LATELY. Lately, I’ve been in Manhattan, soaking up the start of spring — where no one knows what to wear, the days require umbrellas more than not, the flowers from Trader Joe’s have more color than usual, and the chai latte extra hot is no longer needed. This time of year typically yields excitement of what’s to come, the anticipation of what is next — warmer days ahead, plans to find new outfits for, thoughts of “how can I experience that moment from last summer again?”
I’ve been in rhythms of ordinary lately — meal prepping on Sundays, yoga and pilates often (it’s refreshing to notice when you feel stronger after your own consistency kicks in), listening to podcasts (check out Monica Lewinsky: An Intern vs. The President and Let Them Theory that everyone is talking about), keeping up with the usual laundry / cleaning / dishes (no clue how people do this with kids), catching up with friends here and there, reading before bed (insert calming emoji) and not leaving the city for a handful of weekends. Days on repeat, which I think a lot of people notice about their own lives — we’re not always going to have the trip, the party, whatever high we might be chasing next. So much of our time is spent in the ordinary and I’ve been learning that we have to be alright with our own kind of ordinary. The morning rituals to start my days and night time routines to wind down make a difference in feeling content. Lately, I haven’t minded the ordinary — but I also know change is around the corner, which will shake up what has felt ordinary for a while.
I was listening to this short episode on lessons from Sex and the City — a show where I’ve felt right there alongside the characters while watching (if you know this feeling it's one you never want to end). It follows four female friendships navigating adulthood in New York City, love lost and found, some bits of fashion, one character’s writing journey and societal expectations placed on women. The first take away from the podcast is how we can fall in love with the places we live, wherever that might be — New York City itself is a main character in this show. Whether it’s walking down a familiar street, hitting the same brunch spot or sitting in the park on Sundays with friends — it is okay to romanticize a place and fall for it over and over again. Even on the repeat days, this city still has its charm and appeal to me. Focusing on the minor details of what makes a place feel like home and worth being in makes the ordinary days feel less so.
It's almost been a year of this blog — a year that has led me into this new season of life I’m about to enter. A year of some ordinary moments (certainly with happy moments and trips sprinkled in), but I think the quietness of the ordinary moments is one of many variables that has led me to choose different than what has been laid out in front of me. Those moments that have given me the stillness and clarity to reflect on what I want next. And although I haven’t done a lot of writing thus far in 2025, nor have I tried to force it out of myself, these summer months will be full of it. This short piece feels like something I’ve thrown together to bridge the gap of where I’ve been lately to where I’m going.
Lately has felt ordinary, the kind of ordinary that I don’t mind, and yet, when I think about this past year and its moments in sum, so much of it has been extraordinary all along.
Book Recommendation:
Speaking of New York City, Blue Sisters by CoCo Mellors dives into a story of four sisters, whose lives carry them in different directions as they navigate adulthood, but sisterhood always keeps them close. After the tragic loss of one sister, this messy and heartfelt read navigates grief, addiction, and love as they are brought back to the home they grew up in together on the Upper East Side.