Summer time has arrived, no doubt about it. My windows are open at night, hoping for a bit of a breeze, but instead amplifying the calls of a lonely juvenile mockingbird at 3:00 am. My afternoons are spent staring at my ceiling, lying in my linen sheets between afternoon meetings, hoping for some reprieve from the heat that inevitably creeps into every corner of my bungalow apartment. As I’m searching for every ounce of productivity that I can muster, I instead find myself daydreaming of waves, summer evenings with friends, and live music tinkling through the air with the possibility of a moment to dance.

For me, and others I am sure, summer normally brings feelings of hope and possibility. I’m transported back to my childhood, playing “ghost in the graveyard” in my best friend’s yard while dusk hovers, inviting the fireflies to take flight while our parents play cards on the patio and await the pizza delivery. The magic of summer feels, to me, like a never-ending possibility as a child.

Although I have not had the pleasure of a summer break for many years now, for the longest time I’ve managed to keep hold of the magic of summer in my mind. Life, however, has a way of creeping up on us. This summer feels different – I feel the need for a change but am unsure where to start. I feel a desire – and demand – in my heart for something more. I sit at my computer in my little office, completing my 9-5 tasks, drive to the gym to be a happy little hamster on the treadmill, and come home to make myself a balanced dinner, trying to will inspiration into existence. I can’t help but feel there is more to life than what I’ve been doing lately. And I’ve been here before – but, for the first time in my life – I do not know what I need to do to move forward.

I recognize that this feeling will be brief in this period of my life, but I ask you this, Dearest Gentle Reader,  how do you keep hope alive during the most mundane of times in your life? Do you immediately pick up to move to a new city, like I have a history of doing?  Do you seek out new friendships and relationships to inspire you and awaken you to new ways of living? Do you pick up a new hobby? I feel like I have acquired a never ending list of hobbies. Is it all of the above? I feel impatient to get to the next step, even if I don’t know what step is. 

As I figure out the best way to traverse what feels to be a significant life change, I find myself looking for moments of indulgence and excitement – an espresso tonic to beat the heat and fuel me through my next assignment; enjoying dinner with a friend who loves a gin martini as much as I do, and pursuing another thrilling hobby (this time I’m dead set on being an adequate surfer). If you have additional recommendations or advice on how to go easy on myself, I welcome the advice – let this latest musing be an interactive one. 

Current Inspirations and Musings: 

What I am listening to: Emily King, Closer to the Morning; Waves, Kanye West; 

What I’m reading: Daughter of the Moon Goddess ; Tomie

What i’m Watching: Challengers 

What I want to be wearing: I TOLD YA ;  This DREAMY Over the Body Skirt; 

What I’m Writing:  

• My Favorite Espresso Tonic’s in East LA (my summer staple).  
• My Journey to Making the Best Damn Martini I Can (by my standards)
• The Power of A Friends Weekend