Keeping Busy

There is no doubt that 2026 has been a chaotic year; it started with my apartment flooding, prompting a move to a different country and resetting my routines and life on the whole, and only continued to get busier. The past months in Los Angeles have been some of the busiest months of my life, and I could not be happier.

At the start of June, I began further acting training at the Stella Adler, Art of Acting Conservatory. This training was 9 to 5, four days a week, plus additional time for rehearsal and work outside of class, so I guess you could say it was all-consuming. In addition to diving headfirst into training and strengthening my craft, I pushed myself to get involved with the industry out here in the city of stars, which led me to work on 2 projects outside of school. Oh, and did I mention all the while I have been juggling 3-day jobs as well… All this to say: between lots of work and social activities, I have barely had a moment to myself, which has come as a refreshing change. My schedule has reminded me of how full life can be: yes, I am staying out later and at times feel overworked, but for the most part, I am excited by my routines and filled with gratitude for this chapter. For once, I don’t actually have the time to procrastinate or dwell on the worries that my anxious brain often turns to. I haven’t had time to be on social media for more than a few minutes- allowing me to focus on me and the moment I am in. This keeping busy has allowed me to be more present, and while I am still working to find a balance between work, play, and my creative outlets, the framework I am laying now, I hope, will provide a solid foundation for the life I am hoping to create.

Learning Curves

Being launched into new environments has forced me to grow in ways that I could not have anticipated. Meeting people, getting on set, and navigating life in LA have made me think more deeply about my values and overall aspirations. In the past, I have leaned heavily into travel to learn more about the world as well as myself; now, I am finding it can be equally as enriching to stay put.

As mentioned in previous posts, my move to LA was the first time I was truly starting fresh on my own. In the past, I have had the structure of a university and various schooling systems to provide me with a social life and community. While my time at Stella Adler did aid in introducing me to a handful of new people, all of whom were lovely, but most of whom, unfortunately, were merely visiting LA for the summer. Because of this, most of the relationships I have found here have been from networking of my own. Now, I can safely say I have learned how to make friends. ( Something that seems easy, I mean, me do it as children, right? How is it that now, at the age of 23, it is a skill I feel I have had to relearn? ) Whether it is chatting to someone working next to me at a coffee shop, not being afraid to introduce myself at a bar, or starting up a chat with a sales clerk, I have found it easy to make connections. Though starkly different from the “keep to yourself" attitude of London, it is refreshing to find that most people in this city are open and eager to meet new people. Slowly I am building my community and exposing myself to fun experiences. This in turn has illuminated the parts of myself I feel secure in, what fuels me, and how I actually wish to spend my time. With this, of course, there have also been growing pains. It is the first time in a while I have dealt with thinking someone and I really hit it off, only to have the relationship fade or go sour shortly after. Moments like this are a good reminder that you can’t mesh with everyone, and not everyone is going to end up as a close friend. My thoughts on that are simply that, though difficult to navigate when tensions rise, what matters is being true to myself and simply doing my best to be kind.

Working new jobs has also opened my mind to other interests and outlets for my creative energy. As of now, I am working three different jobs in luxury or semi-luxury fashion and retail, which is a huge change from my old job as a barista. Not only am I expected to look cute and dress nicely for work, but I no longer come home drenched in espresso and milk. It seems simple, but having a “clean” job makes the work and social interaction so much more enjoyable. Retail work has also sparked my love for fashion and encouraged me to expand my style as a means of self-expression. Being surrounded by those who dress well, it is clear that in doing so they have a deep understanding of themselves and the way they want to present to the world around them, a concept which is fascinating. Expanding my knowledge of the world of fashion has let me be creative outside of my acting or writing work, and though it may seem silly, it is refreshing to know I am capable of developing interests outside of the activities and work I have allowed to define me up until this point. New interests like new friends and new environments, of course, have their challenges- there are times at which I feel inadequate or uneducated- my main takeaway would be that at times all I can do is ride the wave being hurled at me and do my best to trust the process.

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Settling In?

Now in August, I finally have a few free days and a second to catch my breath. Not only do I actually have the time to do simple things like laundry and blow-dry my hair, but I have a minute to take stock of how much has changed over the past months and the parts of life I am grateful for. Though the LA traffic is brutal, causing me to miss the chaos of tube rush hour ( never thought I would say that ), eternal sunshine and proximity to the beach have made even mundane days seem special. Life is peaceful and, on the whole, drama-free, which is a sentiment I have not felt in years. Because I have had little time to myself throughout the day, longer summer nights have meant some gorgeous evening walks and time with myself to check in with how I am doing. Where I am at now, I am learning to value rare moments of stillness and the simpler pleasures in life, like the beauty of a pink sunset or the smell of the trees on my walks.

As I am adjusting to my new environment, it has become apparent that the overall lifestyle in Los Angeles is not for me. Though on the whole, people here are not as superficial as I anticpated the culture here is very “wellness” oriented. Everyone is getting work done or working out, eating “clean” or not eating at all, and staging life for the perfect photo. Overall the LA mentality can be quite draining and I am on the hunt for pockets of the city with simpler values and a sense of community. I miss the mudane interactions of rush hour on the tube and the human contact of pedestrian citys- I hate driving especially when surrounded by horrible SoCal drivers. The style of living in Los Angeles is one I am coping with in order to be in the most strategic place for my career. The way I am trying to look at it is: I am here now so I can later afford the luxury of living in a place that is more alligned with me and my values. I knew before moving here the adjustment may have its termoil but in earnest I am refreshed to find my suspiscouns to be true. I a grateful to be settled in one place or a time but take comfort in knowing that I don’t want to be forever.

That said I am trying to Sowly but surely, I make LA my own. I have a few go- to spots for shopping and eating out, plus weekly activities I look forward to. My top picks this month would have to be:

Marvin - for wine and pasta, perfect for a girls’ night or a first date

Canyon Coffee - easily the best coffee shop in LA, great to work from or to sit and people watch

Clare V. and Buck Mason - I may be bias as I work at both but there are two brands I can’t seem to get enough of- from elegant basics at Buck Mason to statement pieces at Clare V. these two spots have your shopping needs covered

Mohawk - a small boutique in Silverlake filled with stunning clothes and accessories, I go here for inspiration as most of the inventory is out of my price range

Runyon Canyon - a gorgeous and simple hike, a go-to for me because it is the closest open space to where I live

It is late, later than I normally stay awake, but I am on a high. I have just come off stage full of joy at the privilege of being able to do what I love. In the past, opening night meant a trip to the local dinner with my castmates. Nerves leftover from the show only escalating as I hoped to sit next to the boy I had a crush on whilst our troop of teens overwhelmed the poor workers who got stuck with the night shift. These evenings were and are some of my favourite memories and a reason I keep coming back to theatre; Performance nights are always filled with a similar sense of adrenaline, and it has been that way for me. I like how when the production is over I return to me, to take in the simplicity of my life in a given moment. Sometimes they meant a late-night taco truck stop and endlessly pestering my dad for his review of the performance. Others led to sleepovers, which really meant I got no sleep at all because my friends and I were busy making but ideal castings of coming shows like we were creating a fantasy football league. Tonight it is giving my castmates a goodbye hug, making the trek home through LA traffic and attempting to settle down by writing and having a cup of tea.

These memories mixed with my current reality have caused me to reflect on how much in my life has changed, and is changing. What once was me being picked up and taken to my childhood home by my endlessly supportive parents is now me living in a new city after years of living abroad. Now it is my cousin patting me on the shoulder, reminding me to “have fun kiddo”, that makes me feel like myself in a way I don’t exactly have the words to describe. It reminds me of those I love and those I’ve lost. Instead of laughter on the drive home, my nights are filled with calls home and to the friends whom I have made all over the world. I still act; I love acting, but instead of chasing the bright lights of Broadway, which I once thought I wanted, I am in the city of angels attempting to make my way in the film industry. My day-to-day life is one which my childhood self could only dream of. I am working day jobs which are simple and bring me joy, spending my free time at the beach or the local farmers market. I spend time outdoors, time cooking, and time doing what I love. I have grown, but my innermost desires remain unchanged. Stepping back onto the stage and stepping off of it again has allowed me to recenter myself; to take my gratitude into account and to allow myself to be me.

In our culture, we seem to have a constant need to define all of our relationships. Whether romantic or not, we need to have an exact definition of what that person is in our lives. If someone is a romantic interest, they need to be a boyfriend or girlfriend, or simply a hookup. If someone is your friend, you need to have a certain degree of friendship. Everyone has a best friend, well, most people do, and you are only allowed to have one, so you better make them count. They are the person who knows you the best, and you want to spend the most time with.

Let me tell you about my best friend, now my best friend is someone I have known my whole life. They were there when I was born, and they have seen every piece of my personality. The good, the bad, and the ugly. They watched me grow up, discovering day by day who I was and my relationship with the world around me. They protected me from any possible danger, whether it be cars when crossing the street or scolding a little boy who made me cry on the playground. They saw me through my awkward, Hello Kitty- obsessed middle school years and comforted me during my first heartbreak. They were forced to watch me practice ballet every night and perform Hannah Montana songs at every holiday gathering. We share the same taste in music, a genre that can only be described as “old-man rock”.

My dad taught me how to cook, how to dance, and how to believe in myself. He taught me how important it is to laugh and to cry, but most importantly, to think. He was and is the person I am closest to. Our relationship can nearly be measured in morning coffee chats at the local cafe or times driving to the beach, singing Bruce Springsteen at the top of our lungs. Failed pizza creations and being forced to go on bike rides paint the background of our many small and now insignificant fights. He has seen me through the trials of growing up, and I saw him through his illness. Most father-daughter relationships don’t include pre-blood-test ice cream dates and hospital room visits, but ours did.

My best friend is someone who isn’t here physically anymore. He is more my guardian angel now, like someone I always have on my shoulder. I feel close to him when I hear certain songs on the radio or go on a walk by the harbour; he loved to sail. I see him in my mom’s personality and in the relationships I am forming with new people. It may not be the typical definition of what a best friend is. I am not sure if anyone ever said that one best friend had to be physically present, but anyway, my best friend is the person I can always talk to. A person I love so much that saying goodbye and the idea of it invokes an unexplainable physical and emotional pain that feels like it will never fade.

Work and Play

Firstly, happy June- as I am posting this a few days into the new month! Currently, I am enjoying a few short days of rest and the last quiet moment before starting up some acting projects and preparing to balance three summer jobs. Life at present feels like the “calm before the storm” in the best way, and I cannot wait to see what the summer has in store…

May was a month of adjustment. Living in a new city and working 2 new jobs pushed me out of my comfort zone in new and exciting ways. I have slowly started to get into the groove of my routine here - cultivating new habits, and preparing for the busy summer months ahead. This has meant finding workout routines I actually enjoy, scouting the markets for the best produce, and trying to motivate myself to get some acting work done.

Corepower, and yoga in general, as well as hiking, were my main form of movement- for whatever reason, I really needed the clarity that yoga brings a bit extra in my time alone. All of the change that has occurred this year has forced me to find new ways to calm my energy. This often starts with breath work and forcing myself to slow down. Connecting to nature and prioritising social outlets have also been instrumental in my coping with the trials and tribulations of daily life. In terms of social life, May was a busy month. It started with a quick trip up to Northern California, which also meant some evenings spent with family and dinners out in Petaluma, something my soul and my stomach were craving for sure. Upon my return to LA, I caught up with some old friends and made a point of investing in the new relationships I have made here. With days getting longer, this meant some long nights out, fueled mainly by orange wine. These nights were full of laughs and a good dose of mischief, which served as a reminder to me of the Crafts family catchphrase “Nothing good happens after 3 a.m. " Building a community and a routine here is starting to make LA feel more like home. I am optimistic for what is in store, but I am at a place where I wish to put my best foot forward, staying out of trouble where I can and operating from a place of grace and clarity.

Art and Culture

In my downtime, I tried my best to explore my new city as much as possible. While I am someone who enjoys and values alone time, I do not necessarily enjoy feeling static or cooped up in my apartment- my cure for any of these feels is to get out and to explore, pretend like I do not live somewhere, but like I am visiting, and the city is mine to discover.

Highlights of May included days spent trying out various hikes across the city, dips in the ocean, window shopping, and visiting local galleries. Runyon Canyon and Griffith Park have stunning views of the city and have been a refreshing addition to my workout routine. These trials are not only challenging but are great for people watching and, more importantly, dog watching. In terms of neighbourhoods, I particularly have fallen for Venice and have loved running on the water. Saba Surf, a cute coffee shop in the area, has become a go-to place for me ot chill afterwards and enjoy a quieter pocket of the city. When sitting relaxing in cafes, I usually either write ot read. Last month I delved further into the opus of Joan Didion, finishing “My Magical Year of Thinking” and starting “The White Album”. The rawness with which she writes emotions is breathtaking. Her writing not only makes one think, but also allows one to feel. These novels are equally an escape from reality and an opportunity for introspection, something I had felt was missing in my reading habits before discovering her work.

