Of the moment // 10.12.18
I love to travel, but oh man, do I love to be home! Part of this blog has always been about celebrating that balance: I feel so strongly that you don’t need to be a full-time traveler to make travel a priority. And in my case, I feel like I enjoy traveling even more when I know that I have a place to come home to.
I think this was my first week without being on a plane or in a different country since August, and I don’t think I’ll get another week like this for at least a month! I took full advantage of it: went to a Megaformer class (my inner thighs are still burning), took a few walks on the beach (and thought, holy cow, how do I live here?!), cooked at home for just about every meal (thank you Blue Apron for making it easy), and caught up on all of my guilty pleasure reality TV (new Terrace House episodes are out!). It was glorious. I am counting down until I have another week just like this.
Looks
We wrapped up our 2018 wedding season last weekend (!) at an absolutely gorgeous ceremony in Santa Barbara. One of my good college friends got married, and it was basically a sorority reunion in the most beautiful setting. Perfect excuse to get dressed up and catch up with so many girlfriends–and somehow we all managed to color coordinate, ha! Since I knew this event was coming up, I chose this Alexis dress as part of my four RTR Update pieces for the month: it felt super chic but still comfortable. The sleeves and understated cutouts also transitioned really nicely from a Catholic church ceremony to an outdoor reception!
Shops
When we were in Santa Barbara, I also discovered one of those shops where I easily could have spent many hours and many dollars in. I poked my head into The Blue Door and was immediately enamored with all of the vintage maps and globes and vibrant crystals! I couldn’t resist a $49 (!) black beaded vintage dress and a rose agate, and I already feel like I need to go back to get some more vintage travel-themed goodness for our house!
Movies
One of my favorite self-care lately is going to a solo matinee: it’s a nice way to force myself to not be on my phone or computer for a few hours, and it’s also the only time I really watch a movie without multitasking. I’ve also discovered a theater near me that has $8.50 tickets, which feels super reasonable in this day and age…although I’ve also learned that the only other people who go to these showings at this theater tend to be older ladies who love to chat through the whole movie. The price you pay, I suppose! Anyway, I saw A Star is Born earlier this week and OH MY GOD it is so good. I will admit that I harbor a true celebrity crush on Bradley Cooper (those eyes! he speaks French! his actual dog plays his dog in the movie!), but he was incredible in the film (starring! singing! producing! directing!) and Lady Gaga was also amazing.
Reads
Downside: we spent six hours on a train each way going to and from Santa Barbara. Upside: the view was the photo above, and lots of time to read! I spent the entire train ride back reading Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. It was a nice change of pace from all of the historical fiction I’ve been reading lately, although I think that the article she wrote about her experience would probably suffice instead of reading the book. Now I’m reading A Gentleman in Moscow: taking a minute to get into it, but there’s hoping it picks up soon…
Words
“If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” -Dan Rather
This weekend, I’m catching up with friends, getting a much-needed facial (blaming all of the travel!) and heading up to LA for a work trip.
