AROUND THE INTERNET #3

It's winter coat weather here in Boston, so I'm officially wistfully thinking of summer days -- like this one from camping in Newport in August. 

A PRELUDE: You never feel more patriotic than once you've actually left your country, so traveling the last 2 years has definitely boosted my sense of America pride.  

I think the American work ethic (while perhaps relentless and unbalanced) is something to admire -- it's nearly impossible to get anything done past 3 PM on a Friday in New Zealand.

I stand by our portion sizes.

And I really like that we're a big, giant, ever-evolving mix of people. I like that the USA is very different from Italy, for instance, where everyone kind of looked the same. And I know, because they all looked LIKE ME: big brown eyes, big noses and curly hair -- these Italian chicks were copping my look LEFT AND RIGHT.

With that (freshly amplified) pride, being back in the USA for this election season has been a bit confusing and soul-crushing. So in that spirit:

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried" - Winston Churchill, 1947

"It's like Humpty Dumpty fell and broke, then a giant lawn mower ran over it, acid was thrown on the pieces -- and a bunch of racist idiots ran off with an arm and a leg" -John Weaver, longtime Republican consultant on the state of the GOP 

Brilliantly edited, completely terrifying video on The Authorization for Use of Military Force which our next President will continue to have. 

What Obama told his daughters after Trump won the election. 

...and in other news: 

Women Having a Terrible Time Parties in Western Art History.

Words for Emotions You Didn't Know You Had -- I was relieved to see I'm not the only weirdo who experiences "L'appel du vide". 

Tricky and Brilliant: 10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Vacation Time

A photography project that makes you notice (the usually cramped + crowded) New York buildings as the incredible feats of architecture (that they are): Misplaced New York. 

A stunning collection at NYFW and a smart kickstarter worth supporting. 

I was reading a post about Pipilotti Rist's (a video and multimedia artist) new exhibit at The New Museum in NYC and of course, fell down an internet rabbit hole to one of her other works Ever Is Over All... which, reminded me an awful lot of Beyonce's "Hold Up" music video... and then the internet confirmed that Beyonce's video is indeed paying homage to Rist:

"The exuberant display of female power - the juxtaposition between Rist's cheerful demeanor and violent actions - is both charming and cryptic. It seems obvious that Rist is commenting on the false expectations of feminine delicacy, but the deeper significance isn't so easy to divine. All this makes it a perfect point of reference for Beyonce, whose work frequently charts the intersection between female power and sexuality." 

That's all. Thanks again for reading my particular contribution to the liberal echo chamber and I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving, filled with hearty American portion sizes. 

SUMMER IN BOSTON: PART 4

Bits of summer (from my phone). 

A free Thursday night at The ICA.  

Nahant Beach. 

Cafe Fixe. 

EditMate at BostonFest. 

A coffee date. 

Scott at the Arboretum. 

Corn hole at Coppersmith. 

View from an evening bike commute. 

Lunch at the Barking Crab. 

JP Porch Fest. 

Basil making sure his Jesse gets out the door okay. 

Sun bathing at Castle Island. 

SUMMER IN BOSTON: PART 3

Scott and one of his new friends in JP. 

Salisbury Beach. 

Jesse (my new friend and roommate) and Scott, prepping a lobster dinner. 

A little Smokey (!!!)

The Mayflower.

Whale watching in Plymouth.

An afternoon on the Ocean Frank. 

Dusk at Jamaica Pond with Basil. 

This summer in Jamaica Plain included many day trips out, dinners in and a surprising amount of new dog friends for someone who doesn't own a dog.  

SUMMER IN BOSTON: PART 2

In May, we scored a great sublet in Jamaica Plain (it's now my fourth apartment in that neighborhood) and settled in for a summer in the city. 

A new home. 

Commuting through Chinatown. 

Charles Bradley in Cambridge. 

The Charles River. 

Locking up our new bikes. 

Farmers Market in the North End. 

Commonwealth Cold Brew at the JP Farmers Market. 

Scott appreciating American portion sizes. 

Wanting to re-create the magic that was biking around Newcastle, Perth and Singapore, we bought bikes and declared ourselves a two-man bike gang, cruising around everywhere: commuting to a co-working space downtown, to farmers markets in the North End, through Chinatown, Castle Island in South Boston, over the Charles River to Cambridge and yoga in Brookline. 

P.S. I bought my sky blue Linus bike at Superb Bicycle on Beacon Street and now it's now become one of the top 3 items I wholeheartedly recommend to people (...the other 2 being a Spotify account and an electric toothbrush -- all 3 will elevate your quality of life enormously). If you want a bike that's super comfortable, easy to ride -- and (let's be real here) hella cute -- I deeply recommend a Linus. 