In addition to feeling deeply as a result of what I read last month, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed visiting various galleries and museums. Early in the month, I went to The Academy Museum with my family, which had a special exhibit on the movie Jaws. My uncle livened the room with his humming of the infamous theme to the movie, and my cousin and I were drawn in by the impact the piece had on the film industry as a whole. Not only was it fun to see props from the set and learn about how flawed the mechanical shark was, but I had no idea the extent to which Steven Spielberg revolutionised filmmaking with his work. He thought out of the box and pushed numerous boundaries. New camera equipment was developed for the piece, and it became the first cult film largely due to its revolutionary marketing campaign prior to the film’s release. Unfortunately, the exhibit is now closed, but I enjoyed it greatly and urge you at least to look up a bit of history on the film.

I also took myself on a solo date to what, in my opinion, is one of LA’s coolest offerings- free Thursday nights at The Broad. The Broad is a modern art museum, and while those who know me are aware that I do not tend to be a fan of modern art, right now there is a limited-time exhibit on Yoko Ono, whose work I admire greatly. When I was in Oslo in the summer of 2024, I went to the World Peace Museum, where I was first introduced to her work. Ono's work is mostly performance art and more often than not politically driven. I remember being inspired by her advocacy for peace and social justice back in 2024, so attending a night at The Broad seemed like a must for me. The exhibit showed the majority of Ono’s work. Walking through the gallery, I was repeatedly impressed and stunned by her out-of-the-box thinking and what seemed to be her belief in humanity. The exhibit highlighted the changes she made to the world of art, forcing audiences to engage physically rather than observe. “Grapefruit”, which is the work she is perhaps best known for, is a collection of “instructions” for paintings and poems rather than a work in and of itself. I loved reading through the ideas Ono cultivated. I laughed, I thought, I even teared up at some of the poems. Ono, like Didion, forces her audience to recognise her humanity and reflect on our own- Ono just does it through visuals, art, and action rather than solely through words. I highly recommend, even if you walk away unmoved and cringing at the vocals she contributed to later ablums in The Beatles discography ( I still am with you on that one )

I love LA!

As I have mentioned before, before my move, I was under the impression that life in LA would be dull and the people around me would be nothing but shallow and ego-driven. And while the lines at Erewhon are disgustingly long, I consistently see people posing for photos on my hikes, and there is more Botox centralised to this zip code than perhaps anywhere else. I actually really love LA. The slower pace of life, laid-back fashion, and eternal sunshine have been a welcome shift after years in gloomy England. The people, for the most part, are joyous and after connection and more importantly, everyone here seems to be somehow involved in the arts. People watching and eavesdropping are never dull, plus I am constantly inspired by the individuality of style you see all over the city.

In exploring LA more, I have curated some spots that I find comforting and simply want to spend my time. The food and drink scene in LA is booming and seems to be at the heart of the city’s social scene. Last month I treated various simple cafe solo dates, shopping, and even some DJ events - below are some of the places which rank high on my list of current recommendations, enjoy!

Cafes, Shopping, and Bars I loved this month:

Galerie - a gorgeous restaurant on Sunset that often hosts pop-up events and turns into a lively bar in the evening. It is a great spot to grab a drink before going out or to catch up with friends.

Seco Wine - if you live in LA, you are no stranger to Seco. It is the place to be on a Friday evening- people are drinking wine on the street and chatting. An adorable spot for a date, and the orange wine is to die for.

Canyon Coffee - My choice coffee shop in LA this month. Located in Echo Park, Canyon Coffee feels like an escape from the city's hustle. I love the pistachio draft matcha and sit for hours reading and people watching.

Melanie - Yet another wine bar, this one on West 3rd Street. The vibe is calm and perfect for long chats or a cute date. I have heard the food is good, but have yet to try it myself. (The orange wine here is also 10/10 )

Red Window - If I haven’t made the trek over to Canyon, Red Window is where I like to go sit and do my desk work. It has a cosy, small-town energy to it. The baristas are friendly, and there is a clear regular crowd, plus they have flat whites, so what is not to love?

OK Store - A small curated shop with a few locations across the city. They specialise in art books, ceramics, and jewellery. I love the calmness of browsing through OK, and it is a definite must-visit if you are in LA.

Clare V. - A chic Californian/Parisian inspired boutique that sells gorgeous bags and accessories. It is everything I am looking for in my summer style, it also happens to be where I am working ;)

Calleen Cordero - Job #2, a shoe company started by the gorgeous Calleen, whom I had the pleasure of working with in person early this month. All of the shoes and bags are handmade in Mexico using Mexican leather- simply stunning.

Educated Not Out of Touch

Lately, I have found being on my phone, specifically on social media, to be particularly draining and altogether understimulating. All too often have I picked up my phone to check Instagram or Pinterest, only to moments later realise that I do not actually care about the mass influx of media that I am being fed. It is not a disinterest in my friends or family but a disinterest in the urge to be constantly up to date with the lives of people whom I have never met and the pressure to understand a variety of microtrends and niche internet fixations. It seems rare to meet someone who does not have an online presence, and unplugging more myself has served to make me feel like an outlier in a variety of scenarios. The balance I am attempting to cultivate between having a work and baseline social presence online has led to a love/hate relationship with media and an almost desperate desire to unplug as much as possible, as often as possible.

About 2 weeks ago, I took the plunge and deleted all social media from my phone and tablet ( something I have done numerous times in the past, but clearly with no lasting effect ). I think this is because deleting these apps has often left me feeling isolated or insecure about my knowledge of the world around me. One of my fears when it comes to being offline is the notion that I will then be out of touch with what is going on in the lives of those I love and global news. More time “in the real world”, if you will, is helping me see that I am not out of touch; I am merely editing the media which I choose to consume.

Breaking old habits of mindless scrolling has given me the time and capacity to evaluate how I really wish to be spending my free time and what I wish to be learning or consuming. This has finally led me to be able to make a dent in my extensive reading and film lists. What I am consuming is helping me to learn and grow. It is not that social media did not teach me anything, but the difference here is that I am instead learning about things I am actually interested in. I am thinking more clearly, more critically and thus able to articulate myself better. Though to some I may be becoming out of touch, I see this shift more as me taking the time to educate myself.

Simple Joys

Editing my intake of media and time away from screens has made my world feel smaller, fuller, but smaller. When I am constantly online and on social media, I have noticed that I am much more easily overwhelmed and distracted. My mind is flooded with a constant stream of information, and I cannot prevent my thoughts from wandering. Time away has helped me to be more in tune with my own life, my wants, and my desires.

I am not only spending my time in ways that hold more value, but as I go about my day, I am noticing more and living more expansively. I am more aware of the simpler parts of my routines: the smell of my morning coffee, birds chirping outside my window as I write, strangers smiling at me on the street. This awareness, I believe, is a result of going about my day with a clear mind and operating from a place of conviction. I have more capacity for my relationships and the time to invest in them. Rather than feeling disconnected, this shift in my routine has led me to be more connected to myself and deepened relationships with those I love. It is amazing how much I have noticed and how much better I feel when I am not constantly comparing myself or my life to others. Maybe it is lower cortisol levels or maybe this process is helping me to strengthen my sense of self-worth, who knows.

In saying all this, I simply mean: Life just feels good for the first time in a long time, and I am genuinely excited to see how this new habit may be changing me for the better.

How I am Preceived

A new friend of mine is one of those people who has virtually no online presence and is thus living a relatively private life, which I have come to envy. It was not until quite recently that it set in for me just how much information there is about me on the internet, a fact of my life which I am honestly finding it tough to come to terms with.

Despite a genuine distaste I experience for being online myself, I equally believe near impossible to live a life that is fully unplugged. Not only is my career and the majority of the acting work I am generating for myself based on networking and media presence, but other creative outlets like this publication also exist in the realm of media. As a creative, I crave connection and have a desire to tell meaningful stories- this cannot easily be done without some sort of internet presence. As I also want to work in film, I am attempting to accept that people I meet in real life are likely to have already had the chance to perceive me and the way in which I present myself online. This predicament is one I am still working through on an interpersonal level.

That said, I find comfort in knowing that though I do not believe I can be fully offline, I do have autonomy over how I present myself and what content I choose to put out. This autonomy or control is something I have been putting extra thought into, and a reason why my posting has been less frequent. The work I put out and the words I write, I wish to have value and to be something I am proud of in the moment and further down the line. This circles back to that idea of acting and living from a place of conviction. Overall, I am simply in a space where I am evaluating how I want to present myself, and until that idea is solidified, I am choosing to take an active step back from media and a step into life in the real world.

Reading is my favourite pastime. As an actor and self-proclaimed writer, I greatly value the art of storytelling. I believe the stories we tell are essential, and they have a unique ability to shape us and the way we see the world. Literature allows us insight into the lives of others and allows us to momentarily escape from our realities. I read a lot. I have read a lot, and while everything I read holds some value, even if it is just pure entertainment, there are a handful of books that have changed my perspective; thus, having a lasting impact on the stories I tell and the way I go about my daily life.

“A Little Life”

I have mentioned “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara numerous times in my posts, and for good reason. It is one of two fictional books included in this list, and honestly, I find it hard to believe that Yanagihara imagined this story. She created characters so fully fleshed out and real that, as a reader, you cannot help but empathise with each one of them.

“A Little Life” is one of the only books I have read where people would stop me in public to ask me how I was getting on with it. It seems to have a universal grasp on its readers, and most walk away with a changed perspective. This story speaks to the heartbreaking fragility of humanity and the hope that somehow allows us to keep on living. When reading, you begin to think that the main character’s life simply cannot get worse, yet it does. Yanagihara’s writing invokes extreme compassion and drew me in wholly and completely. I thought it was beautiful to see how different characters banded together during hardship, the ways family can be found and made in a non-traditional sense.

Not only did the fictional world of “A Little Life” force me to reflect on my own blessings, my own life, and the various hardships that have come with it, but the connections I made to others who have also read the book made me look at the world a bit differently. It was a unique experience in and of itself, being consistently stopped while reading to discuss my emotional reaction with strangers. This novel can grip your soul if you let it; it highlights our shared human experience and the compassion we all have within us. People at their core are good, and others want to connect- it is a matter of letting yourself be open to it. If you have the courage, if you have the heart, “A Little Life” is fantastic- I urge you to give it a go.

“My Magical Year of Thinking”

Joan Didion’s most famous novel. It is the personal recounting of her life and experience in the year following the death of her husband. Initially recommended to me because of the death of my father, this book intimately spoke to me. It brings into question what one does in the face of loss, how we cope, and how we move forward.

I found Didion’s words raw and unfiltered, almost to a shocking extent. She here speaks her mind as if it were a personal journal or words spoken to a close friend. She lets the reader in on the graphic details of her loss and the life she leads after it. What I found perhaps most comforting about this book is how Didion does not really seem to be coping at all, yet she writes, and she lives. This work highlights something I know deep down but struggle to accept: no one really knows “how” to process grief or how to move on. What we do know, what she claims to know is:

“Life changes fast. Life changes in an instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.”

Having experienced a close, personal loss when I read Didion’s work, I found myself having vivid reactions. I was inspired to write, to feel, and seeing how another person was equally struggling with grief allowed me to feel less alone. What I find to be special about this work is that, though we all experience grief in various forms, we rarely discuss it. Didion lets you into her mind and her lack of composure. It is a raw, real depiction of the human experience and was a true pleasure to read.

“Play it as it Lays”

Yet another Joan Didion novel, “Play it as it Lays”, is a fictional piece with outlines themes not dissimilar to those later explored in “My Magical Year of Thinking”. The novel is a commentary on the moral decay and societal shifts of 1960’s America. It is commonly referred to as “The Hollywood Novel”. It follows an actress and ex-model, Maria Wyeth, struggling to find a sense of purpose or connection in her life between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Not only are the characters and story of “Play it as it Lays” fascinating, but the greater philosophical questions which the book explores engage readers in a different sense. In the 1960’s, America was shifting, economically, socially, spiritually. There was a further draw away from traditional ideals of family and the patriarchal family structure, and a stronger focus on economic gain. The central character, Maria, is here navigating a sense of spiritual emptiness and dissatisfaction with a society geared toward an increasingly capitalist structure.

Like in “My Magical Year of Thinking”, Didion’s words are raw, her characters’ almost unbelievably human. Maria’s attempt to navigate life allows readers to reflect on their own experience and the current shifts in our society. If you ask yourself why you should read this novel, I merely ask you, “Why not?”

