home

Some exciting things have been happening around here - we bought an apartment! Anywhere, this would have been daunting, but the prices and the competition around Boston these days made it even more so. We went to open house after open house, and then finally we found it: a place that felt like it should be our home. It is not perfect (of course!) but there is plenty to love here - white bookcases, ivy draping quaint window panes, black fireplaces marked by age and use. Plus, it is at the top of Beacon Hill! We can't believe our luck.

Home is a word I use all the time. But until recently, to be honest, it just referred to the place I was planning to sleep that night. Hotels we stay at for a few days, my parent's guest room, all of the apartments we've rented over the years - I've called them all home when I've been there. Things feel so different in this new place. It changes things to know that I will be here for a while, and won't be chasing research, a degree, a visa to a new place. I've been thinking about all the good times and bad these walls will certainly see, and how much we will grow here.

I have been so lucky to have lived in different cities - the suburbs of Boston, Cleveland, Montreal, London, Paris - and to have had so many amazing adventures! But staying still and putting down roots is an adventure of a different kind, one I am so ready to embrace.

let's tessallate

I can't stop playing this video and had to share - the music and the visuals are so haunting. Take a look!

california hills

With the turning of the year, I have been thinking back on these last twelve months and how lucky we were to get to the west coast twice! A dear friend got married a few months ago just north of San Francisco, and we decided to take a few days to explore the surrounding area. The nature was just spectacular. We went from hill tops to redwood valleys and back up to the top of Mount "Tam," where we saw incredible views of the city and the sea. There was a certain special light over it all, creating colors in the landscape that were so different from those we are used to seeing here. Just wow. I am so grateful to have been able to visit such a special place.

Welcome 2014!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I can't believe it is 2014 - this past year really flew by. While I caught myself wishing that I had gotten more done this year, a lot did happen in 2013. We moved to Boston and discovered the city, I became certified to teach yoga, in spite of our plans to stay close to home, we traveled to California, British Columbia, and around New England, and I began writing with The Boston Day Book and Groupon's Local Voices.

The New Year feels like such a great time to reflect on life - to recognize our blessings, to think about what kind of person we want to be, and to see what's been working and what hasn't been. To me, it feels like a clean slate - an open space full of possibilities.

So yesterday before sipping on some bubbly with family I sat down to think about my resolutions for this next year. I think accountability can be so helpful, so I thought I would share them with the interwebs (hello? anyone out there? ;) ) Here they are:

• Do what needs to be done! In effect, stop procrastinating. The associated goal is to finish the dissertation. This huge project has been weighing on my soul and haunting my dreams, and it needs to get DONE! This is a top priority for 2014, and I think finally finishing this will open up so much mental space and creative energy for other projects.

• Challenge myself with yoga and teach outside of my family. As a student, I want to get to a class at least twice a week, because I can often challenge myself more in classes than at home, and I love learning new ways of doing things. As a teacher, I would like to find ways to start teaching people besides my husband and sisters, even if it is sporadic. 

• Take actions that make me feel good in body and mind. Yes, this is pretty general, but I thought about it and decided to keep this resolution less rigid. This would encompass eating healthy foods, communicating well with the people around me, meditating more, and recognizing the joys of everyday life.

So here's to 2014! May it brings lots of joy and happiness to you!