I have decided to dedicate my spare time and energy to the people in my life who are confident. You know the ones… They shine. Stop for a moment and collect the faces of the people who build you up. The people who leave you feeling electric. You leave them and you feel like the glass half full. You leave grinning like a fool and humming along to whatever, because you know no other way to move through the world.

These are the people to spend your time with.

I recently rode my bicycle around an island that I someday want to call home. Riding down hills with the ocean on one side and my dear friend on the other, I felt like I was flying. Giggles bubbled out of me like a fountain, and every single part of me felt alive. I was glowing, I was radiant, I was strong.

Wait. I am glowing. I am radiant. I am strong. I endlessly fight off that terrible little monster on my shoulder telling me I fail in one way or another. And then I spend my weekend embodying happiness, and that voice becomes muted, like a radio signal losing service. My silly little monster has been especially chatty these days as my body has gone into a weird, soft place that I don’t recognize. With long hours at work and my inability to say no to snacks and whiskey, I have lost sight of my strength. I berate myself daily, even though I know my broad shoulders and wide hips are a thing of beauty. The little fucker on my shoulder needs to shut the hell up so I can continue to move through the world with my head held high, because deep down I know my body is goddamn treasure.

“Kiss your own fingertips and hug your own curves. You are made of waves and honey and spicy peppers when it is necessary. You are a goddess, I hope you haven’t forgotten.” – Emery Allen

I will live a bold and adventurous life, surrounding myself with confident and kind people. I will get loud about things that matter. I will do epic shit. I will be brazen and flirtatious and hopefully a little careless.

We only have one crack at this, so we might as well do it all with some spirit. Shine on my loves, shine on.

“Oh my god, what if you wake up some day, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.” – Anne Lamott

Whatever is In My Fridge Soup

When all else fails, make soup. I am headed out of town on Tuesday, so buying groceries seemed silly. I also felt like nesting, so I wanted to spend time in the kitchen. Enter: whatever is in my fridge soup. It actually turned out super tasty, which is one of the reasons I adore soup. It’s hard to fuck up. Basically, take everything you have in your fridge that you THINK might go together, and call it a day. Yum.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts (chopped)
• ½ bunch asparagus (chopped)
• 2 cups butternut squash
• 1 onion or 1 shallot (whatever you have!)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper and curry powder to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix your squash, asparagus and Brussels sprouts with 1 Tbsp olive oil a dash of salt and pepper and some curry powder for good measure. Cook for 35-40 minutes until the squash is nice and soft. While that is cooking, brown your onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once browned (about 5 minutes), add in your diced tomatoes. Let everything simmer and then add in the vegetable stock and turn heat to low. Once the other veggies are done roasting, throw those bad boys in the pot. Let everything get nice and mingled. I threw in a Tbsp of red curry paste, because why not? I let it simmer for about 15 minutes and then removed from heat. Add in the coconut milk and if you’re feeling fancy, throw in some sriacha (because… duh?) Take out the ol’ immersion blender and blend until smooth. It has a bit of a kick to it, which is delightful, and will make for great meals until I head out of town. Happy eating!