“Tuesdays with Morrie”

My favourite book, “Tuesdays with Morrie”, is described by the author as simply: “An old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lessons.” It is a memoir of sorts written by Mitch Albom, who chronicles his last “classes” or meetings with his former college professor, Morrie Schwartz.

I first read this book about a year after my father passed away. In the height of my grief, Ablom’s tribute comforted me because of how Morrie’s ethos as a man who had his last days laid out in front of him reminded me so much of my father. The lessons my dad taught me in his final year, I saw mirrored in Morrie’s experience; it’s all the things that we inherently know but still need to learn. Each lesson is split into chapters based on the “lesson” Morrie planned out and knowingly articulated to his student. These are not lessons on literature or history; they are lessons on how to be human, how to live. Aside from being a tribute and invoking sentiment in that right, this book helped me reevaluate the areas of life where I was putting my energy ( it still does). This is a story I go back to when I have lost faith or hope to help me move forward. It serves as a reminder of the value of human connection, of knowledge, and the simple value of love.

Albom’s words, namely, inspired me to live with conviction; that said, the read is also notably endearing. By letting you in on his relationship with his professor, you cannot help but wish you had met Morrie yourself- and what a beautiful way that is to be remembered…

“Beautiful Boy”

More commonly known for the movie recounting of this story, starring Steven Carell and Timothée Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy” is a heartbreakingly real depiction of life in the Bay Area, where I grew up.

Through earnestness and fact-based research, David Sheff tells of his experience in raising his son Nic and Nic’s struggle with addiction. It is a heartbreaking portrayal of the facts of life and interpersonal relationships. It shows the capacity family units have for forgiveness and equally shows how external forces can drive people apart. What struck me most about this book is how perfectly it describes the environment in which I was raised. Scheff’s writing had a visceral impact on me cause I have lived where he was writing. I know the names of the streets he is driving on, I’ve spent time in the hospitals he works with and so on. Though I have not struggled with addiction myself, the wealth and socioeconomic background I come from fosters it in young people- that is something I have experienced. Scheff helped me to be more aware of my social circumstances and how the place I come from has shaped me. It also invoked a similar sense of human compassion, which has drawn me to several of the other books I have listed here.

My one qualm with the book is its ending, which in many ways makes sense. David and Nic’s story is not over; the book had no real conclusion. I remember as I was finishing it, I literally flipped the page, expecting another, only to realise the book was over. I was caught off guard and slightly annoyed as I am used to reading stories with neatly written conclusions and round-ups of what I have just read. Ending the book in this way jarred me, and I was left speculating if it was a device that Sheff used intentionally. Did he want his readers to be left wanting more? Or maybe did this ending allude to the fact that his hardships with his son's addiction were ongoing, not a story that ends neatly.

I think the movie did a much more adequate job of rounding out Sheff’s story. - That said, it was released several years after the book's initial publication, so you could go as far as to say that the film team had more of an ending to speak of than Sheff did when the book was released.

“The Body Keeps Score”

It’s that book with the blue title that you see at least one person reading in just about every hipster coffee shop. It is one I was recommended countless times and put off reading because I believed it was too dense, scientific, and uninteresting. I was wrong.

“The Body Keeps Score” by Bessel van der Kolk is a seminal book explaining the connection between our emotional lived experiences and the physical impact it has on our bodies. It discusses the lasting effects of trauma in the brain and body, but also clearly lays out just how much the medical field has developed in recent years. Reading this made me much more knowledgeable about the world of medicine and how different treatments are developed, as well as brought me to a better understanding of how trauma may be manifesting in my own body.

What I didn’t expect when picking up this book was the connections I was able to make to acting and the studies I have done in university. In acting, we focus heavily on physicality and the contribution it makes when building a character. In my university courses, I did an extensive amount of research on how physicality contributes to one’s being and interpersonal communication systems.

“ The mirror systems in our brains are constantly, though nonconsciously, registering micro-versions of the movements and effects of those around us. That is, in our patterns of synaptic firings, we constantly participate at a nonconscious level in “trying on” the movement patterns, expressions, effects, and intentions of others.” (William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, 2018)

In other words, the way we move has a literal impact on our emotions; understanding this allowed me to be able to communicate emotions physically to an audience.

I began work on this communication with an audience through a technique known as physical scoring. It enforces the concept that much of an actor’s communication with the audience is through physical, not vocal, expression. It stems from the idea that “action creates emotional response” (Alucinor Productions) and can help the actor to better understand their character and said character’s objectives. Reading “The Body Keeps Score” expanded on what I already knew about human physicality, and it left me eager to learn more not only about myself but the world around me

Perhaps these books changed me and spoke to me because of my unique lived experience, but I believe them worthwhile nonetheless. I would equate this list to being my recent favourites and top recommendations. I hope you give them a try and allow yourself to think, to laugh, and to cry- someone I love once taught me that that is the way to truly live. <3

Since my recent move to Los Angeles, just in case I haven’t mentioned it enough, I have been adjusting to the California “eternal sunshine” and a slower pace of life. The warmer weather, while highly enjoyable, makes me less inclined to spend time over the stove or in a hot kitchen, which has meant simple and fresh meals that can be made with mostly chopping. This inclination is further encouraged by the surplus of fantastic produce that Southern California has to offer. Lately, I have felt overwhelmed and grateful for the variety at each market I go to and the access to such fresh food.

Right now, citrus, peas, radicchio, and avocados are at the forefront of every farmer’s market display. These goodies have become a staple in my weekly grocery shop, and I have been experimenting with different ways to incorporate them into my diet. This salad is my ode to spring, or my take on a traditional Niçoise. The base is a mix of arugula, radicchio, mint, and fennel, which is then dressed in a simple vinaigrette. I top it all off with homemade pesto croutons, tinned tuna, snap peas, avocado, and blood oranges. In my mind, it is perfection. It is fresh, easy, and I like to think it is pretty balanced. If you are not a fan of tuna ( which I use for my protein in this iteration ), this salad is also a great base for chicken, or you could pair it with marinated white beans for a fully vegetarian option.

What You’ll Need:

For the Salad…

This part should be measured with the heart, as much or as little of each ingredient as you wish.

Greens ( I used: fresh arugula, radicchio, mint, and fennel, but spring mix is a great alternative! )

Avocado

Blood Orange or Naval Orange

Snap Peas

Tinned Tunna in Olive Oil ( trust me, olive oil is where the flavour is, I recommend the Rio Mare brand or Fish Wife )

For the dressing…

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 tbps white wine vinegar

1 tbps olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the crutons…

( crutons can and should be made in a big batch as prep, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge, good for up to 2 weeks! )

1/2 of a stale baguette or several slices of stale sourdough

2 tbps olive oil

1 tbps pesto

salt, and lots of it

Preparation:

or assembly rather…

1. First, make your crutons. Slice your bread into bite-sized chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl. Generously salt, then toss with olive oil and pesto. Place your coated crutons on a lined baking sheet and toast in the oven at 375 degreess Faheit for about 15 minutes.

2. While those are in the oven, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and white wine vinegar. Once the mustard is broken up, incorporate the olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place the greens in a bowl and then slice your citrus, avocado, and peas. ( I like to chop my snap peas into slivers, but you can leave them whole ) Top the veggies off with your tinned tuna.

4. Remove the crutons from the oven and allow them to cool slightly, then add them to your salad bowl. Toss in your dressing and enjoy!

This recipe is a simple one, but at the very least, I hope it has inspired you to utilise local produce and get crafty in the kitchen! I’ve had fun trying out new dishes lately, so stay tuned for more…

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So, in case you missed it or are finding “Getting Crafty” for the first time ( if you are, hi and welcome! ) in January of this year, I was living in London and planning to stay for the next several months. Due to a horrible flood, which I have joked about being “biblical” or my clear sign that it was time to leave London, I moved back to the United States. The past few months, I have been getting my life in order from my childhood home in Northern California. This was mainly saving up some money, replacing the material things that I had lost in the flood and planning my next move.

As of the first week of April, I have officially moved into my own apartment in Los Angeles and have embarked on my next chapter. I joke that I am “doing the actor thing”, meaning I essentially have moved to Hollywood to break into the film industry. I have a training program starting up in June, but until I have secured a few part-time jobs to pay the bills while I continue to audition and write. As for where I am living, I have a beautiful studio to myself for the next few months until my best friend also moves to SoCal, when we will move in together. ( a part of my next chapter, I feel I cannot wait for )

Southern California

When I tell anyone that I am from California, the response I tend to get is “Oh, so you are from LA?”, when in reality, there are several significant differences between Northern and Southern California aside from the distance. Norcal, I would describe as more down to Earth- more real and more grounded, whereas SoCal has the stereotype of being quite superficial. There is also a difference in climate, NorCal being colder and home to a rugged but beautiful coastline. The seasons in NorCal are a stark contrast to the eternal sunshine of SoCal. And on top of that, the people in NorCal tend to have a distaste for the lower half of the state, complaining about everything from the smog and traffic to our baseball rivals, the LA Dodgers. Because of all this, I have been under the impression that I would hate the Los Angeles heat and lifestyle for what feels like forever. That said, my first weeks in Southern California have been a shockingly present surprise.

Despite what I have been led to believe, I love it here. The weather is dreamy, and the people in LA have been beyond kind and welcoming. I have been making small talk with regulars at my new favourite coffee shop and easily found a part-time job to get me going with a routine here. In terms of attitude, I have noticed a bit more sass in conversation, but nothing that is overly rude or indigestible. That aside, the food here is amazing, just like the northern half of the state, and I have been enjoying driving and exploring my new neighbourhood. I had a friend say to me a while back that she believed LA to be the centre of the universe, an opinion I now have to say I agree with completely. On any given day there seems to be a multitude of events, opportunities, and social activities to partake in. The film and entertainment industries seem to be flourishing all around me, making me even more eager to find my way into them. Being in a creative environment has encouraged me to write more, to draw more, and to be more in touch with my artistic hobbies. In the new life I am currently curating for myself, I am inspired by the activity around me and greatly optimistic for what the future has in store ( so here is to manifesting auditions and a prosperous career in film ). All this to say, though I am liking the energy of the environment I have found myself in, I know next to no one and am adjusting to spending quite a bit of time by myself. This time is a blessing in the sense that I have autonomy over my days and I am able to focus on the work I want to do, but with it, I am also experiencing what I guess you could categorise as “growing pains”.

Feeling Lonely

I have moved to new places before, and I have also lived alone before; my LA chapter has, however, thus far proven to be quite challenging. This is the first time that I have moved to a place where I have not really known anyone and have not immediately entered into a school or social program. When I moved to both London and then to Vancouver, I had the security of a built-in social life through my classes within my first several days in town. The ease with which I was able to integrate was certainly because I was adjusting to those around me, and we all were eager to make lasting connections. The people I met helped me to create a home for myself, a truly special experience which I now realise I took for granted. This is now what I feel to be the first time I am navigating a new city on my own, so to speak.

Until now, I had thought that I did very well on my own- almost too well at times. That said, extended periods of time on my own and many nights alone in my apartment have me yearning to make a community for myself and fill my social calendar. I am honestly relieved to know that I thrive on connection and know that I will not allow myself to stay put or isolate for too long. Though I do have a conversatory training to look forward to this summer, for now I am paving a path for myself and am being pushed to generate a community for myself through work and social events like run clubs or just being more open to meeting like-minded people. (These events are daunting to me simply because I have never done anything like them. Once I do one, I hope I will be able to integrate myself more easily, but stay tuned xx )

New Routines

As I mentioned, everything in my life right now feels pretty new. I have been building up my move to LA so much in my mind that it doesn’t quite seem to have hit me that I am actually here. This sentiment has left me out of sorts, and I am still figuring out what my ideal daily life looks like.

I have begun to add structure to my days between work, trying new coffee shops to hang out in, and exploring the city. I have been enjoying hiking the Runyon Canyon trails in the morning and making time for myself to drive out to the beach in the evenings. With all of the traffic and chaotic nature of LA, I feel like I need nature now more than ever just to balance things out. This balance I am still striving for is an attempt to cultivate peace for myself. That said, I have also begun to play guitar after dinner instead of watching TV- something that I am equally entertained and calmed by. On Sundays, my neighbourhood has the best farmer’s market I have yet to experience, which has inspired me to get back in the kitchen. I have been making a lot of fresh salad and experimenting with more Mexican-style cooking. I have been more inclined to get out and explore my surroundings, and have been spending more time out of the house than I normally would. This is helping me to feel less alone and more grateful for the corner of the world I have found myself in.

I plan to settle down and settle in to my new life here, but also am eager to learn as much as I can about my new home and the community that lives here. I can tell this new chapter is going to be a good one, I just need to let it come naturally, trust myself, and trust my instincts- as long as I stay “crafty”, I should be alright.

