Of the moment // 4.15.16
One of the reasons why I blog is simply to have the space to write: getting things “on paper” helps me to process my feelings and organize my thoughts. I also love having a record of my life over the past few years: a place that holds all of my stories, my photos, the ups and downs of travel. But sometimes, I also just want to remember and share the little things that brought me day-to-day joy. Every Friday, I’ll give you a peek into the book I currently can’t put down, a great restaurant discovery, a fun new product or an inspiring quote: a few things that I think you might enjoy before we all take off into the glory that is the weekend! 
One of my goals for 2016 has been to take on more speaking opportunities. It’s one of those things that is kind of scary, mostly because I have a hard time billing myself as an “expert” or someone who is qualified enough to speak about travel or photography or even twenty-something-in-NYC-life-balance. Alas! You never get better at something if you don’t practice, and with that very grand introduction, I would like to invite my NYC-dwellling followers to two upcoming opportunities to hear me speak instead of read my words. On Saturday, April 23, I’ll be sharing my secrets on the best places to Instagram in NYC (with tips that can be applied to places beyond the city) at the Lovely Happenings event in Tribeca. Bonus: I’ve heard there will be a Bloody Mary bar! And on the evening of Thursday, April 28, I’ll give tips on how to travel more (even if you have a full-timejob) at TOMS in Nolita. I’d love to see you there!
Wanderlust
Eek! I went through the whole rigamarole to get a new passport this week: I filled up all the pages on my last one. It wasn’t going to expire until 2018, but they just instituted a new rule where you can’t add any more pages onto a current passport (boo). So, I took a terrible passport photo and sent in my old one and am now eagerly awaiting my brand-new 52-page passport book.
Streets
Not sure who is behind these billboards–a couple of weeks ago, it was “never not working” in that same font. But they are a nice burst of comedy that you don’t usually see on Canal Street!
Blooms
New favorite friend date: a walk around the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and then through Prospect Park! I love catching up with my girlfriends, but I don’t always love a) drinking or b) spending money on alcohol/food or c) wanting to chat but having to speak over a bunch of background noise. Now that the weather has improved, it’s so nice to be outside–and my $50 annual membership includes unlimited free membership for me and a few guest passes. I introduced my friend Maggie to the joys of BBG on a sunny day: it feels like such an escape from the New York City streets, and it’s only a few minutes walk from the nearest subway stop.
Words
“He is happiest who hath power to gather wisdom from a flower.” – Mary Howitt
This weekend, we’re in Portland, Oregon and I have grand plans to indulge in all my favorite Portland cliches: excellent coffee, artisan donuts, lunch from food trunks. Basically we’re eating the whole time, and I can’t wait!
