How to Redefine Indulgence

And treat yourself while supporting your body and bank account

Indulgence doesn’t need to be expensive, unhealthy, or unattainable - it can be as simple as building on your favorite everyday pleasures | Photo by Nejron Photo on Shutterstock

One of the most exciting periods of my life was my early twenties, when I got to live out a childhood fantasy of living and working in New York City.

I loved the energy of possibility and creativity in NYC. Sometimes I would wake up at 5 am on a Saturday and take the subway down to Brighton Beach to watch the sunrise against the backdrop of Coney Island; stroll the Lower East Side with friends; and then wander through Central Park on my way home to the Upper West Side. I felt like Patti Smith in “Just Kids,” juggling work, stress, and money to satisfy a hunger to experience everything the city has to offer.

But in the end, four years of adventure, work, and constant activity put a strain on both my health and my bank account and I said goodbye to New York for good. 

Now at age 30, I’m living in Berlin and enjoying a much more balanced life at a calmer pace. Though every so often, I find myself reminiscing about my former life and craving the adventure and indulgence I associate with it — without the ridiculous cost or stress.

Though now I want to indulge in ways that support me rather than taxing my body and my bank account. To build a life around pleasures that are simple, available, and make me feel better rather than worse the day after.

Here are some of the best ways I’ve learned to do that in Berlin:

№1 Play Gourmet at Home

One of the places I miss most of all from New York is L’Express: a 24/7 French Bistro in Midtown that welcomes you with Frank Sinatra and Edith Piaf no matter what time you walk in the door. On days of celebration — or disappointment — I always looked forward to ordering a spring salad with marinated chicken salad with a slice of toasted bread and goat cheese on the side. If I wanted variety, I could also grab an incredible salade nicoise or a frisée aux lardons salad with soft-boiled egg and delicious bits of bacon — dishes I had never heard of before moving to New York.

Since then, I’ve tightened my restaurant budget and expanded my cooking skills and now my favorite way to experience a taste of New York is to re-create my favorite dishes at home. I’ll often look up my favorite restaurants and take inspiration from what’s currently on the menu. It’s not only a playful challenge to my cooking skills but as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, it’s how I gather new ideas for clients to create delicious dishes at home when they’re stuck in a rut.

Whether you’re a master cook or not, re-creating dishes at home is still fun and creative. You have the chance to simplify recipes, create healthier alternatives, or take a new spin on things entirely. Such as when I recently ate an incredible “smashed chickpea” sandwich in Amsterdam and used it as the inspiration for smashed chickpea and sundried tomato crackers at home. Even if your efforts are a flop, you’ll grow your cooking skills and have fun experimenting in the process.

№2 Get into DIY Beauty

One of the luxuries I miss most after moving from NYC to San Francisco and later to Berlin is perfume. Few things were as soothing to me as running down Columbus Ave after work and enjoying the waves of perfume as I passed by elegant outdoor restaurants.

But as much as I love perfume, the scent I used to wear in my early twenties no longer fits me — and I’m no longer interested in the chemicals or high price tag associated with finding a new one.

For that reason, I was thrilled when I began seeing signs in SF and Berlin for perfume blending workshops. The workshops generally last a few hours and teach how to use a mixture of essential oils and base scents to create your own custom perfume.

In a few days, I’ll spend a few hours learning about scents and building a personal mix from scratch. I’m excited to learn some of the science behind perfume blending and create something from scratch with a few simple oils. If nothing else, it’s an experience that’s less expensive and more interesting than dropping into a department store and shelling out money for a designer perfume.

№3 Switch Out Expensive Dinners for Picnics

One of my favorite differences between the social scenes in New York and Berlin is that while New Yorkers opt for expensive dinners, Berliners tend to opt for picnics in the parks.

When the whole city turns green in Spring and Summer and great bread and fruit are easy to find, I often pack chilled grapes, berries, or a few vegetable spreads (e.g. grilled vegetables and arugula, or ratatouille) in a bag with a fresh loaf of bread. If it’s a warm day, I’ll bike to the park and ask friends to find a good Summer music playlist.

If you’re feeling spontaneous or want to start small, grab some fruit, a blanket, a good book, and walk or bike to a green area near you. For the 10 min it takes to grab something to eat and throw everything in a bag, a picnic is an immediate way to create a great afternoon.

№4 Plan a Sauna Afternoon

My simplest pleasure during Winter in NYC — which I looked forward to more than the tree at Rockefeller Center or new displays at Macy’s — was going to a hotel downtown with my best friend and chatting with a hot cocoa in front of a massive fireplace. The more frigid it was outside, the more we would lean our bodies into the fire until our faces turned pink.

Though I have yet to find a fireplace in Berlin, the sauna has become my favorite substitute.

Saunas are popular throughout Northern Europe and increasingly so in America in gyms and neighborhood spas. The sauna in my gym is my favorite destination at the end of long bike rides or the saving grace of a trip to the gym in deep Winter. To lie down after a long day in a cloud of herbal steam as stress melts away is one of the simplest pleasures I’ve gotten used to since moving to Germany.

№5 Take a Coffee Date in a Beautiful Place

I always had to catch my breath whenever I stepped into the Plaza Hotel or arrived at Grand Central Station and looked up at the constellations. Even if I was just grabbing a coffee or catching a train, the beauty in both places lifted my mood. Whether it’s a hotel, a train station, or a macaron shop like Ladurée, New York is filled with some places so luxurious that it feels special to linger there, even for just a minute.

Beauty is still something that uplifts me and transforms my mood. I’m not interested in gourmet dinners or exclusive clubs — nor can I afford them — I just want to leave my life behind once every few weeks and spend a few hours somewhere elegant.

So, every so often, I dress up and head to a beautiful restaurant or famous cafe in Berlin, like SETs in Charlottenburg or Winterfeldt Schokoladen in Schöneberg. I bring a book, sometimes a sketchpad, and order a coffee. For 3 euros, I treat myself to just being somewhere that brings me joy and lets me escape the world for a few hours.

№6 Organize a Bike Treasure Hunt

One of the things that’s hardest to recreate from my early 20s is the sense of constant discovery I felt on a weekly — sometimes daily — basis in NYC. It sometimes felt like every corner of Brighton Beach, the lower East side, Harlem — anywhere — had enough history to keep me interested for years.

That said, I also feel like curiosity is a muscle and habit that many of us get out of the habit of using.

At times when I want to discover new parts of Berlin, I grab a map (usually Google Maps) and highlight a certain neighborhood. Within that area, I look for 2–3 places I’m interested in and plan a weekend bike route that will take me to all of them. Sometimes it’s as simple as visiting I’ve park I’ve never been to, heading to a famous bakery, or checking out a hidden spot steeped in Cold War history.

At the moment, I’m planning a group bike trip with a few friends where each person chooses a favorite destination to surprise the group with.

In my opinion, the experience of going on an adventure and finding something new and exciting is also an indulgence that many of us slowly give up as we get older. This is one I try to keep alive wherever I live.

Conclusion

Around the time I turned 30, health became my top priority and I began to re-think everything I believed about fun, indulgence, and adventure.

I’d often viewed indulgence as at odds with health. I was used to working hard and then “treating myself” with extra dessert, a late night with friends, or a luxury that always cost me extra. In New York, I spent most of my life on work so I could enjoy a few beautiful, incredible moments outside of it.

On moving to Berlin, I decided to re-define indulgence from something I have to pay for to something that costs little and supports me on all levels. I look for ways to indulge in nature, in cooking, in beauty, in creativity, and in my body. The ideas I’ve shared are the ones I’ve enjoyed most so far —and I hope you do as well.