Maybe it is the effects of some sort of reverse culture shock, but since returning to my hometown at the beginning of February, I cannot help but feel out of place. My closet is filled with clothes that are too formal and too warm for a community of Birkenstock and yoga pant wearers. I am used to taking easily accessible public transit and accustomed to the idea of being lost in a crowd. Returning home has brought these details of daily life to the forefront of my mind and has left me wondering if I have lost sight of who I once was or if I am merely changed as a product of growth and lived experience. This post is a collection of questions and thoughts that have been circling in my mind for months now.

Warm Smiles and Oversharing

The most significant cultural difference I have noticed since my return home ( and one I often made note of on shorter trips and holidays ) is the warm demeanour of my community in Northern California. When walking down the street or on a trail, you are expected to say good morning to passersby or, at the very least, greet them with a warm smile. In the customer service world, customers are pleasant ( for the most part ), and baristas and waiters seem to have a genuine interest in your problems. And, on that note, in the small town I am from, it seems to be completely normal, if not expected, for one to share their life’s story when ordering a coffee or asking for a third glass of wine. This warmth and openness are factors of life at home which I hadn’t noticed until they were absent from my environment. In London, the social code is strict: you look down when passing others on the street, you make your order quickly, you mind yourself, and you mind the gap. Returning to California, I have had a difficult time shaking the niceties which I had become accustomed to in England. I still am surprised when a customer at work asks a genuine question or makes a joke, and I constantly need to remind myself to be open to others.

This adjustment period has sparked questions about the person I was raised to be and if my time abroad has changed me. I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed the way people in England kept to themselves. Though I often missed casual conversation with strangers, it was equally nice to have the luxury of feeling alone in public. This sort of isolation taught me to be more self-aware but left me longing for connection at the same time. I found I enjoyed the curiosity and the openness to new opinions which I encountered abroad, but it was all the more challenging to start up a conversation. Being in a metroloitan city, I learned about the world and with that, about myself. There is no doubt that I have grown, but has that growth changed the core of who I am and who I was raised to be? ( If it has changed me, is it for the better? )

How I was Raised

My family is big, loud, and expressive. ( Italian, one could say ) My childhood was filled with laughter and what seemed to be a constant flow of social events. We hosted weekly neighbourhood dinners outside in our little colisack, I played team sports coached by my dad, and weekends were filled with time at my cousin’s house or walking downtown after Sunday mass. I was raised to advocate for what I believe in, love others deeply, and chase my goals and dreams fiercely. The love I was raised with taught me to never doubt myself and affirmed that I would be supported by my family no matter what. Though these values have not changed, my return home has filled me with a bittersweet sense of nostalgia. I miss the sense of freedom and warmth I had in my childhood, and now revisit the places I used to know with a strange longing for what I feel I have lost.

Perhaps it is merely a part of entering adulthood, or maybe it is particularly a product of the grief I am facing as a result of the loss of my father, but my childhood home feels starkly different from how I remember it to be. There is an absence of the warmth I was raised with and a sentiment of newfound responsibility in creating the home in which I wish to live. Everything seems to be quieter, more calculated. On the cusp of my 23rd birthday, it seems natural that thoughts of my role and place in the family are at the forefront of my mind. I wish to add value and stability and to continue to love those close to me as I did throughout my childhood. My family is still big and loud, expressive and strong, but we are clearly missing a key member in our home unit. When grief overwhelms me, I lose sight of myself, and I often wonder how others who experience loss have carried on. A question answered with nothing other than the fact that we must.

I also wonder what my dad would think of where I am now, where my family is now, and how we are doing. I can only hope we are living by his example and keeping his memory alive. With grief, I am learning it is not something, like most things, that is linear- it is an emotion and experience which one merely learns to live with. Other than the above sentiments, all I can really think to say is that I miss him, and returning home is a beautiful and painful reminder of how loved I was by him. Maybe this is a cause for the turmoil I am facing in this transitional period of my life, or is it just a product of change? (Clearly, I am still trying to get to the bottom of this )

Change and Termoil

This year has not been easy, to say the least…

It was off to a good start until my apartment flooded in London, and I instantly felt as though my whole world was flipped upside down. This shift opened my eyes to just how valuable the community I had made for myself in London was, and also how painful it would be to leave it behind. Leaving my tribe, part of it anyway, resulted in me feeling as though I had lost part of myself. The last few months, I have been attempting to piece together who I am and reconnect with that which drives me. This has required me to take a step back and evaluate the activities that bring me joy and the people and places which make me feel safe. I have been spending time outdoors, time with my pets, time with family and attempting to reconnect to what I had lost, a sort of spark within myself. Sentiments of isolation mixed with culture shock and changes in routes left me feeling stuck and somewhat hopeless. I stopped writing. I stopped creating. I focused on getting the mechanics of my life back into place, but I still felt something was not quite right.

All this to say, I have had ample time to evalute, to give myself a hard time, and to reach out for help. Through confiding in others and leaning into the global community I have made for myself, it seems to have finally sunk in that I am not alone, and though life may throw us curve balls now and again, everything tends to have a way of working itself out. So, now that my life is “in order” and I am back in some semblance of a routine, I am back to creating, and I feel better. Reconnecting with my gratitude and talking through issues over long phone calls with my friends in London has been more helpful than I ever could have imagined. I am still working out the kinks and evaluating how I can best take care of myself.

I’ll get there someday, but for now, the best I can do is allow myself to think, to laugh, and to cry- to go with the motions and just to allow myself to live…

A Bit of Nostalgia

One thing that most people know about me is that half of my family is from and based on the East Coast. The nostalgia I feel for New York continues to draw me back, and I often find myself prioritising making time for a trip back East. My dad grew up on Long Island, which meant I spent a good amount of time in New York and its surrounding states during my childhood. I have always loved New York, from the electric energy of Manhattan to the picture-perfect East Coast autumns. As a kid, vacation meant a few nights uptown and wandering the city streets or a weekend on the Cape playing in the sun. There was always lots to do, good food, and endless laughter. Now my visits back east are interwoven with a strong sense of nostalgia for trips of the past and a sort of comfort in feeling closer to my dad, emotionally and spiritually. Whilst I am a California girl through and through, I was raised with a clear East Coast sensibility, which lends itself to making me feel at home when I am there. I admire the loud atmosphere of Manhattan, locals being upfront and even confrontational, oh, and you cannot forget the crude joke woven into nearly every conversation. My most recent trip helped me to ground myself and reconnect with my roots while in the midst of a major life transition. I was fortunate to be able to take some time off work and spend it with loved ones. Being surrounded by nostalgia and family, I was able to come back to myself, and day by day, I am feeling more capable of facing the challenges and change which I have ahead of me, but more on that in a later post.

Family and Friends

My trip was meant to be just over a week long, but was sadly cut short due to the recent blizzard that swept the East Coast. I am glad to say that everyone was safe and no major plans were ruined, but the delay in my trip made me all the more eager to get to the city. As I mentioned, my weekend comprised mainly of wandering the icy streets of New York and catching up with friends and family. I booked this trip as a gift to myself at Christmas, and my main plan was to go and stay with my best friend from home, whom I rarely get to see. Quality time is certainly my love language; that said, this trip was just about the best gift I could ask for. On top of a visit with my bestie, I was able to work in an excursion to Connecticut to stay with my uncles and have an evening with one of my cousins.

I arrived in Jersey at Newark airport in the early evening on Thursday and made my way to my friend’s apartment in Harlem. We had plans to go to an evening cabaret, but first, I needed to drop off my bags and get a full tour of her apartment. Her place was perfectly her in every way, and it warmed my heart to see the life she has made for herself and the way she is thriving. She welcomed me into her circle of friends and filled the weekend with parties, dinners, much-needed chats, and a drag show ( which is one of the best performances I have seen to date ). Being in the midst of major changes myself, it inspired me and made me excited for the potential life I can create in a new place. I got lost in daydreams of living in New York and going to shows nightly, but in the end, I know my place for now is California, and I am starting to really get excited about the potential of the unknown.

On that same note of the changes I am facing at present, seeing my family at this time felt not only important but necessary. My uncles and cousins on my dad’s side are members of the family who I love dearly and respect immensely. Talking through my worries and current troubles with them helped me gain a new perspective. While I obviously have my mom, and I value her opinion highly, I also crave the advice of other older adults. This is likely due to the absence of my dad, but I know that it does not take away from all of the other love I have in my life- thus, this opportunity to see family was all the more important in affirming how blessed I am. I am moving forward with a renewed sense of support as I take my next steps, and I have a handful of memories I can now hold close. So here is to facing change with courage and knowing I have a strong team behind me. (Team Crafty, if you will)

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NY Recommendations

Having spent several winter breaks and summer weeks in Manhattan, despite not being a local, I do feel I have a solid list of recommendations for the city and spots I like to make a point of visiting. This is a brief round-up of my all-time favourites, but I could honestly go on and on when it comes to NYC recommendations.

This list is heavily influenced by my father’s love of food, really good food at that, and my mother’s love of all things fashion. I have woven in some spots that speak to those who love coffee and art as well (because I find those two things essential to my daily routine and holiday time)

Where to Eat and Sip:

Fairfax - a fun tavern-style restaurant in the heart of the West Village. The interior is cosy, and the food never misses. It is part of the same restaurant group as Sailor, which is another hit. I go here specifically for the burger, and I’ve heard others do too!

Brooklyn Bagel Company - every New Yorker has their pick for the best bagel in this city. This and Essa Bagel were my dad’s go tos, and thus, now this is one of mine

Butterfield Market- A truly luxurious grocery store on the Upper East Side, which is far too expensive but stunning nonetheless. If you take a look at any of the item prices, you will quickly understand why it is located in the most expensive borough in Manhattan. I love their kale salad and selection of imported goods (this is the kind of place to go for hot food or a small treat, but not your weekly food shop )

Balthazar- An Soho restaurant institution that holds a special place in my heart. It is notable for its large European dining room and iconic raw seafood bar. I remember going here for the first time on my 10th birthday with my parents and feeling as though it was the marking of a really special occasion.

La Colombe Coffee Roasters- known for high-quality coffee and, more specifically, their draft lattes. My order is a half tan, which is a cold brew ( which they also have on tap ) with cream. It is a true 10/10 for me.

All Things Shopping:

Staud - An LA-based lifestyle brand with a stunning boutique in Soho. Though originally from LA, I discovered Staud in NY with my mom, and every time I am back, I make a point of stopping in. They have gorgeous shoes and purses with unique prints. I also simply love the architecture of their clothes ( many of which I am saving up for as we speak )

Acne Studios - Another brand with a Soho storefront, which I discovered in the city with my mom. Based in Stockholm, Acne is almost effortlessly chic but also has a bit of edge to it. I have a mohair scarf from their basics collection, which is easily one of my prized possessions.

Bergdorf Goodman - If there is one thing New York City does well, it is department stores, Bergdorf being at the top of the list for me. It is 7 floors of luxury fashion with a shoe department that is, to me, more of a museum exhibition. While I cannot afford nearly anything in the store, it is stunning and all too easy to spend all day lost in it.

Bloomingdales - At a price point just barely lower than Bergdorf, Bloomies is yet another amazing department store in the city that makes you think you can maybe afford the lifestyle. Here I go daydreaming about fashion and resisting the temptation to buy shoes far out of my price range.

Art and Leisure:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art- easily my favourite museum in the world. It has everything: Monets, modern art, ancient artefacts, and stunning architecture. If you can, please go, and please be sure to visit my favourite gallery upstairs, showcasing paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, and other French impressionists and painters

The MoMA- Another classic New York museum that is certainly worth a visit. I know that modern art is often an acquired taste, but the curation of the MoMA is notable and spectacular. I always leave feeling inspired.

Central Park- I love a city park. Central Park spans a solid chunk of the island and is host to what feels like endless activities. When I daydream about living in the city, I picture myself going for a run in Central Park or having a picnic with friends. It is beautiful at any time of year, but autumn in the park is really something special

Soul Cycle - I’ve mentioned Soul many times before, but it is essentially a spin class with a focus on community and a healthy relationship with exercise. Soul started in NYC, and the classes I have done there have been some of the best. It is a great way to spend an hour or so, and even a great way to make some new friends.

Broadway- An iconic NYC activity is seeing one of the many productions on Broadway, and for good reason. The shows offered are some of the highest quality the world has to offer. Plus, a night at the theatre truly cannot be beat. Iconic shows at the moment include: Wicked, Book of Mormon, Chicago, Hamilton, and The Lion King

When I moved back to the Bay Area at the beginning of February, I expected to be greeted with blue skies and moderate weather; oh gosh, was I mistaken. February this year in San Francisco has been cold and rainy nearly every day. While significantly warmer than London, this weather certainly still calls for comforting meals and staying in.

