Currently | 03.02.13

The John Adams Homestead in Quincy, MA. This house and the surrounding property was named "Peacefield" by John Adams when they settled here after the Revolution and his time as a foreign minister in France, Holland and England. It's a beautiful, beautiful home.


READING: Right now, I'm reading John Adams by David McCullough. I am a HUGE fan of our nation's 2nd president, and absolutely love the HBO series based on McCullough's book. My senior year of college, I was able to take a private tour of the John Adams Homestead in Boston through an alum from my school, and even got to go into the archivist's office. It was so amazing. Despite all of this, however, I have only ever made it halfway through this book. It's a long read, but McCullough is such an engaging writer, and John and Abigail Adams are incredibly inspiring to me. It's rekindling my passion for American history, and I love it.

WEARING: These BDG Twig High-Rise Jeans from Urban Outfitters. I have them in black and in blue, and they are awesome. They are super flattering, and oh so comfortable. They're my new favorite jeans. I like to pair them with this nautical top, a colorful necklace, and boots from Blowfish. Perfect for a chill winter day.

THINKING ABOUT: How I can challenge myself to try new things. I've spent a lot time recently reflecting on the things in my life that scare me and keep me from having fun and living a full life. Fear of getting hurt or of failure is a big driving factor, and I really want to challenge these worries in hopes of finding a greater amount of inner strength and getting to have some new, exciting experiences. One of my greatest fears is driving through tunnels. You may not believe it, but I've actually considered not going to graduate school in Boston because I might have to drive through a tunnel or two. Isn't that crazy?

WRITING: I've started a writing project that I'd like to release, maybe as a series, on the blog about my journey to health over this past year. 2012 was a really difficult year for me, physically and emotionally, but the rewards of finally discovering a road to personal health have been truly amazing. It's been a very difficult story to write, but one that I really need to do for myself. I collaborated with Rebecca of Manzanita, who is an amazing photographer, to shoot some photos for this post. I'm really excited to see them, and I'm really looking forward to finishing the piece. It's been very therapeutic. Stay tuned.

WATCHING: I am totally into The West Wing right now. Have you guys started watching it now that it is on Netflix? I was too young when it was originally on, but now, I am so in love with it. As an American history lover, it's totally my thing. The first four seasons are the best, in my opinion. The relationships between the characters and their passion for their work is so inspiring to me. I was actually crying my eyes out the other night because it resonated with me so much. Isn't that wonderful and also slightly hilarious when television can strike a cord with you like that?

THANKFUL FOR: My dad. He occasionally sends me these text messages that make me laugh out loud and really cheer me up. The one from Monday was priceless. When I was 14, my dad took my sister and I to Los Angeles for a quick father-daughter trip, and one evening, we went to eat at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, Spago. I was (and still am) a really picky eater, and there was nothing on the fancy menu that I really wanted. I decided that maybe fish would be fine, which was absurd since I never ate fish ever. I had probably tasted it twice in my entire life before that night. Anyway, we get our meals, and I really didn't like mine, which I am sure is not a testament to Puck's amazing talent but rather to my poor skills in ordering food. I was pushing the fish around my plate when suddenly, Wolfgang Puck appeared at our table. He was so kind, asked us how our food was, and signed a menu for us to take home to my mom. I was so mortified that my plate had hardly been touched when he arrived. Flash forward 11 years, and Puck is speaking at the conference my dad is attending. My dad texts me: "Our buddy Wolfgang Puck is here speaking. He asked me why you didn't eat your fish at his restaurant." I love my dad.


In case you missed it, this week I wrote about how I am now blogging full-time.  xoxo