Looking Ahead, No Turning Back.

"I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve." -John Mayer

[hidingupmysleeve]

7/26/26: Two Weeks Post-Breakup

I'm currently at a coffee shop and its Sunday morning. Two weeks post-breakup and I am feeling weird. I purposely woke up at 8am so that I could get up early and enjoy my favorite season on a gorgeous 70 degree-morning. Coffee shops on a sunny Sunday morning make me stupidly happy. I scored the best spot in the coffee shop next to the open-air windows off Fairmount Ave as I get to see people walking by with their dogs and kids. People running. People biking. People laughing. Good Life by Zhu (from Nur's Invictus Animus spotify playlist) is playing from the coffeeshop speakers. I hear the lyrics, "I am the map" and take it as a sign. I never hear this song out in the wild. It is a constant reminder that I hold the keys to my life. Part of me feels like I am in Sex and the City right now, typing on my laptop about my breakup as Carrie Bradshaw voices over. I post an Instagram story of me top rope climbing a 10a route and write, "Getting stronger every week". Literally and metaphorically. In more ways than one. People swiping through that story and not knowing that I am also going through the toughest breakup of my life. My friends and family knowing and holding me tight while I collapse. I am wearing denim overalls and all morning I am tugging, pulling, and fumbling with the right-overall strap. The left strap is fine, but the right side needs constant adjusting. This is how I feel about my head and my heart. My head is the "left strap", sitting fine and accepting its fate, while my heart is the “right strap”, needing constant altering and fixing.

I write "Hey boo" and "Hey babe" to my girlfriends, when that used to be what I'd say to him. It's a reminder that he does not have the monopoly on those words. That girlfriends are soulmates. In the same breath, I see couples walking by and I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness and jealousy take over me. This is what duality is. This is what grieving is. This what healing is.

[hidingupmysleeve]

There's this restaurant that is about a half-mile away from me that recently opened in the mornings as a coffee shop that I've been meaning to check out. They open up all their windows and it feels like an open-air European oasis. It truly feels like I am in another city. The city is so vibrant, energetic, and lively this time of year. There is currently a heat-wave here in Philadelphia, but this space provides a nice reprieve.

Reason #4938492 why I love my neighborhood.

[hidingupmysleeve]

NYC Five-Boro Bike Tour May 3, 2026

Last month, I biked the 40 miler NYC Five Boro Bike Tour with my boyfriend Grant and our friend Christine! NYC shuts down the streets and riders are able to bike through all five boroughs. The trail is as follows: Manhattan > Queens > Brooklyn > The Bronx > Staten Island. It was such a cool experience to be able to see so much of NYC on bike. To go from city to greenery in Central park to highways to tunnels to bridges... it was just so unique. It is also important to note that this event is not a race, which I think made the experience even more enjoyable.

The only thing that wasn't the best was logistics of getting to the start and getting home from the finish. We were staying in Queens, and had to take our bikes on multiple subway trains. Since the event and afterparty was in Staten Island, we had to take the ferry back and then two more subway trains. It was cool to ride the ferry, but just a lot for one day.

I highly recommend you do it at least once in your life, especially if you live on the east coast and NYC isnt too far!

[hidingupmysleeve]

Sedona, AZ and Grand Canyon National Park April 7-11, 2026

I'm catching up on posting (more posts coming!) and I wanted to make sure I included the girls trip I did with my friend Gabriella last month. It's hard to believe it was only last month as it feels like it's been much longer. Life has been so busy in the best way.

It was my first time in Sedona and at the Grand Canyon! I absolutely loved how we planned this trip given it was only three full days. The trip included:

Two hikes in Sedona: Devils Bridge and Cathedral Rock

Picnic and dip at Slide Rock State Park

Ooh Ahh Point at the Grand Canyon

Strolling Uptown Sedona

A cute desert air bnb

Indoor Rock climbing in Phoenix

The best company

Hitting up my 8th (or 9th?) national park

What a seriously fun trip and such a nice getaway when it was still cold af in Philly.

[hidingupmysleeve]

Portland, OR 5/13-5/18 2026

Last week my boyfriend Grant and I travelled to Portland, OR to visit and stay with his long-time college friend Ari. My childhood friend Laura lives in Seattle, WA and I asked her to meet up with us and she agreed. So all four of us (his close friend and my close friend) went hiking, rock climbing, to wineries, breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, shopped, and checked out the Oregon Coast. 

