Of the moment // 2.16.18
One of the reasons why I blog is simply to have the space to write: getting things “on paper” helps me to process my feelings and organize my thoughts. I also love having a record of my life over the past few years: a place that holds all of my stories, my photos, the ups and downs of travel. But sometimes, I also just want to remember and share the little things that brought me day-to-day joy. Every Friday, I’ll give you a peek into the book I currently can’t put down, a great restaurant discovery, a fun new product or an inspiring quote: a few things that I think you might enjoy before we all take off into the glory that is the weekend!
One of the big reasons that we decided to do a month without alcohol and sugar was to see if we could reset some better habits and reduce cravings for both. We finished up the month on Valentine’s Day, and celebrated with a glass of red wine with dinner and a pint of chocolate fudge ice cream! Even though it was fun to indulge a bit, I feel like the month did its trick: I tried some great new workout classes and found some cool hikes, and waking up super clear-headed every morning has felt wonderful. Will be writing about it a bit more next week, but overall, it was a really good experience: I think we’re going to make it an annual tradition to start the year off.
Looks
I was back in Sacramento over the weekend to celebrate my high school bestie buying her first house (!), and wanted to wear something bright and colorful (if you ask her favorite color, she’ll tell you it’s a bold print, a la the dress she wore to our wedding party). Obsessed with this DVF floral jumpsuit from RTR Unlimited: it was surprisingly comfortable, flattering and versatile.
Reads
I love popping into independent bookstores when I’m traveling, and one of my new resolutions is to buy a book whenever I find a bookstore that I really love. I discovered the cabin-esque Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, and picked up The Bright Hour after seeing it in the staff recommendations. It’s been on my mind after reading (and crying over) this post, especially since I loved (and cried plenty over) When Breath Becomes Air. My grandmother passed away from breast cancer right when I moved to New York City (and her health was part of the reason why I came back from Southeast Asia), so a lot of things in the book feel particularly close and moving.
Podcasts
I binged on the Heaven’s Gate podcast this week, and it was SO interesting. I didn’t really know much about the cult or what happened (or that the mass suicide happened in San Diego), and the podcast does a really good job of giving background on how it started, the type of people who joined, and how things escalated. The host actually grew up in a religious cult himself, so he offers a unique and empathetic perspective. 
Drinks
I was in Seattle for work earlier this week, and I just about died over how cute the lattes at Moore Coffee were! The purple one is taro, and the other one is HORCHATA (aka one of my favorite flavors in the entire world). They don’t take requests–it all depends on the foam!–but I was very hopeful for a little pup and my latte art dreams were granted. It’s the little things!
Words
“It’s good to do uncomfortable things. It’s weight training for life.” -Anne Lamott
This (long) weekend, I’m taking a solo desert road trip to Seven Magic Mountains (in a new Chevy Cruze!) and I’m very excited for all of the neon. We’re also (finalllly) trying out this sushi restaurant and going to a wedding in San Diego. It’s gonna be a fun one!
