The September Journal
A month of big travels, long walks and a lot of good television. Let's get into it.
Hi friends!
You might notice a slight change in this month’s email, and that’s because I have officially moved the monthly journal over to Substack! Admittedly, this Substack was meant to be something different — a place to collect my zero-waste guides and travel recommendations and I hope it’ll still become that in the future. But it’s been sitting here collecting dust over the last few months while I’ve been lovingly tending to my monthly emails, so I figured it was time to combine the two. (If you’re new here, you can find the July and August journals in the archives!)
This month has been a whirlwind. Between two rowdy weddings and a long-awaited mother/daughter(s) trip to Italy, I’ve hardly been at home. All semblance of a daily routine has been lost, and yet, I’ve felt oddly calm. In the midst of running around seven different airports and navigating ferries, foreign road signs and one mildly annoying little sister, there have still been a lot of moments of peace — mostly found in walking through city streets in the quiet of the morning, catching the sun sparkle against the bluest waters you’ve ever seen, watching my mom skip stones in the ocean, or rotting on the couch with Boba.
It took nearly eight years to get here, but I’m slowly starting to find my own version of work-life balance. I’ve realized that life may never slow down for me — not anytime soon, anyway. It’s just not in my DNA. I love working and I have a hard time saying no. But there’s enough time to do it all, I think. To work a long weekend and still make it home in time for Sunday dinner. To edit big projects and still make the movie with your friends. To be away from your partner for two weeks but still remember to send the silly photos and I love you’s in between. You just have to want both things badly enough.
Bad news is time flies. Good news is you’re the pilot. Thank you, Michael Altshuler, for this perfect little reminder.
Things I’ve Been Loving This Month:
Dìdi. I have loved everything Sean Wang has ever touched and this movie was no different. A coming of age film about a Taiwanese boy named Chris and his life in Fremont, California — full of early 2000s nostalgia and a painfully honest depiction of the middle school experience. I am once again leaving with a puddle of tears at my collarbones and an extra appreciation for the mother figures in my life. If you haven’t seen Sean’s work before, I highly recommend starting with 3,000 Miles or Nai Nai and Wài Pó.
The Fujifilm XT-5. A camera I’ve hardly touched since buying it over a year ago, but I thought I’d finally get my money’s worth and bring it on our family trip to Italy — and damn, these colors are a real life dream. You can definitely expect to see a lot more Fuji photos on the feed in the future (a few sneaks below!).
Mom and dog-ter time, otherwise known as the two hours in the morning I get Boba all to myself before Jeffrey wakes up. We’ll usually spend this time taking a long walk, sharing a bowl of berries and greek yogurt, and reading on the couch. Some days, we even spend 10 minutes crying over her eventual death (she’s healthy and 3!) and grieve the day we won’t get to do this anymore.
The Golden Bachelorette. I was prepared to swear off this show after the events of last season (I have beef with you Gerry!!!) but Joan seems like an angel on earth. Between her and some of the most wholesome old men I’ve ever seen (except the French man who doesn’t know how to do laundry?), I fear I am preparing myself to love this season and cannot wait to see who she picks (please let it be Kelsey’s dad).
A classic bed and breakfast, arguably the elite place to stay on vacation. We stayed at this one on our recent trip to Puglia, and we couldn’t have loved it more. At least seven cats and dogs came to greet us at the gate (and once every hour thereafter), the owner made us a homemade breakfast in the morning (complete with fresh jams from a friend), and we got to sit in the garden and watch the sun set over the ocean. A true home away from home.
Nobody Wants This, the new Adam Brody / Kristen Bell rom com of my dreams. An instant classic. I devoured it in a single sitting. The banter is so well-written and the first kiss scene with Francis and the Lights playing is so !!!😩🥵🤩!!! and I am downright giddy to have a new tv couple to obsess over.
Currently on My Inspiration Board:
Lots and lots of movie stills. This year, I’ve been working on finding more inspiration outside of Instagram — and while I’m still on my magazine subscription kick, Shotdeck has been my go-to place to find inspiration as of late. Think Pinterest, but strictly for movies.
This feels very in line with my newfound obsession with movie scores earlier this year. You can find my favorites here, and please don’t hesitate to send me any that should be on this playlist.
New to the Blog:
(Sorry, blogging fell on the back burner this month. New stories for you soon!)
On This Month’s Editing Playlist:
The Marie Forleo Podcast. If you have an aversion to extreme millennial core, I probably wouldn’t recommend this podcast. Admittedly, I find it to be a bit cringe at times but in an effort to combat this nagging imposter syndrome, I’ve been putting this podcast on every day. These quick, 15-minute episodes help revert all of the negative self-talk that wakes me up in the morning and replaces them with positive affirmations, quick and easy action items and a daily reminder that everything really is figureoutable.
Kansas Anymore. I am the latest victim of Role Model’s irresistible charm and I am utterly obsessed with this album. Is the writing a bit cheesy? Yes. But he sure has a talent for coming up with a catchy melody and I will be karaoke-ing these songs in my car for the foreseeable future in preparation for his show next year.
Flood. My favorite boys released their latest album last week and as expected, I am an emotional wreck. Their most vulnerable album yet, full of songs that feel like a warm hug and have me wistfully looking out car windows. It’s a perfect collaboration that highlights each of the band’s unique talents so well — Jake’s dreamy vocals, Nathan’s comforting guitar melodies paired with Zach’s soft bass and Whistler’s ability to make drums sound pretty somehow. I recommend starting with their title track, Flood or bopping around to Brand New.
Your Monthly Photo of Boba:
Our beautiful little mouth breather (do we think mouth tape works on dogs?), dead asleep with her gap teeth sticking out. I’ve never loved her more.
Thanks for reading! Catch you next month!