From JuJu with Love

For Helene, whose strength brought us together and reminded us how sweet life —and friendship — can be 

Last year, my dear friend Helene had a cancer scare. When the word spread, our travel family—women from different cities, different backgrounds, different decades of life—closed ranks instantly. We rallied around her the way only women can: with love, humor, texts, calls, prayers, and an unshakable belief that she was going to be okay. Our own group of steel magnolias.

Thankfully, she was okay. And once she was feeling strong again, we decided the only appropriate way to celebrate was with a girls’ weekend in New York City.

Helene lives in Brooklyn, and I flew in a day early so we could have some one-on-one time. I had never been to Brooklyn before, and she gave me the most perfect introduction. We wandered Coney Island, eating Nathan’s hot dogs on the boardwalk like carefree teenagers, laughing and soaking in the salty air. Then she drove me all over Brooklyn, proudly showing me her world.

We stopped at Brooklyn Promenade Park, where the views of Manhattan took my breath away. I finally saw the Brooklyn Bridge up close, ate pizza under the bridge in the DUMBO neighborhood, and sat in a classic Brooklyn diner that felt like it had a hundred stories tucked into every booth. By the time we headed into Manhattan to meet the rest of our friends, my heart was already full.

That night, our circle grew. Nancy came in from Baltimore, Judy arrived from New Jersey, Nanette joined us from Manhattan, and suddenly there were twelve of us around a dinner table—travel friends who feel more like chosen family. We laughed, told stories, hugged a lot, and celebrated not just Helene’s health, but the gift of being together.

The next day, Stacy came in from Connecticut, and we visited the Rise Museum, which was fantastic. Later, Judy, Nanette, Nancy, Helene, and I headed to Broadway to see Hell’s Kitchen. It was powerful, fun, and the perfect New York afternoon.

The following morning, Nanette opened her home to us for brunch, cooking alongside Judy. There is something incredibly special about gathering in someone’s apartment—coffee brewing, food cooking, conversations overlapping—feeling like locals instead of tourists. We met my friend Mark for a walk along the East River, soaking in the city from a quieter angle, and that evening we topped it all off by seeing Jon Oliver and Seth Meyers live.

From Coney Island hot dogs to Broadway lights, from Brooklyn bridges to late-night laughter, it was a weekend filled with gratitude, friendship, and joy. Most of all, it was a celebration of life—of resilience, of love, and of the women who show up for one another, no matter what.

From JuJu with Love 💙✈️