Carson and I fell in love in New York. At least that's how I remember it. We had just started dating exclusively, we were still sort of stumbling over introducing ourselves as a couple. Everything was new and easy, like it always is in that puppy love stage. When we both landed summer gigs in NYC, we had no idea just how serendipitous it was to be in the same place at the same time without trying.

Thanks to Carson's job at Variety, we happily spent our days and nights eating hors d'oeuvres and clinking champagne glasses, hobnobbing with Hollywood's finest 25-and-under starlets. The song Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear still reminds me of day drinking in the park, the free peach cobbler at HBO, long nights on a rooftop in Crown Heights.

I thought our recent trip to NY would ruin those good feelings. Especially since in a series of calamities I'd lost my glasses, acquired not one, but two $115 parking tickets in Manhattan, and got in a row with our hosts about whether or not cats and dogs, more specifically their cats and our dog, could get along.

Costello just wanted to be friends with the cats. He really, really did.

We still have the itch for NY. We just know it's one we can't afford to scratch.

Mel sets up Tabled at Brooklyn Flea over Memorial Day Weekend!

Despite the turmoil, we also had some moments of utter karmic justice. I set up my first maker booth at Brooklyn Flea and Olivia Palermo eyed one of my bottle stoppers. Costello and I took a handful of long, sunny morning walks along the Hudson. We ate cheese plates above the Brooklyn skyline with friends. We attended a quirky Monday night comedy show at Union Hall. In short, we did all the things that remind you why there's no place like New York.

A few months later, after nearly two weeks in Montreal and Toronto, we saw the upstate of NY and its crowning jewel: Niagara Falls. We parked at the far end of a WalMart nearby and spent a hot afternoon wandering the park with our goofy pooch. Thinking we'd seen all there was to see, we checked out at our Walmart with a cold sandwich and some items we were calling supper. The cashier off-handedly chimed in that the falls were beautiful at night. We left our cold sandwich in the fridge and drove back one more time.

The falls alight in pink and red and blue were a fitting NY finale.

Until a semi truck pulled in right next to us and ran his motor all night. NY, you're a mystery.

Niagara Falls at night -- it's quite a sight!

Costello befriended some adorable little girls at Niagara. We loved them.

Some tourists explore "under the falls" at Niagara.