This trip was just so much fun. Laura and Ari got along so well and clicked right away. It didn't take long for all our weirdness and silliness to come out. I had only met Ari one other time before, so this was pretty intimate for me as well. Laura had never met Grant. Laura and Grant are two of my favorite people and to see them banter and belly laugh and have deep conversations melted my heart in a way I didn't know existed. We made so many inside jokes and it truly it felt like a movie. At the end of the trip, Grant asked Laura what she thought of us together. She said the sweetest words about how happy she is for me and how deserving I am of this love. Grant later told me that Laura had a tear in her eye when she was saying that.

I’ve been with Grant for almost 11 months now. Life with Grant is so much fun. It’s magical. You’d think it would feel surreal with how genuinely happy and content I am, but truthfully I feel like I’ve been training all my life for this type of love. All the tough love I’ve endured landed me with the most easy love I’ve ever experienced. Life is wild.

[hidingupmysleeve]

A Few Recent Days in my life:

-I surprised my boyfriend Grant with his favorite band's concert tickets (Three Days Grace) and we went to the show in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday! It was a lot of fun.

-Grant's family was in town, so on Saturday night we went to a really cute BYOB Italian spot in Mount Airy. Then on Sunday we went hiking on a local trail at the Wissahickon.

-My two girlfriends and I have been consistently going rock climbing weekly for over a month now. My kind of girls night!

[hidingupmysleeve]

Killington, VT Ski Trip Feb 19-22, 2026

This weekend I went on a ski trip with 7 other people to Killington, VT. I am a very new to skiing as this is my first season trying it. I literally had a beginner lesson in December and have gone to a local mountain a few other times.

Highlights of this trip:

-I completed my first BLUE route!! Green is beginner, blue is intermediate. This is huge for only going a few times prior.

-Everyone else except one person is an advanced skiier and they said that me and the other beginner girl Gina (she is a snowboarder) are the best beginners they've ever had on a trip!

-I got to spend quality time with my boyfriend's run club friends who I am developing friendships with.

-I now have a new Winter hobby to look forward to! I consider myself pretty outdoorsy, so to pickup a winter sport I think is going to be so good for my mental health when it becomes cold.

-It's fun learning new things in your 30s.

-I've never been to Killington before so I get to check that off as a new place for me.

-We shared a car with another couple for the six-hour drive and had a lot of fun getting to know eachother on a deeper level and made some inside jokes along the way

-The whole house of 9 was super supportive and fun. Did my first ever shot-ski and even had a mini toothbrush party!

[hidingupmysleeve]

I flashed my first 5.9 last night!!! It’s been so fun having a weekly ritual and meeting with friends to climb.

[hidingupmysleeve]

Skiing, Rock Climbing, Eagles Game, and Snow Days

The last month or so has been filled with so much fun and warmth in what is otherwise the coldest Winter we've had in Philadelphia in over five years.

-My boyfriend Grant has been skiing for over a decade and I have never ski'd before in my life. I have gone 3 times with him and am seeing some improvement which has been rewarding to watch. Albeit, scary... who says you can't try new things at 35 years old? We are also going on a ski trip to Killington, VT next month with a bunch of people!

-I joined a rock climbing gym! In the past, I've done top roping a handful of times with friends in different states and have always enjoyed it. The thing about top roping is you need a buddy or group to go with, and I didn't know anyone else here who would be committed to going. Then my friend Gabriella got into bouldering then top roping this past Fall, and my friend Deena has been looking to join a gym... it just was serendipitous! Grant also likes to rock climb. Skiing.. rock climbing... who is she? Also, I climbed a 5.8. WHO. IS. SHE.

-I guess I've been really leaning into Winter this year as I went to my first Philadelphia Eagles game in below freezing temps. Between that and skiing, you'd think I actually like this season. No, I don't, but I will say having things to do outside makes it tiny bit more enticing. Life has just been so fun lately.

