Navigating New York between November and the New Year

As if 8 million people living in a city weren’t enough, at the holiday season it feels like 8 million tourists clogging our thoroughfares as well. For every busy person, there is a dawdler.

And as if we didn’t have enough to do, and enough things to spend money on, now we have less time to work, more presents to purchase and the inconvenience of shopping for them all with these other 8 million New Yorkers and the 8 million visiting tourists.

So how do we manage and maintain a happy self? This is goal of these short days – the month between November 22 and December 22 when the daylight dwindles and the to do list escalates. If I had it all figured out, it wouldn’t be the fodder of my pondering. Here are the tactics I am exploring.

1. Exercise more. More endorphins and more calorie burning come in handy.
2. Walk. Street level traffic is just aggravating. Stay below ground and outside of the holiday attractions – 42nd – 59th streets, 6th avenue – Park.
3. Buy one great gift – not lots of smaller items. This is new for me. This will save me time – I’m hoping it also makes for great gift giving.
4. Wrap as you go – or have the gifts wrapped and shipped so you don’t have to wait or lug.
5. Give to someone who needs food on the table, not another cashmere scarf. Cutting back on the cashmere socks can enable both.
6. Commit random acts of kindness.
7. Tip generously.
8. Enjoy the one advantage of global warming – lovely winter weather.
9. Relax in the throngs of people – look at this beautiful city they are enthralled with.
10. Sing. It’s fun.