SUMMER IN BOSTON: PART 1

Landing in Boston. I was overjoyed to see the Pru from the plane, but was simultaneously crying from watching the end of the movie "Me, Earl and Dying Girl" so it was a real rollercoaster of emotions. 

New England quaintness. 

Cape Cod Canal. 

Ryan Family Amusements. 

Ikea. 

Craig's List find. 

Pizza at Mark Anthony's in Onset. 

Arriving home in Boston, Scott and I hunkered down at my Grandmother's beach house in Wareham. It was April, so it was more rainy than beachy, so there wasn't much to do. We hit up the arcade and other local hot spots (like Target) but spent most of our time scouring Craig's List for apartments and furniture in an attempt to piece together a solid home for the summer, and perhaps beyond.

After being away for an extended period of time, being home has a way of smacking you in the face with the realities of life.

That was especially true this summer, but having Scott around as part of my team made everything a little easier.  He has a way of making even the boring domestic stuff weirdly fun: treating Craig's List like a treasure hunt, never failing to be delighted by ordering "a slice" (you can't order slices of pizza in NZ, only whole pies) and getting excited about grocery shopping ("I discovered this awesome place today. It's called 'Whole Foods'. We HAVE to go there"). 

AUSTIN, TEXAS

On my way back to Boston, I visited Austin for my friend Jordan's wedding. 

Tourists. 

When in Rome.

Jordan and Maggie (her Maid of Honor) singing Karaoke at the spot Jordan and Timmer first met. 

Scott, dressed like a local. 

Springdale Farm. 

Timmer's clan and their newest member. 

First pizza as husband and wife. 

BC'08

Jordan + Timmer got married in a sweetly romantic ceremony at Springdale Farm, in the pouring rain. Jordan and I met at Freshman Orientation and it was wild to see her walk down the aisle 12 years later, with a husband so perfect for her it was as if 19 year old Jordan conjured him into being. 

RETURNING TO THE USA VIA LOS ANGELES

After 8 months away, I returned to the States with a layover in Los Angeles. It was apparent how thrilled I was to be back in the USA (despite the fact that the American state of affairs appears to be an absolute shit storm from afar) when I audibly squealed spotting Obama's portrait hanging above the escalators at LAX.

American accents were music to my ears as we power walked through the airports to grab our luggage, rent a car and make the most of our 9 hours in sunny LA. 

Filtered coffee/pure joy/airplane hair. I think I look a bit like The Weeknd here.

We got breakfast at the must-always-visit Sloopy's, walked off 14 hours of flying on the boardwalk, got caught in signature LA traffic and hiked up a canyon for a view of the LA skyline. 

It was warm welcome (almost) home. 

END OF THE SUMMER

The last few weeks of August were spent back on the east coast -- celebrating, moving, packing and exploring all around Boston + New England. 

I turned 29 with this good looking group. We had a biiiig night out and I made sure that one of my favorite quotes, "If you aren't embarrassed by what you were doing last year then you aren't growing enough" will definitely ring true by August 21, 2016. 

Afternoon at the Lawn on the D in South Boston. 

Birthday Partner for 17 years straight. 

Birthday fish tacos in Fort Point. 

Trevor and Jay got hitched and it was truly a beautiful wedding in Lincoln. It was super smooth and effortlessly fun -- much like their relationship. 

A night of scalped tickets and Fenway franks. 

Scott's first baseball game. 

Visiting the Vanderbuilt Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Inside the Vanderbuilt mansion, where they clearly ripped off Versailles. 

Newport, RI. 

Portsmouth, NH.

Jamaica Pond. 

Visiting the Alma Mater. 

Scott's reaction to visiting the Old North Bridge in Concord, where the "shot heard round the world" was first fired starting the American Revolution: "So you Americans have always been shooting people, ay?"

SAN FRANCISCO

Making our way through Monterey (where our bright green and purple camper van got caught right in the middle of a very large classic car parade, but we just smiled and waved through it) and Santa Cruz, we arrived in my favorite American city... San Francisco. 

Monterey

"oh hey girl what up"

Santa Cruz.

Making eggs in Golden Gate Park.

In front of a blurry Alcatraz.

Walking all round, the hills and colors of San Francisco were delightful as ever and we met up with my homegirl (current SF resident) Lisa, for a bbq dinner.  We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge as Scott butchered the Full House theme song and I had my best surf yet in Ocean Beach.

After turning in our camper van at the JUCY office, we had a full day of exploring left so we got a rental car for the day to store our things and make our way around. I was absolutely thrilled about our successful road trip... until we walked back to the car after grabbing a quick coffee at the Ferry Building. Our rental car window had been smashed and half our things stolen. 

Right about when I was taking this photo, our car was getting broken into. 11 AM on a Friday morning!

