Amtrak: Charlottesville to New York City by Train

Josh and I have been in a consistent video editing loop for (what seems like) an eternity and, in general, do not excel at setting aside time for ourselves to mentally refresh. We would primarily only travel for work (with the exception of our “one international personal trip per year”). And, even on those, we would tend to overpack camera gear.

With the recent commitment to resurrecting an online journal space came the opportunity to plan for more personal trips with purpose. After all, we are visual creators who are inspired by the world around us and memorable experiences. I have also always found journaling to be incredibly therapeutic and enjoy exploring the perspectives of others (either through written words/images or YouTube vlogs).

My handy Leica Q2 came along with us on this trip. It has genuinely been my favorite camera in a very long time and it’s all thanks to Josh. He’s spent the last almost-eight years attempting to convert me to Leica… and he finally met success with that.

The Q2 is a compact, quality digital camera that has truly inspired me to document more of my every day. We have owned quite the arsenal of both film and digital gear over the years and, for travel, my issue was consistently the size and weight of my photo capturing device. I enjoy items that are practical and this manages to be just that, without sacrificing character or image quality.

This was my first experience stepping foot into Penn Station and, according to several individuals we spoke with, they recently completed some major renovations. Josh visited years ago (before we were dating) and mentioned that the station was in less than ideal conditions. This time around, however, was quite the improvement. The new station was modern and had plenty of options for seating and nourishment.

Hermès Brides de Gala Silk Plissé Scarf via The RealReal | Galeries Lafayette Navy Beret | DIOR Bow Earrings via Poshmark | Sheertex “Nude Sheer Tights” in Light-Medium | Alexandre Birman Kittie 50 Boot in Cognac via Poshmark | See by Chloé Mara Saddle Bag via Bloomingdale’s | Paravel Aviator Carry-On Plus Luggage in Scout Tan | Christine Alcalay Linen Face Mask in Floral | Fleurette Wool Coat in Tan via The RealReal | Mustard Yellow Merino Wool Sweater (Banana Republic 2017) | Reversible Tulle Midi Skirt in Navy (Uniqlo 2018)

After settling into our hotel (a newly opened Japanese hotel — Henn na Hotel New York), we explored. We brought along some used camera gear to trade-in to B&H Photo, so that was our very first stop. This was my second experience selling to B&H and, like the previous time, it was a breeze.

Note: You can certainly earn more by selling directly to an individual (B&H needs to earn money somehow), but you do save time and energy. Unfortunately, Josh has had several terrible experiences selling on eBay and actually lost money on multiple occasions. It’s incredible how people can purchase equipment, use and/or break the item, then demand a return with a false claim.

Below: As we walked through the Broadway area, we noticed some loud music on the street. We had very limited time to observe (we were on our way to meet some friends). However, it looked festive.

We ended the evening meeting up with some NYC friends at Ippudo Westside. Josh and I have been major fans of Ippudo since visiting Japan, so we jump at the opportunity for some delicious ramen.

Admittedly, our group took a quick selfie — but the overhead lighting in the restaurant resulted in everyone having unflattering, raccoon-looking eyes. I figured I would save everyone from the cringeworthy-ness of publicly sharing this particular image (which we forgot to re-capture). Failure.

After our delicious meal, we retired for the evening. Overall, it was a delightful day of adventuring — and we were thrilled to finally spend some quality time away from all of the hustle and bustle.

Photographs captured in combination by Josh and myself on the Leica Q2 or iPhone 13 Pro.