I’ve been out of town a bunch lately. A Parisian getaway with a few good girlfriends, and Toronto with a gentleman currently known as “the omnivore.” The weeks leading up to Paris, then between Paris and Toronto, and then following Toronto till now have been all sorts of busy—with work deadlines and puppy-sitting, concerts, plays, dinner plans, and the sorts of exhilarating adult responsibilities such as grocery shopping, laundry, paper-grading, insurance pestering and tax preparations I usually accomplish those weekend afternoons that have been dedicated lately to transportation from one country to another.

This weekend, I spent firmly planted in Pittsburgh, but with a mini-holiday mentality that reminded me why it is I love this city: friends, family, mercurial weather, people doing ridiculously creative things with food, drink, art, culture.

Friday was PBT’s ode to Balanchine with my mother. Gorgeous. Agon, the first of the evening was particularly mesmerizing. Geometric and athletic and exposed. Every muscle a new memory. Saturday started with lunch at Sababa in Squirrel Hill with three generations of women. A sunny salad of greens, avocado, chickpeas and egg dressed in a lime vinaigrette that zipped through the torrential downpour. Lunch was followed by the Symphony performing Disney in Concert (cheesy, but nostalgic and wonderful, and the astonishingly well-behaved children in attendance were a delight) and Handmade Arcade, where I spent far more than I should have on beautiful things from friends far more talented than myself, including handcrafted ceramic earrings from Redraven Studios (daffodils for spring!) and a hand-bound, leather-and-wood edition of Unicorn Mountain’s third publication, The Black Forest. Takeout Thai from that place on Liberty that is not the one right by the SureSave, but a block up from the SureSave, and a root beer float with Root liquor. Lazy Sunday morning followed by white peony tea at Voluto and a boozy birthday BBQ in Bloomfield.

What I’ve done, but have neglected to document: Lots, really. Next to Normal and Sara Bareilles and Kurt Vile and Ragnar Kjartansson. Brgr for falafel and herbed parmesan fries, the Cantina for Bloody Marias and tofu scramble on the back patio, Los Cabos for chile rellenos and bean tostadas, Piccolo Forno for wood-fired pizza and BYO-red, Kaya for happy hour Dark ‘n’ Stormies, Pastitsio for spankopita and dolmas, La Gourmandine for a baguette that rivals those found in the boulangeries of Paris.

I love getting out of town, and what I love even more is coming back to this town.

Now, please enjoy a smattering of my pics from Paris.