THAT SUCKED.  I've mentioned this before, but the universe really does have a pesky way of keeping you in check when everything is going a little too well.

Long story short (ish): I was a mix of relieved and insulted to find that the thieves dumped most of my things since they didn't find them to be of any value. Scott however, wasn't as fortunate.  Like any good former Cramer producer, I had all my contact information listed on my external hard drive... and like any lazy person, I didn't have a password on my laptop... so the good citizen who found my backpack called my cell and opened my laptop to post on my Facebook wall. This led to an influx of friends calling and messaging because the post sounded suspiciously like I had been kidnapped. This was really a fine example of humans looking out for each other and was a nice bright spot in an otherwise giant hassle of day. The rest of the day was spent sorting out paperwork at the police station and rental car agency, driving hours to retrieve my backpack and then it was a mad rush to the airport where Scott sweet talked security in order to board the flight without his (now stolen) passport. Lessons to take away from this: the $11 extra car insurance is worth it and travel insurance is always a good idea. 

But, all in all, no real harm done. Everyone was still alive, with just less baggage to check. So, I still love you, San Francisco. You beautiful, apparently crime riddled city. AND since we did get my external hard drive back I was able to edit the video that this whole road trip for! We shot it all with a GoPro and here it is, if you'd like to see:

It was a great California Road Trip, even if the end was a bit more of an adventure than we had planned.

BIG SUR

I was super excited to show Scott the wonder that is Big Sur, but then I was a little concerned that he might actually be completely unphased by it since New Zealand (his homeland) is all dramatic coast lines, plunging cliffs, winding green wilderness over bright blue oceans, etc. Luckily (and appropriately), he was enamored with it as I am.

No photos before coffee. 

We pulled over for the stunning views and a back-of-the-van peanut butter muesli and banana breakfast. I also made sure we stopped at the tiny + charming Big Sur Bakery for a strawberry scone. 

Being from the east coast, I kind of forget that the USA has landscape like this and it's easy to see why it attracted creative folks like Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson. Big Sur is just so giant and incredible, it's good reminder that it's a big wide world out there -- even in your own country. 

ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

We met a group of bros who had just graduated from Bible College and they led us down to a cove near Avila Beach. And baptized us. Just kidding. They were Bible College grads though. Real nice chaps.

Precise point this photo was taken. 

Over the Pacific.

Fruit stand stop.

Lake Casitas, the only Lake I've ever encountered where swimming is prohibited.

Santa Barbara street art. 

Santa Barbara Pier.

Avila Beach.

Seals created a Big Giant Bed at sunset. 

Along Highway 1 we stopped at a fruit stand in Guadalupe where I unnecessarily whipped out my limited Spanish ("que es?" "that's a nectarine." "ahhh si, muchas gracias"). Scott also experienced Urban Outfitters for the first time and could not, for the life of him, imagine why anyone would want to live in lovely, gorgeous Santa Barbara ("There's no waves!").  

It was a big stretch of highway up to Big Sur which called for good driving music, so from me to you: here's a mix. Enjoy it on your next road trip, even if it's your morning commute. 

OJAI

Driving North we pulled off at the exit for Ojai because I vaguely remembered hearing good things about the little town. We ended up doing a sweaty trail run/hike in the steep dry mountains, encountering a massive snake and stealing oranges from a local grove for breakfast. All around, a good detour. 

LOS ANGELES

U-turning in San Diego, we headed back north to Los Angeles for what was the best part of the trip.

We wandered around Venice Beach admiring: the skateboarders who seem to have the laws of physics working differently for them, giant hulks of humans at Muscle Beach and a flamboyant 3 PM roller skating dance party that make you wonder why that isn't more common of a thing. In an effort to not look like someone living out of a van while living out of a van, I shampooed and conditioned at the beach showers meant to only wash off sand and applied mascara in the rear view mirror. One day, we rented bikes and rode from Venice Beach to Manhattan Beach, making our 3rd trip to Sloopy's (what a website!) and one night, we walked the Santa Monica Pier. Scott schemed ways to climb up to the Hollywood sign but had to settle for the view from the Griffith Observatory. But we learned a bit about space while up there which led us to creatively curse at each other "yeah, well, I hope you get hit by a moon rock" whenever we fought. We ate a retro diner in Los Feliz, gawked at the mansions in Beverly Hills, cruised Rodeo Drive and drank bad flat whites and good cappuccinos in Silver Lake. 

People hate LA but I can't say I mind it at all. 

SAN DIEGO

LA has a real hustle to it between the traffic jams and San Francisco exudes wifi and an entrepreneurial spirit, but San Diego is just straight up breezy and laaaaid back. 

We mostly split our time between Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach, running on the cliffs and enjoying the water. Everyone seemed to be either eating ice cream on the boardwalk or going for a mid-afternoon run. I know it must happen, but I just can't imagine anyone heading to the office in San Diego. 