-Speaking of Winter, the whole northeast had a gigantic snowstorm over the weekend. Since I live in the city proper, we got less than the suburbs. My parents got over a foot of snow, but the city got around 6 inches. It's the most snow we've gotten in years. I decided to walk to my gym yesterday because I live in a walkable city (the #1 walkabe city in the country) and I was itching to get out but also not move my car. Ramen and tomato soup/grilled cheese was had.

-Grant and I will be escaping the cold in March and going to Florida for Phillies Spring Training and to see my friend Britt. We'll be in the St. Petersburg area and I am very much looking forward to it.

-Our friends made us a tin of homemade cookies that were truly out of this world. Our other friends hosted us for dinner. Life has just been so fun despite the SAD I typically have every year and I wanted to document that.

[hidingupmysleeve]

My 35th Birthday Party

Last weekend Grant hosted my 35th birthday party at his house. It was just as fun as the photos show. I truly had such a blast and felt deeply loved and cared for.

I never really celebrate my birthday, so the fact that my boyfriend opened his home to invite our friends and family meant a lot to me. It was so fun watching Grant mingle with my friends and them meeting my siblings. My twin sister was there! So it was technically her birthday too, haha.

After the party we went out to a local bar and played darts. The next day Grant took me out to a Thai place downtown that I've been wanting to try and it was fabulous.

Tomorrow my parents and Grant's parents are meeting for the first time. We are doing a joint-birthday dinner at an italian spot downtown. What a beautiful birth-week. I feel such an immense sense of gratitude.

I'm innately a very introspective person. I can reflect on any given day. But when it comes to birthdays, I tend to reflect on how the last year of my life unfolded. And I can confidently say this has been the best year of my life. I was in a completely different place this time last year, but took my life by the horns and turned this year into something truly magical that I'm still in awe of.

[hidingupmysleeve]

The Narrows @ Zion National Park, Oct 20, 2025

Grant and I decided to extend our Las Vegas, NV trip and drive 2.5 hours to Utah to hike The Narrows at Zion National Park. This was definitely a highlight of our four-day trip. We squeezed a lot in for four days!

The Narrows was a bucket list hike for the both of us and it did not disappoint. We got extremely lucky: the weather was beautiful and the water was not super cold nor was the water level high. Truly peak season. A wetsuit was still a must as there were periods where the water hit our waists.

We hiked for about six hours total while stopping to eat sandwiches for lunch and take in the views. We were laughing non-stop and just truly basking in each other's presence. We actually met a couple that was around our age who lived in Philadelphia as well. Grant saw one of them wearing an Eagle's hat and said, "Go Birds!" and the rest was history. The girl actually lives in my neighborhood. Small world.

We took photos on one of those 90's disposable cameras so I'm excited to see how they turned out! Overall, such a fun trip and Grant was the best travel companion. I feel so lucky to be in such a loving, secure, and beautiful relationship.

[hidingupmysleeve]

Las Vegas, NV Trip Days 1 & 2 Oct 17-18, 2025

Grant and I went on our first trip together to Las Vegas, NV and Zion National Park in Utah. Second post to come. The purpose of this trip was to go to the When We Were Young music festival. Grant bought these tickets before he met me and planned to go with a future partner or a friend. I was lucky enough to meet him and be his +1. We saw so many bands: Taking Back Sunday, The Offspring, Yellowcard, The Used, Straylight Run, Story of the Year, Panic! At the Disco, Blink 182, and others.

During Taking Back Sunday's set (my #1 band I wanted to see), a random girl came up to us and said, "I took this picture of you two. You both looked so cute. Do you want it?" It was so sweet. Of course we said yes. Grant is so cute: he put it as his phone lockcreen background the next day:

We also saw a comedy variety show in Vegas called Absinthe. My friend Amy's husband recommended it and it was so good. I highly suggest seeing it if you're in Vegas. It was equal parts funny, entertaining, had a mixture of crowd work/improv, and kept your interest the entire time.

[hidingupmysleeve]

Phillies Playoff Post-Season Game #2

Grant and I went to the Phillies post-season game on Monday. It was my first playoff game and it was a lot of fun (even if they lost). They won yesterday so there’s still hope!!

[hidingupmysleeve]

My Tumblr is 14 years old today?! Mind blowing 🤯

[hidingupmysleeve]

Last Weekend of Summer - GO BIRDS! 🦅

This weekend was one for the books. It was just so much fun and reminded me why I love my city/neighborhood.

