danced my ass off at a party called Soul Summit, at the Knockdown Center in Flushing. Still on my sober journey, I surprised myself by having so much energy. The music was very groovy, and I even got to see a real ‘cypher’—a circle on the dance floor where people take turns showing off their moves. Didn’t find the courage yet to claim my space in that circle, but building up to this for next time.
I went on dates three and four with a guy. It’s so new for me to not try and force something, to observe what this connection does to me and how I feel in the present moment. I’m enjoying myself and his company a lot. So I'd say let goooo!
I found a little robin on the sidewalk, looking a bit startled. So I took it up and put it in a little box to see if rest would be what it needed. But unfortunately, it was underfed. I held it in my hands while it was dying, and this was an experience I won’t forget and found so special: to feel the life leave a body. I took it to the park and made sure it could rest in peace.
Voila, and that’s that for this week, my dears! I’m SUPER excited with the thought that I’m only halfway into my trip. Still so much to experience, to discover, to rewire, to liiiiiiiive! This place gives me so much joy and energy, and I can feel my mind and my soul expanding. Not ready to come home just yet, but thinking about the home front <3
Still grateful for everyone reading this and following my journey on a weekly basis. Sending big hugs and kisses to all of you!
With love,
Naomi/Numi