When I want a cosy meal, squash is one of my “go tos”, so I tend to keep all varieties on hand, acorn and spaghetti squash being my favourites. Acorn Squash is great on its own, but I also love blending it into pasta sauces or soups like this one. The flavour is slightly nutty and sweet, but altogether less intense than butternut squash, which makes it easier to work with. This soup was the product of some leftover veggies and kitchen experimentation, flavoured with aromatic herbs and paired perfectly with some homemade crutons… Enjoy!

Acorn Squash Soup

Yield 4/5 servings

Ingredients:

Medium Acorn Squash ……………..………………………………………………….. 1

Leeks .……………..…………………………………………………………………………………. 2

Red Onion .……………..…………………………………………………………………………. 1

Garlic ……………..……………………………………………………………………………….. 3 cloves

Fresh Rosemary ……………..………………………………………………………………… about 4 sprigs

Sea Salt and Black Pepper ……………………………………………………………… to taste

Vegetable or Chicken Stock ………………………………………………………….. 4 cups

Olive Oil ……………………………………………………………………………………………. for garnish

Equipment:

1 regular-sized baking sheet

Kitchen-grade blender or food processor (immersion blenders work too )

Large pot or Dutch oven

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.

2. Half your acorn squash. Scoup out the seeds and the pulp surrounding them. Wash and trim your leeks.

3. Cut the squash into half-moon slivers, no thicker than 1/2 inch. Cut your leeks into fine rounds, slice the red onion, and peel and chop your garlic.

4. Place all of your veggies, as well as a few sprigs of rosemary, on your lined baking sheet and salt generously. Drizzle the veggies with high-quality olive oil and roast for 30-40 minutes ( until squash is tender and golden brown )

5. Remove the sheet pan veg from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Then dump your roasted vegetables into a blender or food processor along with about a cup of your stock and blend until smooth. (If using an immersion blender, place 2 cups of stock in a pot on the stove, with the heat off, and slowly add in the vegetables to blend)

6. Add the blended mixture to a pot on the stove and use the remaining stock to thin your soup to your desired consistency (for this soup,p I prefer it on the thicker side!). Warm soup, and add more salt and black pepper to taste.

7. Serve your soup: top with rosemary crutons and a drizzle of olive oil!

Bonus…

Rosemary Pesto Crutons:

The only proper way to garnish this soup, and a fab way to use up leftover or stale bread

Ingredients:

Bakery Bread or Sourdough

Olive Oil

Salt

Fresh Rosemary

Pine Nuts

Parmigiano Reggiano

( There are no measurements for this recipe because it is all to your taste and preference…

Plus, you could make as much or as little as you wish- use a whole loaf or just a slice! )

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.

2. Cut your bread into slice then into cubes, and grate your parmesan if not already shredded.

3. Place your bread in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add in a generous amount of salt and rosemary, and toss in your pine nuts. (You want your bread to be covered in oil but not soaked through.)

4. Spread your bread pieces evenly over your baking sheet to ensure even cooking and cover with parmesan. ( I add a little more salt here for good measure )

5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and crispy!

I am excited to be building a new routine for myself and simply cannot wait to experiment with neww dish and cuisines as the weather gets warmer. Stay tuned for more recipes and fun in the kitchen!

The question I probably get asked most often is why I chose to go to London for university rather than staying in the States or choosing a more traditional path. In earnest, I do not have a concrete answer to this question. I made the decision kind of… impulsively, for lack of a better word. Without trying to be overly sentimental, I do need to simply say: Living in the UK was a childhood dream of mine. From my love of the Beatles to corgi stuffed animals and Union Jack Converse, I was an Anglophile from day one. Having lived in London for the better half of 5 years, I can safely say that I made it my home. I surrounded myself with a community of loving people whom I miss dearly and found tiny pockets of the city that felt almost like a secret I want to keep to myself.

So, now that I have moved and I am missing my home, I thought I would share some of the places that made London so special to me…

Cafes and Restaurants

Kuro Coffee- Friends of mine know that if I suggest meeting for a coffee, Kuro is where I will likely want to meet. The coffee and matcha are simple and high quality. What makes it a special place in my heart is the kind staff and minimalist upstairs seating.

Hjem- A small Danish coffee shop about a 15-minute walk from my apartment in Kensington. Hjem means home in Danish, and the shop certainly feels like home in a way. The cosy atmosphere is great for casual coffee dates, and their cardamom buns taste like they were made in your grandma’s kitchen ( yummmm, now I am craving one)

Pophams Bakery- One of London’s most popular bakeries, and for good reason. Pophams was about an hour from me by transit, and I found I made that journey several times to indulge in one of the best yoghurt bowls I have had to date, followed by a browse in the adorable neighbourhood of London Fields.

Canteen- A walk-in only Italian restaurant in Notting Hill that quickly won my heart. The food is simple with a focus on ingredients and a daily seasonal menu. The head chef also changes daily, so you always get something unique. The atmosphere doesn’t try too hard, and the staff is fun and friendly. It was almost always on my mind when looking for a place to have dinner, but unfortunately near impossible to actually get a table.

Cafe Cecilia- a.k.a my favourite restaurant ( probably in the world ), it hosts a simple and classy interior inspired by Danish dining trends and a menu of season italian food. The guisness bread is to die for, and the guisness bread ice cream is somehow even better. Please go… ( or don’t, so I can hopefully manage to get a reservation for myself )

La Brasseria- Yet another Italian restaurant in London that won my heart. They have two locations, one in Notting Hill and one ( linked ) on Marylebone High Street. The food is good, and the vibe is cute, but what makes La Brasseria stand out is that it was and is my best friend’s favourite stop in the city. When in doubt, La Brasseria became routine for brunch or dinner catch-ups.

Fox and Phesant- A pub in Chelsea that is the image of a traditional English pub. In my mind, it is the best place to catch up with friends and holds many fond memories of my time in SW3.

Beaverbrook Townhouse - A more upscale addition to my list of recommendations. The Beaverbrook Townhouse is a classy hotel just off Sloane Square with a fab bar and seating area downstairs. If you are after a well made negroni and dim lighting, this is the place to be.

Parks and Day-Trips

Holland Park- If I were having a bad day, Holland Park was my pick for a long, relaxing walk. It is a small and somewhat secluded park just off High Street Kensington, and one of the only places I felt I could really escape my urban surroundings. It is home to a stunning Japanese garden called Kyoto Gardens, and in what is probably my favourite borough of London to begin with. The architecture of the surrounding streets reminds me of San Francisco, and the perfectly manicured yards of each house never failed to calm my mind.

Regent’s Park- Another smaller park in the city and my home for my first 6 months in England, Regent’s Park was home to my university and will always hold a special place in my heart. It is home to stunning gardens and a lake where you can rent pedal boats, ideal for a summer picnic or relaxing walk.

Richmond and Kew Gardens- I only visited Richmond and its botanical gardens once, but I quickly fell in love. I delayed my trip to this part of London because I was under the impression that it was quite tough to access; however, I found that you can get there in just 40ish minutes from central. It is a quiet and adorable little village that feels like the countryside, and the botanical gardens are nothing other than breathtaking. When I visited with my friend, we loved all walking the gardens and grabbing lunch along the river. ( My heart was especially warmed by the California section of the gardens, where I got to see the iconic orange poppies that I miss when away from the Bay Area)

Cambridge- A town, known primarily for its high class univiersities, which is a short train ride outside of London. It is walkable, charming, and a great place to explore for the day. My roommate and I visited almost annually in the autumn and used Cambridge as a way to escape the hectic nature of London, even if just for a few hours.

Windsor- The first day trip I ever took from London was visiting Windsor Castle with my parents when we were on holiday during my childhood. Memories of this trip encouraged me to revisit this charming town and castle several times whilst living in the UK. The gardens of the castle are stunning, and it is a peaceful escape from the city centre. I highly recommend adding it to your list of places to see.

Museums and Experiences

Workouts:

In London, I worked in the fitness industry on the side of my acting career. Because of this, I tried several different workout classes in the city and found a home in the communities that some of the studios cultivated.

Soul Cycle - Last year, I went to Soul Cycle a total of 90 times, which I realise is a bit insane ( what can I say, I was hooked ). Soul offers 45-minute spin classes often to themed playlists. What makes soul stand out is the focus it has on working out as an act of self-care rather than a means of self-improvement. The studios are clean, the staff is beyond friendly, and it was a place I was able to find community outside of my work or school routines.

Hot Pod Yoga - A hot yoga studio chain where they zip you into a heated tent for an hour… Hotpod is not traditional yoga by any means, but it is one of the best workouts you can get. I found I craved the sweat and heat, especially in the colder winter months in the UK.

Home Studio - A newer addition to my list, home in a gorgeous studio located in Primrose Hill. It became a quick favourite as it is by Jonathan Sattin ( the original owner of Triyoga, where I worked for about a year ). Jonathan gathered many of the best teachers Triyoga had to offer, and I simply followed them when they left their old studio. If you are in town, please do yourself a favour and take a hot yoga class with Sara Drai or a vinyasa with Christian Coelho.

Exhale Pilates - Truly one of the highest quality studios in London and the UK as a whole. Exhale is a classical pilates studio with an emphasis on teachers with high-quality training. Everyone on the team is welcoming, and the studios are beautiful. Yes, I worked there, but I am proud to have been a part of such a special community and blessed to have been able to take as many classes as I did there.

Museums:

Something I loved about London is that entry to most museums was free. Because of this, I was able to pop in and out of several exhibitions in my free time and even make doing so part of my routine. My standout picks would have to be the fashion wing of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Roman wing of The British Museum, the Tate Modern, and The Design Museum ( however, namely their special exhibits, which you do have to pay for )

Theatre:

The Royal Court - located in the heart of Sloane Square, the Royal Court is probably my top theatre in the city. It shows primarily new works or revivals of shows previously put on at the theatre. It has an amazing library of scripts that I could get lost in for hours ( it hold copies of every play that has been done there ). My favourite play, Top Girls, made its debut at the Royal Court and whenever I visited the theatre it was like visitinga bit of history.

The National Theatre- On London’s South Bank, the National is one of the most well-respected theatres in the UK. It is the type of establishment that actors goal is to perform at, myself included. Needless to say, seeing a show here will likely ensure a night well spent.

The Barons Court Theatre- A small pub theatre in West London where I made my London stage debut last spring. The Barons Court puts on new works by small theatre companies and is unqiue place in the London scene.

Of course, what made London more than just a tourist destination was the community of people I surrounded myself with. This list is just a glimpse into the landscape of my life abroad. Each place listed holds invaluable memories of laughter, love, and earnest conversations that have shaped me to be a different person than when I moved abroad five years ago. Looking back at the memories that bring me comfort and even the trying times that I have endured, I can’t help but be anything but grateful for the life that I lived and am living. I am optimistic that my next chapter will lead me to create new routines and find a community of my own in the States ( knowing I always have something to go back to and people I love all over the world ).

So, I suppose, with that all I can say is:

Thank you, London, and goodnight!

In full transparency, I have many other posts drafted, fun topics I wish to write about; however, in the last several days, my life has undergone a complete 180. So, here I am addressing it.

When it Rains, it Pours

Tuesday afternoon, I landed in rainy London after a relatively easy travel day. I started my day off in San Fransicso with what I can only describe as a bad gut feeling. I remember saying to my mom as she dropped me off at the airport that, for whatever reason, I did not want to return to London. This feeling was a strange one as I honestly love the life I have made for myself in the UK, I enjoy my job, and I missed my friends, but something was just off… My mom reassured me, reminding me that these emotions were likely just a result of travel anxiety or overwhelm related to a change in routine. So, I got on the plane returned to cold and rainy London, prepared to reset my life a bit for the new year and organise for the days ahead. This determination and drive were short-lived as the second I opened the door to my flat, I noticed a puddle in the hallway ( shit ). The puddle was self-contained, but I knew that whatever awaited me behind the door to my actual unit could not be good. (For reference, a pipe burst in this same flat in March of last year, so I am no stranger to plumbing mishaps in this building.)

I opened the door to my little flat, number 19, to find that the power had shut off, a result of the 2 or3 inches of water covering the entire unit. After putting on my wellingtons, which I had conveniently left in the main hallway, I turned on my phone flashlight and braved the space to investigate. It looked as though the leak came from under the sink. There was a horrid smell, and most of my belongings, which I left behind, were now wet and completely ruined. My iPad, camera equipment, books, Ugg slippers, bedding, and favourite stuffed animal, to name a few. The shock of the situation was numbed by the fact that it was nearly 5 p.m. and I needed to jump into action before my landlord’s office closed. I made a few quick phone calls, booked an Airbnb, and got the hell out of there ( did I mention it smelled horrible ). My landlord arranged for a maintenance man to attend that evening. After 4 hours of cleaning and inspecting, he informed me that a pipe had burst in the building and he needed to continue his work. Turns out the flat now need industrial grade dehumidifiers installed for 2 weeks to dry out the space before it then needs to be refloored. None of these charges would be at my expense, but my accommodation during that time would be. At first, the landlord would not let me out of my lease and was offering no financial compensation of any kind. This has now been sorted, thank the lord, but needless to say, I have taken the flood as a sign it is time to move.

