little conversations

Me: I'm going to skate under the bridge like a troll so no one looks at me.
Random passerby's with their iPhone cameras: click. click. click.

Me: What movie did you watch, Mom?
Mom: I don't understand it.
Me, looking at my Netflix history: Blue is the Warmest Color?
Mom: I don't understand it.

Me, referring to the young fellow I approached for Erik's upcoming campaign: Dude, I'm such an amazing model scout!
Model to Erik's team: Yeah, some lady gave me her info.

Rabbi during wedding ceremony: Remember to say "I love you" every single day.
Erik to me, in a whisper: You say it at least 40 times a day.

summertime

And finally, it's summer in Brooklyn, which is the greatest time of year in the greatest city on Earth. I have a little reprieve before starting up my next gig, so I've been enjoying lots of friend-filled adventures outside. Thanks to a swell, I hit the beach three days in a row. One morning, the sun rose over the horizon and it was picture-perfect: The black silhouettes of surfers right where the pinkish-orange sky met the blue ocean. So pretty. On Saturday, we headed down to Bed-Stuy for John and Sarah's rooftop barbecue. Dang, they know how to throw down! After feasting on ribs, burgers, watermelon, and pie, Erik and I rode our bikes home. Nothing screams summer like whizzing by al fresco restaurants, inhaling the smoky scent of grills in a perfectly warm breeze. It's one of my favorite things in the whole world. We certainly endured one of the most frigid winters in history, but this -- THIS! -- is the payoff.

34 hours in Georgia

On Saturday morning, we headed to Georgia for Ben and Briana's wedding. After getting up early to fly to Atlanta and drive to Athens, we had an hour or two to stroll around the grassy campus and main drag. It's a chill college town that reminds me a lot of Chapel Hill. Then we went to the botanical gardens for the gorgeous couple's lovely nuptials. I couldn't be more excited for them! It makes me so happy that those two soul mates found each other. We drank, dined, and danced with great friends in the glass-covered arboretum and then finished the evening at the 40 Watt Club with Waffle House fare. So much love -- and so many cool details. The next morning, we slept in till noon, which was much-needed; props to exhausted Erik for being such a trooper on the heels of an exhausting work trip to Canada. After a delicious biscuit brunch, we made our way back to Atlanta, with lots of green farmland scenery and a few research stops at clothing stores (#wifelife). We even managed to have dinner with one of Erik's homies before flying home. A whirlwind weekend, for sure, but packed to the brim with friendship and love. Living life to the fullest!

6 things...

…I've been up to lately (Memorial Day weekend version):

1. Beached, barbecued, and caught a few with a fun group of Rockaway friends. The best!
2. Roamed around the city with my absolute favorite dude. We waited out a summer rainstorm beneath a canopy (swoon), watched the new Godzilla in 3-D (meh), and feasted on Peruvian chicken (yes!).
3. Discovered my favorite beauty product: baking soda. Mixed with a little water or Cetaphil, it acts as a gentle exfoliant. Also used it in lieu of shampoo, which made my hair really shiny and bouncy.
4. Slept a solid 12 hours one night and took a nap the next day. I feel like a new human.
5. Borrowed Ruth's skateboard and cruised. I'm terrible, but it's a blast. I'm contemplating getting one and becoming that weird old lady wobbling around while 13-year-old boys zip by. Ha.
6. Gave ourselves some time off. Erik and I have been grinding hard lately, so it was heavenly to take a break and hang out on the patio. Since we're both workers by nature, we have to force ourselves to do nothing once a while.

weekend warrior

The weather has been gorgeous this weekend, and I've been maxing out on it. Saturday was the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I was nervous because I've run a total of three times this spring, but it went surprisingly well. Amanda and I ran together, which made the miles zip by and, by the time we reached mile 10, we realized that we were on target for her PR. Awesome! My final time was 1:53:39, which isn't my fastest but I'm thrilled nonetheless. When I got home, Erik and I hopped on our bikes for a long ride. We checked out Long Island City and the former insane asylum and FDR park on Roosevelt Island. There's always something to explore in New York! This morning, I hit the waves for three hours, and then just did some cooking and baking (my favorite blueberry muffins) for the week. I'm pooped! Ha. If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to lay comatose for a while now...

on fear

Lately, I've been contemplating about fear. I think it's because, as a freelancer, I often get asked questions about my career, mostly from people are restless or unhappy with their current situations. Typically, our conversation boils down to nervousness of not getting work, not making a big enough salary, not enjoying the solitary lifestyle. It's totally understandable: Heck, I waffled for a good two to three years before I finally quit my job. But my newest catchphrase is the 65 percent theory -- meaning, you have to be 65 percent there emotionally and the rest is the leap of faith. It's all a matter of believing in your ability. When I was younger, I didn't fully trust myself, so I held back; I was afraid of failure, embarrassment, injury, and heartache. But now I know that I'm smart enough to make the right decisions, and even if worse comes to worse, I'll brush myself off and recover, bruised ego and all. That's the thing that I really like about surfing; it takes all these issues and makes them tangible in the ocean. I still have a way to go when it comes to making the plunge on scary drops, but at least I know that I'm progressing!

my support system

Most weekends, I get up at the crack of dawn to go for a surf and get back just as Erik's waking up. He always greets me with, "how was it?" even though he has no interest in the sport. This past Saturday, I was stoked on a really fun session and told him that I actually felt like I knew what I was doing. To which he responded super-proudly, "I think you're ready for a pointy board." He meant shortboard, which is what experienced surfers generally ride. And that, folks, is why I married him. In his eyes, there's nothing that I can't do, which gives me the confidence to get out there and charge life in general. Grateful for that guy. :)