Currently

Happy Hump Day! One of my very favorite link-ups of the month is “Currently” with Anne, because she always picks words that really force me to dig deep into what’s been going on rather than “oh we went to the beach”, which is pretty par for the course for summer in Hawaii. In any case, I’m super excited to share today what we’ve been traveling, grilling, exploring, planting, and playing. But before I get started, I do want to take a minute to talk about the tragic death of Kate Spade that was announced yesterday. In a 2002 interview, she told reporters ‘I do things that I actually love and understand’ and it’s a line that has always stuck with me. When I was asked to partner with the brand last year on two major projects, I felt like my dreams were coming true in ways I never imagined. Farewell to a true bon vivant of our time, a cultivator of fun and color connoisseur…may the confetti trail you leave behind be a reminder that life is truly meant to be celebrated and that anyone who is struggling doesn’t have to do so silently. If you are reading this, know that you are worth it and you are loved. If you wish to speak to someone confidentially, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Line any time, any day at 1-800-273-8255. And know that if you ever need someone to talk to – I am a safe space. You are not alone.

Traveling – ALASKA! If you’ve been following along over on Instagram you know that I’ve been hinting about a cold weather vacation on the horizon. Well, we are heading to Alaska tomorrow and are really freaking excited. We try to get together with each of our families for a trip once per year whether it’s here in Hawaii, home in Pennsylvania or somewhere else. We are heading north with my in-laws and brother-in-law celebrating Erik’s master’s graduation from Duke. In the fall, he’s headed to NYC for his new job, so this is our last big hoorah! We also have some pretty exciting fall trips coming up, but not before a slow summer season in Hawaii which I’m actually really excited about after a whirlwind spring! We’ve visited Maui, Taha’a, Moorea, Venice, Florence, Tuscany + Rome this year, so a summer respite is just what the doctor ordered 🙂

Grilling – Corn! Always corn in the summer! But to be completely honest – we haven’t been grilling nearly as much as we usually do in the summer months. Note to self: get on that! We love putting a piece of salmon on the grill with a couple ears of corn and calling it good for a delicious easy dinner, but as of late, I’m REALLY into sheet pan dinners and those are equally as easy to throw on the grill (best ever sheet pan for the grill here), but for whatever reason they’ve been going on the oven. Oh well.  And while we are on the topic of grilling – let’s talk grilled romaine. I  cannot get on board. My parents have been grilling romaine for years and years and it just tastes like slimy sludge to me. Tell me I’m not alone!? And please leave my lettuce in the crisper 😉

Exploring – It feels like the sun went into hibernation this winter on Oahu, so seeing it poke through a few days before we left for Alaska was like a gift from Mother Nature herself. To be honest, the clouds and chilly (for the island) temps left us uninspired to do or see much of anything around Oahu, so this summer I really want to dig deep into our island home and just enjoy exploring new hikes, restaurants and beaches!

Planting – Seeds of growth for my business. I know this probably meant in my garden, but to be totally fair, I don’t have a green thumb. I’ve somehow managed to keep basil alive for 6 months, which is a Christmas miracle. But as a writer, I constantly feel the need to expand my horizons, so for the first half of this year, I’ve been planting seeds and seeing what grows so that I can do just that….grow. I’m thankful for a flexible career that allows me to not only be my own boss, but to follow my creative drive.

Playing – With the dogs and just generally having fun with Dane, even doing ordinary things like after dinner dog walks and Saturday mornings at home. We had an advice board at our wedding where people could leave words of wisdom for us to hold onto for awhile and one of my favorites that someone shared was “If you’re not having fun, you’re not living”. Isn’t that great? It’s a good little tidbit to carry in the back of my mind at all times that just puts a bit of pep in my step.

So tell me – what have you been up to? Do you have any fun travel plans for this summer? Do you plant flowers or dreams? And let’s be honest…are you eating grilled romaine?!