Given that this is the second occurrence of a flood in this property, I do not trust that it will not happen for a third time. I also have my thoughts on the way the building has been managed, and, being as I live alone, I have decided it is best to simply remove myself from the situation. This means saying goodbye to my belongings and, for now, moving back to California.

Saying Goodbye

And just like that, my London chapter is coming to a close.

For now, I’ll be sporting my favourite blue work shirt and picking up some shifts at my hometown coffee shop. I am filled with immense amounts of grief when it comes to saying goodbye to the life I have made and the people I have met here, but I know ultimately I am making the right decision. With my visa ending in just a few months, I was preparing to move to California long-term anyway. It simply would be too expensive and impractical for me to find a new apartment for under 3 months, so my hand has been forced to move sooner than anticipated.

This flood, as well as the flooding the Bay Area experienced in the first few days of the year, made me curious as to what sort of sign or hidden meaning these events could hold. Turns out, in various religions and mythologies, flooding symbolises a karmic cleansing. Hinduism refers to floods as “divine or natural consequences of human moral failure and the destruction of balance. They represent the inevitable results of past actions surfacing to be washed away, often acting as a "purification" of accumulated karma”. Floods, in this sense as also seen as an opportunity to make shifts and start with a clean slate. With my move, and my feeling like this event is pushing me to do so, I am oddly comforted by the notion of a fresh start. I am, of course, sad to leave and anxious as to what may lie ahead, but no matter what life has in store, I know I can handle it ( and as always, I will have to get crafty along the way ).

When it comes to wishful thinking and goal setting- manifesting, if you will, I believe imagination holds a great deal of significance. What we see and envision tends to be where we focus our energy; there is endless research on the power of positive visualisation for athletes and individuals in performance driven feels. The bottom line of this research is that visualising desired outcomes of a sscenario in this case, the year ahead, prepares your brain and body for success. This preparation helps to boost confidence and lays the foundation for the neural pathways needed for achievements in your real life. This visualisation is ideally multisensory, and because of that crucial element of the equation, I lean on my vision boards. ( I might mention now: this is not the post for you if you are a non-believer in manifestation or just a general cynic)

The art of “vision boarding” is one that I have been a fan of for a while. I have vivid memories of how much I enjoyed making collages in elementary school during art class, and in high school, I could be found using my school laptop to scroll on Pinterest during physics rather than follow along with thecalculationss on the whiteboard. Pinterest is where I first started collecting images and making visual mood boards. I have found it to be a relaxing means of scrolling on my phone, as opposed to other social media. In recent years, I have returned to my old habit of physical collaging. I have learned to love how tactile and calming cutting up magazines and collecting images can be. It is also, in a way, an act of self-discovery; sitting down with a stack of magazines, I am always surprised by the images which stand out to me, colour palettes that emerge, and the words that draw me in. The action of searching for material in this also makes me set my goals with conviction. Because of this, I am further encouraged to change my routines. I also think there is a somewhat magical quality to looking at images that bring you joy every day. I had the board above in my kitchen all year. Seeing it as I made my morning coffee reminded me of all of the things I am aiming for, consciously and subconsciously.

This post is a recap of where I wanted to put my energy in 2025 and how it came to fruition as the year unfolded…

Travel

I made the vision board above on January 1st of last year with a truly empty calendar for the year ahead. It is no secret that I love and value travel, and I am fortunate enough to have it as almost a constant in my life. At the beginning of 2025, I had no plans, and I did not anticipate much travel other than my annual trips between the Bay Area and London.

When making my board, I found myself drawn to the beautiful scapes layed out in magazine adverts. There was an image of Lake Como I knew I had to include, also one of a street in Paris that, for some reason, spoke to me. Whether it was the colour, the lighting, or just the notion of these being two places I wished to visit, the images made their way to the forefront of my collage. There are also images I found of a Canadian map and the beach where my mom has her second property, both of which spoke to my heart because of the comfort that those places bring me.

Little did I know that as the year went on, I would arrange my budget to prioritise travel. For my birthday, instead of buying myself something physical, I bought round-trip tickets to Vancouver to revisit my old home and stay with my best friend. It was the best decision I made all year. Shortly after that, my aunt and cousin reached out and asked me to join them on their mother-daughter Paris trip- how could I say no! Flash forward to the summer, a minor health scare landed me back home in California for an extended period of time, which was much welcomed. I rounded off my year of travel in Lake Como when my mom kindly allowed me to tag along on her “solo trip”.

Now, I am not attempting to say that these opportunities fell into my lap; of course, made all of these trips happen. But I do think it is quite the coincidence that the exact places I visited were in my mind from day one of last year.

Art

One element of my life which I always wish to engage with to a further extent is my connection to and practice of art. Whether that is writing, reading, painting, playing music, or acting, there is always a pull of my energy to my various creative outlets. Specific resolutions of mine for 2025 were to sit down and actually learn guitar, to experiment with creative writing, and, of course, to act and progress in my career.

Right off the bat, my new year started with some major auditions and a play, which I was fortunate enough to do with a close group of friends. That play actually led to me finding a new day job for which I am endlessly grateful. The stint in California I mentioned above allowed me to devote my time to picking up my dad’s old guitar and to write more expressively.

As a prevalent part of my life and where I focused my energy last year, my art and self-expression helped me to connect with others. It also gave me a chance to learn about myself in new ways, my likes and dislikes. This sort of introspection strengthened the relationship I have with myself and aided me in achieving another goal which I had for 2025.

Self - Care

Another resolution I had for 2025 was to take more stock in myself. This wasn’t the typical “work out more, eat better” self-care resolution. It was about building a stronger relationship with myself, which meant being conscious of the way I speak to myself and how I choose to spend my time. I put words like “Trust and Love” on my board along with images of comforting home environments. For 2025, I wanted to focus on creating a safe environment for both my physical and mental well-being.

Last year brought me growth in several ways, but I can say confidently that I was pushed to gain respect for myself. I learned the importance of setting boundaries in my interpersonal relationships and became more comfortable spending time alone. Living alone forced me to sit with my negative thoughts, feelings of grief, and inner turmoil. My main takeaway from the time I spent working with myself is the importance of making myself feel safe and consistently reminding myself of all of blessing I currently have. Journaling has been instrumental in this act of reflection. I started most days of 25 with a simple list of things I am grateful for, and even on tough days, it brought a smile to my face. (This action helps me to put my life in perspective- even when your flat floods or you lose a friend, there is something to be grateful for, no matter how small ) Additionally, creating a cosy environment was key for me in making myself feel safe. Warm lighting and candles are non-negotiables in my flat. They help me to maintain a calm energy from which I can operate at a higher capacity. When it comes to wanting to work on myself, I learned that it is equally valuable to acknowledge that the current vision of myself is worthy of respect and care. In a culture of trends, comparison, and a push to always be doing more, it is all too easy for me to lose sight of myself and the simple fact that the person I am now is something I once goaled for. Personal growth is not about perfection in that sense, but rather about accepting the state of constant learning you are in ( something I still need to be reminded of often ).

2026

As firmly as I believe in the power of goal setting, I equally believe that to an extent ones goals are private. There is beauty to growing in solitude and without the need for recognition for one’s achievements. Looking back on the goals I had a year ago gives me a strong sense of gratitude for what this last year has brought me; there have been blessings in my life and elements of personal growth that I used to only hope for. Bigger themes like career growth or tangible aspects of life like travel are easier to write about; they are blessings that have describable memories, where some of my personal goals have helped me to develop and grow in private this year. Because of the intimate nature of much of this reflection, while I am currently working on my vision board for the year ahead and I have what seems to be an endless list of aspirations, I do want to keep them mostly to myself for now. I will say my general wish for the new year is to continue to find ways of cultivating peace for myself in my habits and routines, and to act with grace in all aspects of my life. I want to encourage myself to continue to travel and to learn as much as I can about the world around me. I want to connect with those who matter to me and new people, and in general, to focus on the parts of life that fuel me and bring me joy. I am optimistic for the opportunities that the new year holds and see it less as a “new beginning” but more as encouragement to continue down the path I am already on.

I have no clue what is in store for me in the days and months to come, but I know for certain that I will be Getting Crafty along the way.

Unfortunately, I believe that all too often I fall under the category of the high-maintenance friend or relative. By this, I do not mean that I am difficult to be around, but I believe my refined personality does, at times, make me tough to shop for. I know for a fact I get this from my mother and childhood nanny, who raised me to be an admirer of high fashion and designer retail. I always find it tough to shop for those in myself with impeccable taste, so I thought I would simply compile a list of my favourite products that I would always be happy to receive. This list ranges from stocking stuffers to big purchases. Hopefully, it provides a bit of inspiration for your holiday shopping, and if you need to get something for me, do not be afraid to take some notes xx

Home and Self-Care

When someone in my life seems to have it all, I like to try to think of things that I have and use that I love but do not necessarily need. They are the products that seem like a treat, which I would buy for myself on a special occasion, but not on a very ordinary one. They make my home feel cosier, and I would recommend them to anyone for pure self-care…

Simple Pleasures

Classic Uggs: There are two types of people in this world, slipper people, and barbarians… I personally fall into the slipper person sector, and these Ugg boots, basic as they may be, are my favourites.

San Francisco Toothbrush: These toothbrushes would make the perfect stocking stuffer, they are so so chic, and I love the name!

Adorable Glassware: I recently purchased these tumblers from the Conran Shop and could not be happier. They elevate my kitchen and make hosting feel more within my reach.

A Good Mug: There are few things better than my morning cup of coffee, even better if it is in an adorable mug. This Le Creuset mug is the top of my list, and a few of my friends ;)

Tinned Fish: It may be a bit of a trend, but everyone seems to have fallen in love with tinned fish this year. It is an affordable way to round outa hamper-stylee gift and a great addition to any festive spread!

A Good Cookbook: Holidays mean cooking and lots of it… In slower moments at home, I love flipping through my pile of cookbooks for inspiration and recipe ideas. Currently, I am cooking my way through Appetites (Anthony Bourdain’s cookbook) and have yet to find something thaisn'tnt delish.

Dreamy skincare:

Le Labo Cleanser: go-to cleanser. This is an all-in-one face and body wash, plus the bottle is gorgeous, and it smells amazing. Get it for yourself, anything…

All things Ouai: One of the most dreamy hair and skincare brands. Everything smells divine, and the ingredients are clean. I love the Dean Street body wash and the thick hair shampoo.

Of Course, a Robe: One of the true marks of girlhood is sitting at home in your robe with a fun beverage and just relaxing. I love these robes from Djerf Avenue; they are terrycloth and perfect for when you get out of the bath or shower.

Scents and more:

A Winter Scent: Changing my perfume seasonally is a way I like to refresh and renew my energy. Right now, I am wearing Diptyque’s vanilla scent. It is warming but also fresh for the winter months.

Amber Candle: Anthropologie is no secret to candle lovers. This amber candle is not from their classic collection, but it was certainly one of my favourite gifts I received last year.

Clothing and Aesthetics

PJs: Every year, I look forward to my set of holiday pyjamas. For as long as I can remember, J-Crew has had my favourites. My mom and I love to get matching sets for an extra festive touch.

My Favourite Shoes: My red ballet flats are a staple in my wardrobe. I love the pop of colour they add to any outfit. This site also has a bunch of other designs that may fit your personal style better!

Totes and more: Everywhere I look in London, I seem to see a put-together girl carrying an L.L. Bean Tote. I love the classic look and the nostalgia attached to the brand ( I used to get my elementary school backpacks from here ). These totes are simple but sophisticated, plus L.L. Bean is a great one-stop shop for anyone who loves the outdoors.

Bundle Up: In colder climates like London, scarves are a must. This Acne Studios scarf is not only gorgeous, but because it is mohair, it is unbelievably cosy.

Reminders of Home: When I am not in Petaluma, I miss Petaluma. Chick City Goods is a new shop that opened in downtown, selling adorable town merchandise. I have bought a few pieces as gifts and think they are adorable, plus extremely sentimental.

Experiences and more

Now, in full honesty, receiving gifts is not a personal love language of mine. Because of this, I am of course grateful timeytime someonethoughthough, of me, but I much prefer receiving and giving experiences where I can spend quality time with those I love.

Go See a Play: Being in London is such a blessing, sing as any night of the week you can see live theatre and usually for relatively cheap. TodayTix often has deals or sales, and it’s a great activity to do with friends. I recently saw Les Misérablesbles and Titanique, both of which were outstanding!

