#moorelife

[yourmsmoore-blog]

Book Review: The Good Daughter

Shoutout to The Skimm for the epic recommendation!

This whole book was suspenseful and I finished it on a weekend.

Story centers around The Quinn family that lives in Northern Georgia. The patriarch of the family is Rusty Quinn, a defense lawyer that is unpopular in their small city for his belief that everyone deserves a fair chance in the eye of the law. On one fateful night, Rusty’s work finally catches up with the Quinn family and change their lives irreparably. 28 years later, the pieces are finally coming back together while another new mystery rocks the Pikeville town.

That is my corny book review. Mostly because I can’t explain too much without having word vomit and giving everything away.

Go pick it up! 

[queenbmonique]

914,544,000 Seconds 15,242,400 Minutes 254,040 Hours 10,585 Days 1,512 Weeks 347 Months 29 Years 🖤🤞🏾 #MooreLife #KingDay https://www.instagram.com/p/B-i6nWKhJf-/?igshid=1gmpjq02u1rmb

[yourmsmoore-blog]

The Year of Grace

This year has been one for the books and I don’t even like that phrase.

There are some years that I can barely recall, they have no significant importance in my life (not that I’m not grateful I lived through them but...idk?) but 2017 is definitely one I will remember as it’s been pivotal for me. I always name my years in retrospect (the important ones anyways) and this one is the Year of Grace.

I left my J-O-B. Now ya’ll know me, I am a loyalist through and through and I don’t like change unless it's calculated and smart. So, of course, my change was all of that. I started with Anheuser-Busch directly after grad school, and I have been with them ever since. If you had asked me a few years ago, I was a lifer, I would retire from A-B, I would be a beer babe for life. But things CHANGE. I had an opportunity to work for a company that creates content to speaks to who I am as a person, I could pass that up. So I took it. I moved. And I started over again. And it felt good to have a shake-up! My life has always been carefully planned, defined by guidelines and stern advice and drawing inside the lines. I need this change to prove to myself that I can be great without guidelines. 

I decided to jump in the dating pool! It’s s been 2 years and I almost jumped back out and gave up swimming (LA dating can do that to you). No, but for real, I dated a person, and it was cool, and then it wasn’t, and that was tough. I am not one to admit when something isn’t working-I don’t like failure. But here I was, trying to make a relationship work that shouldn’t have existed. So I left! And that was challenging but also taught me that I know exactly what I want and my instincts never fail me. 

I started giving a damn! Like really giving a damn about the people that are most important to me. I miss you? I’m about to tell you. I haven’t seen you? I’m about to schedule a lunch or FaceTime date with you. I refuse to let anyone I love think for a second that I am not available or emotionally invested in them. And that’s new to me.

Grace is defined many ways, my take on Grace that it is the free and unmerited favor of God. And though this year has been interesting, difficult, weird and rewarding, it has all been a blessing from God and easily my most pivotal year. And for that, I am grateful!

[yourmsmoore-blog]

I am super proud of the hashtag #MakinBaliMoves…I didn’t come up with it, but still hella impressed. Our trip was amazing! Over 10 days we traveled to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. I am both jet-lagged and instantly missing those countries now that I am back in the U.S.!

Singapore:

First thoughts: Extremely clean, beyond the normal scope of a clean city. Overly green.

End Thoughts: Singapore is easily the most beautiful and densely packed city/state I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting (sorry New York).

What else:  I can’t believe an entire country is like one big nursery/greenhouse. How lucky are they to see such beauty every day. Turns out, 47% of Singapore is covered in greenery and it’s no mistake. I also learned that Singapore has no natural resources and everything is imported. Also, it is a total ex-pat city/state-I saw more Americans and Australians there than I thought.

We visited Gardens by the Bay, a beautiful floral and art exhibition that literally looks like it is housed inside the Sydney Opera house (google it). Gardens by the Bay is yet another testament to how green and beautiful Singapore is.