Saturday morning Grant and I went to an End-Of-Summer Kickball picnic with his running club at a park near me. We brought tomato pie, drinks, fruit and hung out there for a few hours. Saturday evening we met up with my friend Amy, her daughter, and her fiancee at a community garden that turned into a beer garden. We played the card game Dutch Blitz which was super competitive and fun. It was really funny because Amy and I unintentionally ended up matching in black denim overalls and stripped shirts. I had to get a picture - too cute.

After the beer garden, Grant spontaneously asked, "Do you want to go bowling?" It was already 9pm by then and I figured we'd just go home, so I love that he asked. I said yes, and we walked to downtown center city. The bowling alley ended up being a 90 minute wait, so we went to Barcade instead and played some old school arcade games which was a lot of fun. We ended up taking photos in a photobooth and I just love how they came out. I'm biased, of course, but we are just so adorable and I am so happy.

Sunday we went to his parents' house to watch the Eagles vs. Rams game. If you are a football fan you know this game was insanity. The Eagles made a huge comeback, and it was madness. After the game, we went to Rosh Hashanah dinner with my extended family at a Chinese restaurant we've made a tradition for a long time. This was the first time Grant was meeting my extended family and it went really well.

Grant and I are going to the When We Were Young music festival in Las Vegas next month. We extended our trip and are planning to go hiking as well at Zion National Park. This will be our first vacation/trip together. I have never been to Zion and I'm really looking forward to this time away together. A mixture of music, hiking, and spending quality time with each other.

[hidingupmysleeve]

Sunday Six:

My boyfriend Grant and I went out to celebrate his friend's birthday party at a bar that I've never been to before. It was so much fun. And dinosaur themed! We stayed out until 1AM and went to this delicious pizza place called Paulie G's. We stayed up until 4AM just chatting the night away.

We are going on our first trip together to Last Vegas, NV in October to the When We Were Young music festival. We extended the trip and may go hiking at Death Valley National Park or Red Rock State Park. I haven't been to Vegas at all in my adult life (last time was when I was 17), so I am very much looking forward to it.

I went to Ocean City, NJ with my friend Alexis for my first and only Jersey shore trip of the season during Labor Day Weekend.

Yesterday, Grant and I went to the flea market in my neighborhood and he picked out this vintage 70's cross-stitch and thought it fit my living room decor. I agree and had to have it. The seller was asking for $80, I got her to go down to $40. I'd say that's pretty good and it looks so cute in my place.

I'm truly the happiest and most at peace I've ever been with my romantic relationship, friendships, family, career, where I am living, and the overall encompassing of my life.

I turn 35 in December and to think I am headed into my mid-thirties feeling so fulfilled makes me elated for all that is to come in the second half of this decade.

[hidingupmysleeve]

Perfectly Packed Weekend 8/22-8/24, 2025

Tumblr hard launch: I have a boyfriend. His name is Grant. And he is truly amazing. I'm the happiest I've ever been in a relationship. I won't get into too many specifics right now, but just know I'm over-the-moon. Smitten. Swooning. All of the above.

Grant and I went to the Phillies game on Friday. As a born-and-raised Philadelphian, I can confidently say the energy and enthusiam is really as electric as you hear. This is my 3rd Phillies game of the season, and it's always just so much fun. It was especially fun going with Grant - we laughed, had overpriced hot dogs/drinks, and just had a blast. They're currently #1 in their division so hoping for an equally fun Red October.

On Saturday, my nephews were staying at my parents' house so I went over and played scrabble and treated them to ice cream. Being their aunt is such a rewarding experience. My oldest nephew Luke is now 13 and it's like having a little buddy/friend. I'm so grateful for my family.

On Sunday, Grant was hosting an end of summer potluck. We had a little friendly competition where we had people vote for their favorite dish. I picked up this cute grocery list pad and The Office Chili Kevin sticker as a "prize". Funny enough, my Mac and Cheese (pictured) was a huge hit, but I did not want to keep my prize lol. One of the girls Lena made really delicious asian noodles so I decided to give it to her. Overall, such a fun and jam-packed weekend filled with love, laughter, friends, and family.