Take A Hike: a complete gift, planning the day together. I have linked here the map to a Bay Area hike, which is always a treat. I have been known to make coupons for my mom in the past, and a daytime hike followed by lunch at Bar Bocci, our favourite restaurant nearby, is usually featured.

Bake Together: (Some shameless self-promotion) Many of my fondest holiday memories are baking with my mom and aunt in preparation for family get-togethers. Here I have linked my infamous scones that are the perfect side dish for Christmas or New Year’s Day brunch.

Day at the Museum: London is also home to an endless number of museums and exhibitions. Right, now DesMuseummesum off of High Street Kensington has a Wes Anderson Exhibition on which I am dying to go see. Last year, I saw their Barbie exhibit, which was outstanding, and I do not doubt this display will be held to the same standard.

How Do I Make the Cioppino Again?

As the holiday seasons have come and gone over the past few years. I find myself longing for the familiarity of family and the traditions I grew up knowing. Since I began university, I have not spent Thanksgiving in the U.S. and thus have not properly celebrated it. Similarly, since my dad passed, the Christmas season has held an odd sort of melancholy and gravitas. It is a mix of recounting memories that warm my heart and a desperate wish for a sense of normalcy. Between travel, boyfriends, and life in general, I have only spent one Christmas since my dad passed in my childhood home, and even then, it felt like a forced march. I empathise greatly with those who have lost someone or are going through hardship during a time when the rest of the world is meant to be joyful. It can feel like playing pretend, and while it is important to see the good and to carry on living, it is also allowed to be difficult. ( I say this for myself and others alike )

One of the strongest pulls into feelings of grief is the simple moments I miss the most with my dad, or the questions I wish I could ask him. My dad’s infamous ciopinno recipe, for example, is not infamous for its flavour or complexity but more so for the number of times he talked both my mom and me through it. It is a silly memory I have of my dad, but one I hold close. Basically, one year for Thanksgiving or Christmas, he had his heart set on making cioppino in our Instant Pot, and he found a recipe that got him so excited, he brought it up just about every hour. (I couldn’t tell you now exactly all the steps, but I know my mom and I both remember that the most crucial part was to leave it uncovered for 10 minutes at the end ). Of course, I miss my dad, but I miss even more I miss the spirit he brought to any festive event or season. He loved to make anything and everything a celebration, and he took time to show those he loved just how much he cared. Dinnertime toast often began with a teary-eyed regale of how he was “the most grateful, fortunate guy in the world” because of the people he was surrounded with. I feel grateful to be his daughter and can only aspire to bring the same light to the celebrations of the season.

Further encompassing my sensitivity, I have around my grief:

Right now, I am reading Michelle Zauner’s memoir, “Crying in H Mart”, which largely focuses on her experience with her mother's passing and how she faces her grief. The first chapter begins with her explaining how she now cries in unconventional places, like H Mart, an infamous Asian supermarket. While with her mother's death, Zauner is also dealing with a sense of loss of self and connection to her asian culture, I felt oddly seen by the sentiments expressed in her opening chapter. She cries in the supermarket because of the memories she has of going there with her mother and the bonding time it provided for them. It speaks to the notion that people leave pieces of themselves with us when they pass. For me, I cry every time I hear an Elvis song on the radio, especially a bad one. I sometimes cry when I read the news because I know it would have been a conversation over morning coffee that likely would have bored me. I do not grieve a loss of connection to culture in the way Zauner does; there is a specific depth of her experience rooted in being a 2st generation immigrant that I know I cannot begin to understand. I do think, however, that anyone who has experienced grief in any capacity should read her memoir. It helped me to reconcile certain feelings and made me think about the depth of love which grief holds.

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Rays of Light

With my heart both equally full and heavy, there is still a festive spirit in the air and moments of joy to be had.

Thanksgiving this year was a quiet and calm one for me. I am a big cook, and Thanksgiving is usually my favourite holiday as it is really just an excuse to experiment in the kitchen and be around people I love. This year, however, instead of a cooking extravaganza or hosting a large dinner party, Lola (a close friend and fellow Californian) and I had a simple morning coffee date. We started our morning at Whole Foods, where we picked up slices of pumpkin pie, then took a stroll to Kuro, which is my favourite cafe in the city. We enjoyed our pie alongside some coffee, in a way emulating a taste of home. Though it was not a grand affair by any means, we enjoyed our day and were there to comfort each other when we needed it most. Friends like Lola feel like family and make the world just that little bit brighter during tough moments. Thinking back, I don’t know what I would do without her if we hadn't met on the first day of university. I have said this repeatedly by now, but my community is one of the most, if not the most important part of my life. They are the people who make heartache easier and the mundane day-to-day struggles worth it.

In addition to my fun Thanksgiving outing, November was a month when my social calendar was full, and life in general was on an up. I still work at a pilates studio and love all of my co-workers and work environment, which makes life all the better when I am not acting. Further highlights of the month included cosy nights at the pub with friends and dinner dates with my friend Lily as we attempt to eat our way through an endless list of London “must-try” restaurants. We tried two adorable wine bars last month, Cafe Deco in Bloomsbury and Ducksoup, which are coincidentally part of the same restaurant group. The food was good, farm-to-table with fresh ingredients, but at both places, the wine is what we would want to go back for. Another fun night included drinks at Bar Italia after a long day at work, followed by me dragging a friend to go see Les Misérables with me (though looking back, I think he may have enjoyed it more than I did).

Overall, though days are harder than others, and I have moments where I struggle to reconcile my logging for home, the people I have around me here in London make me feel safe and happy. The city is clearly beginning to get busier with a rush of holiday tourism, and it is an exciting place to be. I am looking forward to the next few weeks of festive activities and counting down the days until I am in the embrace of my mom and the warmth of the California sun.

Being as I live alone, the winter months can lead to a natural state of hibernation and isolation. To combat feelings of loneliness and to get ourselves inspired in the kitchen, Lily, my old flatmate and friend, and I decided to host weekly dinners for each other. The only rules are: each week we will make a new form of soup or stew, wine is required, and we split the grocery bill. As the first instalment of this new series, Lily and I conducted a true kitchen experiment. All we knew was that the freezing weather in London called for a meal that was warm, comforting, and hopefully slightly nourishing.

I had it in my mind that this week, whatever we made, I wanted it to be green. What we ended up making was what we call “Swamp Soup,” which is really just a mix of healthy vegetables and delicious herbs.

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Swap Soup

A light and heromatic soup that is reminiscent of pesto in a way. It is named as such because the final product is a colour that would make any fan of Shrek proud…

Ingredients ( yield 3/4 servings ):

Leeks …………………. 2

Shallot …………………. 1

Bulb of garlic, bulb not clove! …………………. just 1

Spinach …………………. 1 pack, 200g

Chicken or Vegetable stock ( we used chicken ) …………………. 500g

Sage leaves ( fresh or dried ) …………………. appx. 5

Fresh Basil …………………. 1/2 cup

Lemon …………………. juice of 1/2 plus a pinch of the zest

Optional: tsp. of tumeric/ ginger paste

Salt & Pepper to taste,

creme fraiche, everything bagel seasoning, & olive oil to garnish

Preparation:

1. Cut the top off of the bulb of garlic, half and peel the shallot, and slice the leeks into thin, even rings. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the sage leaves.

2. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and lightly salt. Roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes at 400°F.

3. While your veggies are roasting, bring 300g of your stock to a boil in a large pot. Then, add in your spinach until wilted. Squeeze in your lemon and add the zest, then reduce to a simmer.

4. Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb and discard the husks. Next, add your roasted veg, garlic, as well as the stock mixture to a blender. At this point, also add in your ginger/turmeric paste and basil leaves. Blend until smooth.

5. Return your blended soup to the stovetop to heat. Season your soup to taste with salt and pepper. Thin the mixture with the remaining 200g of stock to the desired texture.

6. Serve your soup! Garnish with a small spoonful of creme frainche and drizzle with olive oil.

   Seeds or breadcrumbs are also a great addition here.

happy soup season xx

Athens

Over the weekend, I escaped the cold of London yet again, this time to the fresh Mediterranean air of Greece. My friend Olivia and I had planned this trip about 2 months ago, so when my alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, my excitement and anticipation were high. Ever since I was young, I have had a particular affinity for early morning travel, it makes me feel alive knowing I have somewhere to be and that I am on my way there…

We had booked an 8 a.m. flight out of London’s Luton airport and had to take a quick train to get there. (Technically, yes, we could have taken an Uber or taxi, but this would have likely been double the price of our actual flight) We arrived at the airport a perfect 2 hours before our flight and experienced no delays, which was a miracle if you have any experience with budget airlines. The flight from Athens to London is just 4 hours, and after some transit into the city centre, we arrived at our Airbnb in the mid-afternoon. Where we stayed was about a 20-minute walk from the heart of the city, which I personally loved. ( though the actual walk to and from the city centre was a bit scary at night, especially as two young women) The highlight of this apartment was by far the rooftop terrace with a view of the Acropolis, which we discovered on the third night of our trip.

After a quick refresh, we hit the town. It surprised me how much the architecture in Athens reminded me of other places I have been, namely, Medellin, Colombia. The geometric buildings and overall hustle and bustle of the city were reminiscent of my time spent in South America, which I found interesting. We wandered these winding streets, enjoying the warm evening air and made it to Monastiraki Square, where I saw the Acropolis for the first time ( we had been dodging between backstreets and high buildings, thus our view was obscured before reaching the square ). The view fully took my breath away; the Acropolis is one of those iconic relics of the past which I have read about my entire life and seen only in movies, laying my eyes on it in real life was unreal to say the least. The next day, we spent the entirety of our time at the Acropolis, which included the Pantheon, the temple of Athena, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, gardens and several other temples and monuments from ancient Greece. The Odeon, or ancient theatre, was probably my favourite of the sights we saw because of the knowledge I have of ancient Greek theatre. While I learned so much on this trip about the history of Athens and the ancient world, I was naturally intrigued by that which I already had a foundational understanding of. Being in a place that is rich with such history will never not be rewarding to me. Our time in Athens felt like a school trip in the best way; I learned a lot about the history of what I was seeing and walked away eager to learn more.

The rest of our trip comprised a beach day in Vouliagmeni at the Four Seasons and bar hopping through the city. Being at the beach made Olivia and me long to stay forever. The weather was a perfect 70 degrees Fahenhit and the water was cold but refreshing. We swam in the Aegean Sea, letting the salt water refresh and reset us- it was magical to say the least. At night, we tried the cocktail bar at the hotel, where our drinks were chosen for us by our comical waiter. Somehow, after a feast of gyros and fries, we ended up dancing the night away at Cuba Libre, a Latin bar in the centre of the city. Long story short, this trip was the definition of a perfect girl’s trip: a mix of Mediterranean sun, learning, relaxing, and letting loose.

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Bits and Bites

One of the aspects of my trip which surprised me was how much I fell in love with the food in Athens. I knew I generally liked Greek food before my time in the city, but my knowledge of the cuisine did not expand much past pita and tzatziki. I have said this before, but one of the best ways for me to experience and immerse myself in a city or culture is through trying their food. I believe it to be a way for people to connect, and I think it says a lot about the foundations of life in a given place. The first meal of our trip was the classic spread of Greek salad, tzatziki, souvlaki chicken, and, of course, some amazing wine. I would say that it is the freshness of ingredients and simplicity of the cooking methods that make Greek food unique. Much like the Italian cooking I was raised on, this type of food fares best when not tampered with too much- as long as the ingredients are fresh, the food is unbelievable. The food was delicious everywhere we went in Athens, and the coffee was strong; I could not ask for much else. The stand-out food for me on this trip was anything and everything sour cherry. I had sour cherry juice for the first time and fell in love. I knew I liked cherries, but this drink was unlike anything I have experienced- hence, a new and dangerous obsession has begun. ( One of the more silly nights of our trip included us mixing this juice with a 2 euro bottle of wine and sharing it with our waiters.)

In addition to eating well the entire weekend, Olivia and I had ample time to wander the city’s stunning streets, laughing and catching up. The two of us have known each other for what is quite literally our entire lives; we met in dance class when we were 3 years old and were in school together until high school. Since we began university, Liv and I have only been able to see each other for brief periods of time during the holidays or summer break. It has been a long time since we have lived in the same place, and it feels like even longer since we have been able to spend a solid amount of time together. For that reason, this trip was healing in so many ways. It was not only quality time with a loved one which I was craving, but there is truly nothing like being with a friend who knows the whole history of who you are and what has brought you to be the person you are. One of the beauties of my friendship with Liv is that we are more like sisters; we have fought numerous times and have always gotten through, we have been there for each other when it has mattered most, to laugh, to cry, to just sit in silence. Thinking back to 10-year-old us dreaming of our futures, it makes me emotional to see how far we have come. Being with my friend in a place she loves so dearly let me see it through her eyes in a way. For those reasons, this trip was extra special to me and something I will hold close for a long time to come.

