the end of june

I have such a love/love relationship with summer. But I’m also always dismayed when it passes through my fingers too quickly.

May is my favorite favorite month. May is like a Thursday. Almost the weekend. Time to party.

I love June too. June is like a Friday – one of the good ones when you have exciting, festive plans later that evening that make you happy to be alive all day long.

July is a perfect Saturday – relaxed, playful, no responsibilities for miles.

August is like a Saturday night. A great ol’ time – maybe you stay home, maybe you go out, but you’re chillin’.

September is like a lazy, calming Sunday. Monday morning has almost arrived, but you’re gonna milk the rest of the weekend for all its worth.

We’re about to enter the Saturday day of summer. Hot, festive, exhausting – the dogs days. Heaven.

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the $10K post

If you haven’t already heard it from me on Facebook, Twitter, in person, or when I screamed it from the rooftops – I had a pretty exciting night on Saturday.

Harvard Sailing Team was chosen a few months ago to be one of 5 finalists to compete to win $10,000 from the famous Friar’s Club. (You can see where this is headed, I’m guessing…)

welcome new readers! + 21 things about me

If you’re new around here, welcome! I’ve been so lucky to have so many new readers over the last few months, so thanks for stopping by!

And thank you so much for your emails or comments letting me know that my story on “follow my bliss” is something that resonates with you. Love to hear from you guys.

In the interest of all the new (virtual) faces around these parts, I’m gonna do a crash course “about me” rundown so you’re all caught up!

21 Things About Me:

1. I’m 29. I’ll be 30 in November. Yikes!
2. My boyfriend Kevin and I live near Prospect Park in Brooklyn with our two cats, Chawser and Kaia. I talk about those damn cats a lot on this blog. You can bet Kevin and I talk about (and coo at) them even more in real life.
3. I quit my boring desk job as a receptionist at a law firm last year to…well…follow my bliss, i.e. to pursue work that makes me happier.
4. I graduated from NYU Tisch with an acting degree.
5. I graduated two years late because I dropped out somewhere in the middle to..uh..see how much I could screw my life up before hitting rock bottom. It was a blast. That’s sarcasm.
6. I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD LIKE IT’S MY JOB.
7. I really want a dog.
8. I’m originally from the suburbs of Chicago.
9. I lost 115 pounds in my early twenties through diet and exercise. I’ve kept the weight off for almost 8 years.
10. Kevin and I have been dating for 3.5 years and we’ve lived together for 2. But we’ve been friends for over 8 years!  I guess I’m keeping him. 🙂
11. When I was 21 I punched an ex-boyfriend in the mouth, got kicked out of the apartment we were living and ended up essentially homeless on the streets of NYC with $12 to my name. That’s obviously a much longer story.

the magic hour

I took a long walk through Prospect Park at dusk last night. I needed it.

Concert music from the bandshell drifted along the grounds. So many people were playing soccer, walking dogs, jogging, laying in the grass. Little kiddos were yelling and screaming and giggling as they ran around in the dirt without shoes.

It smelled like a breezy, warm summer evening.

It was perfect.

focus on the good – my interview with Julie Cook

One thing I’ve learned on this journey to follow the ol’ bliss is that not everyone has to quit their job and renegotiate their whole life in order to be a happy, fulfilled person. (Duh.)

Yes, that’s what I did. Frankly, that’s what I needed to do. There was no good way to make that boring desk job fit in with my life’s ambitions. But my path is not for everyone.

I’ve been finding myself more and more inspired lately by people who are joyful, passionate and compassionate no matter what they do from 9-5 – whether or not their day job is a huge part of their bliss, takes away from it, or falls somewhere in between.

The Daily Julie is a lovely personal blog written by the equally lovely and charming Julie Cook. She’s one of my favorite tumblr follows. (Mom, tumblr is another kind of blogging website where people “follow” each other like they do on Facebook or Twitter. I’ll explain more later.)

A stylish Southern belle who works in marketing/PR and describes herself on her blog as “a happy wife with a mostly sunny and slightly sarcastic outlook on life,” Julie was gracious enough to let me ask her a few questions. And after my meltdown yesterday, I definitely needed to hear what she had to say.

better

I’m feeling much more balanced today, y’all. Just in case you were worried about me. There’s a lot going on and it can be overwhelming, but it’s all really good stuff. I’d be insane not to focus on the positive.

Talking it out to Kevin really did make me feel a lot better. It also helped to put on some big girls clothes and get the hell out of the house. I did two improv shows last night, had some nice chats with friends and felt much better this morning.

It’s a hot, sticky soup of a day in NYC  and I’m holed up writing, working, blogging in the delicious air conditioning.

when it’s hard

So, as you know, I quit my desk job 8 months ago to pursue stuff that makes me happier. And I’ve been doing that. I’ve been writing, which I love, I’ve been baking, which I also enjoy very much, and I’ve been acting, telling jokes and having fun collaborating with talented people, which makes me feel very happy and alive.

I’ve received so many emails and comments over the last year from people telling me that what I’ve done inspires them. Thank you!! That makes me feel humble and grateful.

Meanwhile, I don’t always know where the next significant paycheck is coming from and I’m confused as hell half the time. But I’ve gotten by (and eaten well) for 8 months. And I’m not dead yet. So hopefully I’m onto SOMEthing here.

Some times are fantastic, others are hard. Today, for instance, I woke up feeling like I’ve lost my mind lately. I’ve been confused, moody, uncertain and feeling generally lost for a few days now. Par for the course, of course, but still difficult.

I mentioned these feelings to the boyfriend this morning. And I ended up crying over my iced coffee.

self-serve fro yo

This is one of the best things in my life right now.

Happy Summer!!

sunday night

I’m sick, dudes. Head cold. I am congested like whoa and I could sleep away the entire next week of my life if you let me. No big deal, but that’s the report.

It’s been a busy, whirlwind weekend – I barely even know it happened. We visited Kevin’s family today for Father’s Day, had a nice time (got to see the new baby again!), and now I’m on the couch watching some weird puppet game show. Actually, Kevin’s watching the puppet game show, I’m his TV hostage. It’s only fair – I usually commandeer the remote.

Some highlights of the week upcoming:

• Harvard Sailing Team is up for a $10,000 prize in this weekend’s Friar’s Club Comedy Film Festival. We’re one of 5 sketch groups chosen to be finalists for the contest, and to compete in a live show this weekend. Winner gets $10K to make a short film. Fingers crossed!!! (Come see the show if you’re in New York! Saturday night @ The UCB.)
• My (beautiful, talented, kind, hilarious) cousin Trisha is coming to New York for the first time in years on Saturday. She’s gonna be here for a work conference but I’m hoping to trick her into spending a ton of time with me. And there will be margaritas.
• I’m writing a weekly column in July for Spring Inspiration (!) and I’m stoked. I’ll be working on my first column tomorrow.
• It’s summer! This Monday is the longest day of the year. I adore long summer evenings.
• Cheap yoga: I decided to buy Vida Yoga NYC’s deal – $10 for one week of unlimited yoga and I’m loving it!

Good night, guys. The theraflu is kicking in.

SUMMER FRIDAY!

It’s been one of those weeks where I have been nonstop busy, but now that I turn around and review the last five days, I feel like I’ve got nothing to show for it. Man, that really gets in my craw.

I think I just need to go to the beach or the pool and forget about being a grown-up for a few days.

It is, after all, a Summer Friday. I mean, Kevin and I ate breakfast in Prospect Park this morning. How bad could life be?

SUMMER FRIDAY!!!