Giant organ practice in Balboa Park. 

Once we ventured downtown, I was mighty impressed by the pristine city streets and the charming Gas Lamp District. We toured the USS Midway, wandered around Balboa Park and had Taco Tuesday in fancy La Jolla even though it was really Taco Everyday. 

We also had a big day out at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park which was as hot as the Serengeti. We were shameless tourists with my DSLR telephoto lens and Scott's GoPro steadicam, shooting everything, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the gorillas and eating slushies. 

San Diego's a real good time. 

SAN CLEMENTE + ENCINITAS

Heading further south down California's Highway 1, two of my favorite spots were San Clemente + Encinitas. 

San Clemente Pier

Proving that Brass dresses are so versatile that you can look presentable in one even while living out of a van. 

San Clemente is a "Spanish Village by the Sea" founded by a land developer named Hanson who envisioned a Mediterranean style coastal resort town and wanted it to serve as a haven for Californians tired of the big city. I'd say he succeeded. We surfed Trestles, bought fruits and veggies at the farmers market, fell hard for Acai Bowls and were able to wake up, roll out of our van and land right on the beach. 

Door at Swami's

About 40 minutes south of San Clemente, is Encinitas. It's a little grittier but it has big cliffs, beautiful views, is home to the famous surf break "Swami's" AND it's accompanying cafe that has, in my opinion, iced mochas that should be equally as famous.

It was long days at the beach in both little communities, slathering on sunscreen as soon as we woke up and falling asleep in the back of the van as soon as the sun went down, still salty from the water. 

START OF THE CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP

In August, Scott and I met in LA to team up with JUCY Rentals.  We did 2 week road trip along California's Pacific Coast Highway to make  a little video to show off their camper van, The Champ. 

The Champ, loud and proud. 

After picking The Champ, we headed south for a night in Huntington Beach which was (in Scott's words) "absolute carnage" due to the Vans US Open of Surf being on and taking over the main strip. 

California RV sites can get pretty pricey during the summer, so we took the frugal route and opted to park/sleep at any quiet side-of-the-road we could find. Luckily, despite having a very obviously bright green and purple camper van, we didn't encounter much trouble with this method. Only one Park Ranger came knocking at 3 AM in SF Golden Gate Park... but Scott charmed him with his accent and I stayed quiet to seem like an innocent foreigner. AND we were able to put that saved money towards more important things, like fish tacos. They became a staple food group on the road, starting at George's Grill in Huntington and continuing on for the next 14 days straight. 

JARED NICHOLSON

Last month I did a photo shoot with Jared Nicholson, a friend of mine from high school who is currently running for School Committee in the city of Lynn. His adorable supporters came out on a perfect summer night for a quick shoot around the neighborhood. Vote Jared!

CHARLESTON WITH ARI

I stayed in Charleston a few extra days after the Bachelorette to catch up with my dear mustachioed friend Ari. He proved to a fantastic host with his immaculate loft, guided bike tours and five star meals. 

CHARLESTON, SC - JAY'S BACHELORETTE

A bunch of us headed to steamy Charleston, South Carolina for my friend Jay's bachelorette party. Shenanigans ensued. 

Jay taking the stage. The lead singer of "Melted Velvet" wasn't exactly thrilled to see her surpass him in both dance moves and showmanship. 

I laughed and danced harder than I had in months and it was so fun to do with a great group of gals in one of my favorite cities. 

Ari, a Charleston resident and overall renaissance man, hosted the male counterparts for the weekend and treated us all to a few special musical interludes. 

The blushing bride + groom. 

HOME

I'm back in Massachusetts and it is SUMMERRRRR. 

Cranes Beach, Ipswich. 

Mum + Dad down in Hamilton Beach. 

Kevin + Nora had a heart meltingly sweet wedding in June. 

Trevor's 30th. 

Being back home in Sudbury/JP/Hamilton Beach with family and friends has been sunny and lovely and full of beach days, dance floor nights and ice cream. I've been doing some freelance work here and there but mostly living off what I saved while working in NZ and it's definitely strange being back in my normal environment without a normal 9-5. Even when I'm good and comfortable, there's always that nagging feeling that I could be doing more, could be making and saving more money. 

It actually makes me think of one my favorite little tales, "The Fisherman and The Businessman":

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village.
As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.

The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.
“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”

The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”

The fisherman asks, “And after that?”

The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”

...this is obviously a simplified version of the eternal struggle of the work/life balance (is this fisherman planning on paying his kids college tuition with fish?) but it's a good reminder, nonetheless. For me, unfortunately, this whole lazy summery lifestyle won't be able to last for too too long -- but I'm certainly not complaining at the moment.