Living, Seeing, Doing

Living in the U.K. is great for several reasons, namely, I would say its proximity to the rest of the European continent. This proximity makes travel not only more accessible but often more affordable than it would be to travel anywhere on this side of the world from my home in California. Since moving to London, I have been able to go on several short weekend trips and longer excursions purely because of the short amount of travel time and low flight expenses ( airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet, which are essentially flying buses often have flights for around $50 or less ).’

The highlights of my travels thus far have been the weekend I spent in Lisbon during July of this year and my solo trip to Verona, which I did last fall. Both of these trips were completely new experiences for me. They taught me about myself and the way my life has shaped me. Meeting new people and immersing myself in surroundings which push me to go out of my comfort zone can highlight the elements of my life and culture which I value most and those which I wish were different. Being in Verona on my own not only put my Italian language skills to a true test, but I was able to cultivate a routine for myself in a new country. I loved the slow Italian mornings over my espresso, thinking through my troubles, followed by roaming the streets, taking in the city’s architecture and history. On the other hand, Lisbon was a unique trip because I connected with people from all over who were likewise in a place for the first time. The conversations I had on that trip showed me how valuable it is to connect with others and how, in the end, most people just want to live life authentically and see the world around them.

I consider it a huge blessing that travel is something that is almost routine in my life. Every other month or so, I find I am going somewhere new or returning home to California. Of course, this does have a great deal to do with the fact that travel is something which I prioritise, but thinking on how often I can travel leads me to further reflections on how lucky I am. It is something I am financially blessed to do, which seems like a given, but travel is also extremely easy for me as an American citizen. The concept that my passport alone enables me to travel is a concept which I find baffling. Broader questions quickly spiral through my head if I think too hard about this: “Why do we let governments define and confine us?” “What is the use of the political structures which we have set in place?” “Why are certain cultures and countries positioned to have more of an economic and social advantage?”. As someone who values travel so deeply, it does frustrate me that it is a privilege only half of the world, if that, has. I believe that travel brings people together and makes for kinder, more knowledgeable, global citizens. I am grateful to have the privilege of being able to incorporate travel into my life, but I also think that it should be a fundamental right. If everyone moved, saw the world, and met people from other countries and places, I believe a lot of the world’s issues could be resolved because of the way travel highlights and enriches our sense of shared humanity and human experience.

Personally, I believe it is much easier to see the beauty in moments of life that are out of the norm, or out of my routines (i.e., holidays, travel, a visit from family). In general, we tend to romanticise these periods and almost put them on a pedestal. The average person does not post a selfie of themselves on their way to work on social media. We see the highlight reel instead, “the trip to Europe”, “the family dinner”, etc, etc. I find it almost silly that most of us at one point or another come to dread our day-to-day and feel like we need to create a sort of escape for ourselves. When I thought it over, I realised that I am actually very content with the life I have. Some days are more exciting than others, and yes, of course, I have emotional ups and downs, but objectively, I have it good.

So, here is how I spent last Thursday and a bit of why I find some of my routines to be so valuable…

Working

My day began bright and early, as most seem to these days. I was up at 6:00 a.m. (well, 6:05 a.m. because I have a weird habit of never setting my alarms to the hour). I took my time getting ready and sitting with my morning coffee before I needed to leave the flat for my “work” of the day. It was a more exciting day for me as I was doing acting work, not my day job, though I do love my day job. I was instead of to the other side of London to do a workshop with a casting director. ( who has a pretty important resume, it turns out )

To preface the workshop, it is basically a few hours in which a group of actors get together with a director, agent or casting director and either do a mock audition or work on some scenes. Though not a typical 9-5, I consider experiences like this one to be necessary to my work as an actor. They are a great way to refresh acting techniques when not on a specific job, and are also essential for networking. I try to do something like this a few times a month, time and finances allowing.

This workshop, in particular, was one I walked away from on a high. I had prepared a scene I was really interested in for a “mock audition”, and the feedback I got in the room was just the boost of confidence I needed to spark my love for acting again after the recent burnout I have been experiencing. It was a small reminder to me of why I love my field of choice, and though I have nothing specific to show for the experience, it is one that I am grateful for.

Coffee Breaks

The workshop was a shorter one, just a few hours in the morning. So once I had finished up there, I made my way back across the city to help my friend with a self-tape. (“Self-tapes” are the primary way in which auditions for film are done nowadays, just for reference.) When it comes to auditioning, most of the actors I know have a go-to person to be their reader; it becomes a kind of codependent relationship and an important one to upkeep. So I went over to my friend's flat and we got her audition on tape. We then, of course, also needed a minute actually to have a solid chat.

My friend and I escaped the dark flat, which we had set up for filming and wandered over to the coffee shop just a few doors down from her flat. This particular cafe is a bit hit or miss, so she and I usually end up going to the pub and just getting a soda or such as an excuse to sit. Something I love about London is how easily accessible almost everything seems to be. It is a blessing and a curse that you can walk down the street and have just about anything you wish for at a moment’s notice. When it comes to coffee shops and pubs, however, I am simply grateful that it is so simple to find somewhere to sit and catch up with a friend. So we got our coffee and talked over the drama in our lives, laughing about how trivial it can be. We also discussed our careers, but mostly took a small part of our day just to relax and enjoy some good company. This break was just what we both needed to reset before going our separate ways and getting on with our respective work and routines.

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Movement

From my little coffee date, I went straight to a spin class, which was my workout of choice for the day. This year, I have become part of the spin class “clut”, if you will. I think that cardio is a great way to shake out any mental turmoil, and I feel my best when I incorporate it a few times a week. I also love going on runs, especially because they are a free and unstructured way to move. That said, I think the beauty of a workout class is that you have a structure, and I often find I am pushed to work harder by an instructor and group setting as opposed to when I am working out on my own.

Movement is such a vital part of my daily routine, and one I actually miss significantly when on vacation or holiday. Working in the fitness industry for my day job for the past year or so, I have seen how movement is really a way to take care of yourself. I think that there is a common misconception that workout classes and gyms exist purely for weight loss. With that, at least I came to the conclusion that movement was a sort of discipline or punishment, and while it is something to have discipline around it is way more about taking care of your physical and mental being. With pilates and yoga specifically, the mindfulness involved is designed to help you better understand and be more connected to your body. Incorporating movement into my daily life has changed my disposition for the better. I highly value breathwork to feel grounded and have found that even just 10 minutes of breathing or movement each day allows me to feel my best.

Okay, that is enough of my hippie movement and health talk- but the point is I treasure my daily movement, and it is a big part of what makes my routines sustainable.

Unwinding

After my class, which was just one or two tube stops from my flat, I finally made my way home for the day. There is nothing quite like a warm shower and lighting a candle after a long day out and about. Lately, I have been loving using a hair mask ( I like the Gisou honey mask ), ice rolling my face, and hanging out in my bathrobe for a while. My candle of choice is either my Diptyque vanilla candle or my big Anthropologie neroli scented one. I love the way the candle mixed with the light from my small vanity lamp creates a cosy atmosphere that makes my flat feel miles away from the chaos of the city. This self-care ritual makes my everyday feel more elevated, and taking time to unwind, even if I have just had a fun and exciting day, is an opportunity for me to remind myself that I am safe and to take in all the things that I am grateful for.

I also love to end my evening by writing about my day, whether it be jotting down a note in my notes app or taking out my journal. I often write my Substacks in the evening, and I find I am the most reflective and that this is when I have the most creative energy. This creative energy is often fueled by positive moments in my day, but it can also be a way for me to lift my spirits on harder days. Overall, it is a way for me to reflect like I have above, and more of me to express the gratitude I have for this little life that I call my own.

Taking a Breath

Last month, I took a major step back from my creative endeavours in an attempt to recover from the burnout and artist fatigue I was facing. It was difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that I was no longer motivated to do the activities that bring me the most joy, like acting and writing. I have also gotten to a point where returning to said activities is daunting and full of the classic questions of self-doubt that spiral through everyone’s head at one point or another. In the worst of moments, I realised that the best thing I can do is to be gentle with myself rather than impose productivity on myself. Lately, instead of being harsh with myself, I have been trying to create routines that encourage flexibility and rest as much as they encourage the productivity I am ultimately striving for. Instead of pushing through as I tend to do when life gets tough, I am attempting to slow down and take deeper breaths.

In an effort to calm my nervous system, which seems to always be on edge, I have been doing simple acts of self-care, like starting my morning by reading or taking a long walk. (My current read is: The Secret History by Donna Tartt- which is the perfect autumn novel in my opinion ). I have also set simple goals for myself, like trying to see a friend or have a phone call with someone back home at least once a day. Carving out this time has encouraged me to be more social and get out of the flat even on rainy days. I also have continued to only use social media from my laptop, which helps me to avoid the comparison I can fall into when I regularly scroll on apps like Instagram. I am focusing inward rather than outward and attempting to take on life at my own pace. Going with that mindfulness, I have been doing less cardio, which I used to do daily with running or spin classes; instead, I am doing more strength training and pilates. All of these subtle shifts have served to help me preserve my emotional capacity and have allowed me to take a step back into my creative ventures that now seem daunting.

Now, on that note, I love routines. Or at least I often get stuck in them. I have discovered that it is one of my most positive traits, but also one of my biggest downfalls. Meaning: when I get stuck in my routines, I almost forget to live my life in the moment. This, in turn, leads to my neglecting my physical and mental health and wasting my energy on things that no longer serve me. Leaning into the change in seasons, I have tried to break some of my routines and force myself to pause and evaluate my intentions. I have found ( and maybe I am not alone ) that it is easier to slow down on days were the world seems to be stopped by the weather- when it is pouring rain, no one wants to do anything, and maybe that is one of the blessings that comes with this new season of life. By integrating slower days and accepting change both physically and mentally, I have more capacity to live presently, something I am learning to appreciate more and more.

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Escaping the Gloom

Further on the note of seasons, I always find it particularly unsettling when the sun begins to set early in the day. I think that this is because London winters are starkly different to what I grew up knowing in sunny California. Yes, both places have fewer hours of daylight in the colder months, but in England, when the sun starts setting at 4 p.m. and rain is in the daily forecast, I can’t help but miss San Francisco’s moderate fall weather and 6 p.m. sunsets.

In an attempt to boost my spirits as the cold months approach, I decided to take a few days off from work to go and visit my mom, who was on a solo trip to Italy. I was able to catch an early morning flight to Milan out of Heathrow for around £15, so when my mom extended an invitation to me, it was a no-brainer. (One of my favourite parts of living in the UK is how accessible and affordable it is to travel throughout Europe, especially to Italy.) We met in Milan and then made our way up to a tiny town called Torno on Lake Como. My family on my mom’s side is from the north of Italy, on Lago Maggiore, and while I have been to Italy numerous times, this was both my mom and I’s first time in Lake Como. We stayed at a gorgeous little family-run hotel, Il Belvidere. We enjoyed setting down new tracks for ourselves had fun exploring somewhere new. My mom and I bonded over long walks on the lake, public transit mishaps and many, many glasses of vino.

We actually found it quite difficult to get around the lake and laughed over the ways ferries that were scheduled simply never arrived, as per true Italian style. We walked around the towns of Lake Como and Bellagio, enjoying some much-needed retail therapy. Our most pleasant afternoon was perhaps our visit to one of the historical villas in the area, Villa de Carmine. This villa was host to some of the most stunning gardens I have ever seen, not to mention charming Italian architecture and a rich history. The trip to this villa specifically showcased to me how much I love being in and around nature. It made me reflect on how most of my favourite travel memories have to do with seeing a national park or being by the ocean. It is a sort of grounding connection that makes me feel at home in a foreign place. My love for nature in this sense is a prime example of how travelling can teach you more about yourself and inevitably the world around you ( a topic I could go on and on about, but for now I’ll leave it at that). It is a trait I came to discover, similarly to how travel has cultivated an interest in food culture for both me and my mom. Before our trip, I also researched what the regional cuisine of Torno was. I found out that it is known for a small salted dried fish from the lake called missoltini. My mom and I tried it, and while it wasn’t our favourite, it is always interesting to see how different traditions are so prevalent in each corner of Italy. ( for example, in Lake Como, locals would never traditionally cook something like a Roman carbonara; they simply don’t have access to the ingredients in the same way )

The weather was sunny and, honestly, pretty ideal. I wouldn’t say that it was hot by any means, but being able to wear just a light sweater made me feel like summer was not quite over yet. Overall, the trip left me on an emotional high. I was deeply comforted by time with my mom in a place that she loves so dearly. My mom and I had a solid week of quality time, which I consider invaluable. Being around a small bit of home was a good reminder of the things, like family and community, that really matter to me.