Amanda Hirsch and I were apparently separated at birth.
She’s a transplanted New Yorker who first lived in Manhattan before decamping for Brooklyn. Her Twitter profile reads:

Digital media consultant, improv comedian, writer. Yogi, vegetarian, traveler. Advocate for indie media, animals, & sustainable, ethical food. See also: naps.

So, I’m not an improv comedian or yogi. But social media, writer, vegetarian, traveler, sustainable food? I’m not a big napper, but if Amanda will allow me to count sleeping in on Saturdays, we’re twinsies.
As a relative newcomer to NYC, Amanda launched her blog, ZENyc, which she describes as being “about staying centered amid the chaos of New York City.”
She writes posts like three things to do this week to relax in and around New York, or this one on change:

We don’t have to live on auto-pilot. Change is possible. With this in mind, take a few minutes to reflect on the past week:

• What was stressful for you? What is one small step you can take to avoid experiencing the same stress in the week ahead? For example, if your boss is driving you crazy… can you imagine him or her as a character in a movie? If you witness his or her behavior in this way, does it take the sting out of bad behavior? Can you see him or her as just another character in this crazy movie we call life?
• When were you happiest? What can you do to increase your happiness in the week ahead? Is there someone whose presence energizes you? If so, can you spend more time with that person? Alternately, are you craving alone time?  Remember, sometimes the smallest step can make a huge difference: fresh flowers on your desk at work, or taking the time to make yourself lunch with ingredients from the farmers market.

Amanda writes on her about page:

the hard truth is that it’s up to you to find Zen in the city — no one can do it for you. You can’t press a button and find inner peace. But this blog, created with love by someone who needs it as much as you do, will provide a steady stream of resources, ideas and perspective to help you coexist more peacefully with the wild and crazy ride that is life in the Big Apple.

At some point, we’ll have to meet in person for a vegetarian, sustainable meal to talk about travel and social media. Until then, Amanda’s blogging away here in Brooklyn inspires me to keep it up.  And to find my Zen in NYC.