We visited the night market and enjoyed satay and kimchee fried rice (so bomb) and sat outside in the sweltering heat taking in all of Singapore. Super touristy.

Bali, Indonesia

First thoughts: This is a bae-cation spot

End thoughts: This is a bae-cation spot!

What else: Aside from being a bae-cation spot (did I mention that?) Bali is absolutely beauty and has a culture and history that should be a mandatory learning while you vacation. Bali is rich in Hindu as it is Bali’s predominant religion (though Islam is Indonesia’s predominant religion). The temples were absolutely beautiful and so sacred. There is always such am humbling feeling I get when I am I someone else’s place of worship. Maybe it’s because I believe that other religions require so much more and there is beauty in that discipline.

The coolest experience thus far was the play of the love story of Sita and Rama from the Ramayana. The play is performed by having a circle of about 70 or so men perform the story in. a series of tongue-clicks sounding like ‘kekack.” My friends and I do not speak Malay (not even a little) but we were able to keep up because true story telling is in action and emotions and not necessarily words. This play took place on a cliff right over the Indian Ocean while the sun was setting and it was like something out of a movie.

We got traditional Balinese massages and I swear all Asian massages are ass-whoopings. Thankfully this ass-hooping ended in a rose petal bath which made me feel like Cleopatra.

Had the classiest brunch at The W Hotel which reminded me why I need (nay deserve) to be rich.

Bal baby you’re beautiful.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

First thoughts: Why is there no pork bacon?!

End thoughts: Culture. So. Rich.

KL was the last leg of our trip and by then we were beat (I know I was). So I definitely took KL with a grain of salt when we arrived. But after a good nights rest we headed to the Batu Caves and climbed 200 stairs and things got good. The temple at the precept is dedicated to Lord Murugan who is the bad-ass Hindu god of war. After that, we played with monkey’s in the bat caves (we don’t mess with bats) before heading back down.

We visited the Petronas Towers which are the tallest twin towers in the world. Hope you aren’t afraid of heights.

I love traveling and getting away. Not just because of the daily rigors, it isn’t an escape (I love what I have back home) its to experience something new, learn a a little something and hopefully come back with a perspective, dish or story.

[yourmsmoore-blog]

When you dream of a beautiful place, make sure you dream of Bali! 🇮🇩 🌅 ☀️ • • • • • #MakinBaliMoves #Bali #Indonesia #MooreLife ##MooreTravel #BaliBaby #TravelNoire (at Bali, Indonesia)

[yourmsmoore-blog]

When you dream of a beautiful place, make sure you dream of Bali! 🇮🇩 🌅 ☀️ • • • • • #MakinBaliMoves #Bali #Indonesia #MooreLife ##MooreTravel (at Bali, Indonesia)

[yourmsmoore-blog]

Day 1 in Singapore was so incredibly good that I think Bali is starting to get jealous 😉#GardensByTheBay #Singapore #MooreLife #MooreTravel (at Gardens by the Bay)

[yourmsmoore-blog]

Twenty. Eight.

I turned 28…yesterday. I didn’t feel anything of consequence, 28 isn’t special. It’s not 21, when you can legally drink alcohol. 28 isn’t 25, where you mid-way and feeling hella grown. It’s just 28, two away from 30. Joy. 

I realized I sounded repugnantly ungrateful. And for someone who is typically good-natured, I felt bad for feeling so indifferent about 28. 

My friends and family brought me back. They always do.

My friends, who allow me and my wondrous plans (let’s spend a day at the beach and attempt BBQ) to flourish, who give me unconditional love, support and doses or reality which I need. They brought me back.

My family. My mother, who called me at 12:00 central to wish me a happy birthday and then again at 12:00 a.m. pacific to wish me a happy birthday and to remind me that I am loved. To my baby siblings that pooled together and got me gifts even thought I spend more time thinking about ways to spoil them. They brought me back.

I am grateful to see another year, humbled that I can do so in happiness and in light and love.

Thank you for bringing me back. I am loving twenty eight.