musings

13 Before 30

- Sarah Leave a comment

Hello friends! I can’t believe fall is almost here, but a pretty great way I get to end summer is by celebrating my birthday. I turned 29 on the 13th, so I guess I can’t deny that I’m in my late twenties now! It’s pretty wild when I look back and see how different my life is now compared to a year ago. I loved being 28 — it was a landmark year in a lot of ways, and hopefully 29 is just as wonderful.

Because I a) love lists and b) I’m a blogger who has to overshare, I decided to put together a list of things I want to accomplish before I say good-bye to my twenties. Why 13 instead of 30 before 30? Well, I couldn’t come up with 30 things and also Jenna Rink.

In no particular order, in the next year I hope to…

  1. Get a tattoo. I got my first a week before 28, and another one after I moved into my house. I’ve been itching for another one since!
  2. Pay off my credit cards. Or at least a credit card? Post-closing expenses add up quick. I don’t even want to talk about this, being a responsible adult can be annoying.
  3. Visit a new city. Getting settled in a new place and going to a lot of weddings meant there wasn’t a lot of time for exploring this last year. Hopefully this will change soon!
  4. Go abroad. I try to get out of the country once a year — I just feel like it’s good for me! Chances are though if I manage to visit another country this year, it’ll be one I’ve been to before though, like Canada or Costa Rica (where my dad lives).
  5. Go camping. So I’ve never been camping, but it’s something my partner really loves. I don’t come from an outdoorsy family, but I’ve grown to like hikes so maybe I’m ready to sleep outdoors?
  6. Foster a dog. We fostered a sweet senior pup this summer, and we were close to “foster failing” and adopting him. Luckily, he found a great home and I’m sure we’ll foster again once things slow down.
  7. Have a girls’ weekend. This is actually my plan for my 30th birthday. I’d love to celebrate with my friends who are across the East Coast and have them all in one place.
  8. Donate blood. I hate needles and I hate blood, so I always told myself if I got a tattoo, I’d have to donate blood first. Well, that didn’t exactly happen (see #1), but better late than never right?
  9. Learn how to ride a bike (again). Listen, whoever said you never forget how to ride a bike did not go 15+ years without riding a bike! My new neighborhood is less walkable, but I’d love to learn again so I wouldn’t have to rely on my car so much. (It’s a Prius, but I still feel guilty every time!)
  10. Get a facial. In the words of Donna Meagle, “treat yo’ self.”
  11. Go to the shore. I went once this summer, and no boardwalk ice cream was involved. A travesty that must be corrected.
  12. Be a bridesmaid. One of my dear friends, Cortney, is getting married next August, and I’m lucky enough to be a bridesmaid. I’m very excited to be a small part of this special day!
  13. Celebrate 10 years blogging! Dude, I don’t even know where the last decade has gone! I’m awful at keeping up hobbies, and my interest blogging has definitely ebbed and flowed. Still, ten years is a big deal!

And that’s it! We’ll see how this year shapes up, but I think this list is pretty doable. I’m all ears for any advice though — being in your twenties is a total roller coaster, but I’m excited about the next chapter.

~ Sarah

P.S. Thank you Camille for these snaps!

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Wrap: Five Below | Tank: Kohl’s | Shorts: Target | Sneakers: Old Navy | Earrings: Lou Lou’s | Bag: eternally borrowed from my mother

The Bright Side

- Sarah 1 Comment

Spruce Street, Philadelphia

I’ll be completely honest: almost nothing I had hoped for this past week went as planned. Quality time with friends and lots of girl talk and comfort food has been a big help. And since my vote can’t do all the talking, I’m letting my wallet do the talking too. Some great organizations that I’ve been donating to:

♥ City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism, because I believe in a free press. (More on why you should invest in journalism here.)

♥ Planned Parenthood, because I believe in affordable access to quality healthcare.

♥ Human Rights Campaign, because I believe in LGBTQ equality.

♥ International Rescue Committee, because I believe in an America that is a beacon of hope across the world.

♥ RAINN, because I believe in the survivors of sexual violence.

If anything, this week has taught me two things: we need more compassion, and we need to fight for what we believe in. What do you believe in?

~ Sarah

P.S. Back to more light-hearted posting tomorrow.

Things I Need To Tell You About, Vol. 1

- Sarah 1 Comment

Borrowing this from Kayla, and popping in because I have some things I want to chat about.

It’s Election Day.

Can you believe it? I’ve known that I was voting for Hillary since the day she announced her candidacy, but I am exhausted. It’s mostly an emotional thing, because this has been such an ugly election cycle. I know we say that every 4 years in America, but I think we really mean that this time. Last night, the Clintons and the Obamas had a rally on Independence Mall in Philly. The mall fits tens of thousands and they weren’t scheduled to speak until around 8 p.m., so I thought I would just wait in line for an hour or so and be fine. Well… I ended up walking almost two miles just to find the end of the line. I didn’t come close to getting to see them speak, but the atmosphere was still incredible, even neighborhoods away. (You can read more about the rally here.) It was the first time in weeks I felt good about the election, and I’m looking forward to casting my ballot tonight. If you still need to find your polling place, you can do so here.

I’m going to see some college football.

I’m an obsessive Miami Hurricanes football fan, because I’m both a proud Miamian and a masochist. They play at UVA this Saturday, and you better believe I will be there. The last time I saw the Hurricanes play was at Boston College in 2012 (and I haven’t seen them in Miami since 2008!). It’s going to be a fun atmosphere, because few things are better than tailgating and football. I’m also excited to get a taste of a different part of the country for a weekend, since I’ve never really been to Virginia (outside the D.C. area).

My mom moved here!

I alluded to this in a recent post, but after a little more than a year in Colombia, my mom moved back stateside! Even better, her new home is in the Philly area, so now I see her all the time. I haven’t lived in the same state as my mom since I was 19, so it’s fun to watch television and go shopping together again. I’m also not mad that neither of us have to get on a plane to spend the holidays together. Another bonus? Getting some cuddles in with Lucy, our family dog since I was 16.

This October was perfection.

I usually am not a fan of fall. The weather is confusing and once the time changes, I’m basically moody until late February. However, we had so many sunny, dry this October that I was actually able to enjoy fall. I went to a couple of weddings, went to a cider festival (an annual tradition with my friends from Fordham) and explored a nature preserve outside Philly. It’s been awesome getting in lots of quality time with the wonderful people I call my friends, and I hope to keep it up before the cold really hits.

Fall television.

Shows I’m watching and enjoying: Pitch and Conviction. (Seriously, you should be watching Pitch. I can’t even explain why I watch Conviction, but it helps me miss Castle less.) Show that I’m watching just for Laurie Hernandez: Dancing with the Stars. Shows on my list that I probably won’t get to anytime soon: This Is Us, Atlanta and Jane the Virgin (I know, I know). Netflix show I will binge watch on Black Friday: Gilmore Girls, because obviously.

So that’s it for me today! What have you been up to? Anything you need to tell me about?

~ Sarah

P.S. I’m also a fan of email, so always feel free to send those my way!