life reminder

The other day, I interviewed an accomplished woman for an article. She had recently gone through a cancer scare, where a doctor misread some scans and told her that she only had a few weeks to live. (Thank goodness he was wrong.) When I asked her what she took away from this ordeal, her answer resonated with me: Before, she said, she enjoyed life. She had a loving family, a fantastic career, and plenty of success. But she was often so busy that she was always thinking about the next thing or preoccupied with other tasks -- and now she was making an effort to truly enjoy every moment. Isn't that the case for many of us crazy-busy people? I've come to realize that too many people—including myself at times—aren't really living their lives, but letting life obligations rule them. Her words were a good reminder to me to stay present and to say yes more to the things that make me happy.

Pic: A fun dawn patrol last week. A friend once told me that her goal is to one fun thing a day, and I've decided to make it mine, too. It's amazing how you can make time for something if you really want to do it.

slowing down

Back in North Carolina, hanging with mom and enjoying the 70-degree weather. As hard as it is to step away from my go-go-go life, it's nice to slow things down at my childhood home. The thing about living in NYC for more than a decade is that everything that was once routine, like neighbors waving hello, deer leaping in the backyard, and flowers blossoming overhead, seems extra-special. It's a lovely, this gentle way of life.

little letters

Dear husband,
We've been married six months now. Thanks for making it the best half a year ever. *High five!*

Dear winter,
Even though I'm over you, I kind of love winter surfing. The empty waves are almost worth the frozen feet.

Dear deadlines,
Cut me some slack, please!

Dear television,
Now that True Detective is over, what are we going to watch?

Dear ladies,
Instead of nitpicking our (and other's) bodies, let's focus on being healthy, doing rad things, and raising each other up!

Dear Dad,
I miss your voice calling me "mei mei." I miss your stern face with the twinkling eyes that gave away your super-soft side. I miss you waving at everyone who passed like they were a good friend. I miss you every day, but I know you would be so proud of the way everything has turned out.

life lately

Nothing monumental going on over here, but I've been enjoying life lately! What's been going on: Liz, Patchi, and I had two awesome surf sessions this week, including a super-early dawn patrol. I feel like I learn something new each time, and it's been fun making new friends. The weather also finally warmed up and gave us a gem of a day yesterday. I took full advantage by going on a run, and then Erik and I cruised around the neighborhood. We bumped into so many friends, shopped around, and ate soup dumplings. As for work, I've been grinding on deadlines and getting in the part-time office groove. All in all, good times! It's easy to get caught up in looking towards the big events in life, but I'm finding that the routine space in between can be super sweet, too.

6 things...

…that have been going on with me lately:

1. Turns out that jury duty is really fun! Like most, I groaned when the notice landed in my mailbox. But the whole experience was really fascinating. I wound up getting chosen for a one-day trial, and it was so cool to work together with people of every walk of life. In that isolated environment, backgrounds and social status was moot; everyone and their opinion was equally important. Where else does that happen? At the end of the day, we all traded hugs on the courtroom steps. So awesome.
2. My personal essay got published in this beautiful anthology. I'm incredibly honored!
3. Erik and I treated ourselves to the tasting menu at Xixa last night. Holy delicious. It was one of the most amazing meals I've ever had. We can't stop talking about the food, and, at $40 a pop, it's a terrific deal. Get yourself a reservation, people.
4. Speaking of Erik, I just love being married. Right after our wedding, people would ask, "how's married life?" To which I would laughingly respond, "it's the same." But now, I've come to realize that it's not—it's so much better!
5. We've been juicing every day. At first, I resisted because I thought it was such a waste of fiber, but it's one of the easiest ways to up our produce intake. My favorites: kale, pineapple, and mint; orange, carrot, and ginger; and apple, kale, spinach, and carrot.
6. Call me obsessed, but I booked another girls' surf trip to Barbados. GAH. I can't wait!!! Just gotta finish about 10 deadlines first...

Pic: The delicious sweets from my friend Tom's delicious bakery and deli. Their black and white cookies are off the chain, and I don't even like black and white cookies.