Thirsty Thursday-Dark n Stormy!

Been a minute but I'm back! Moving into my house in Martha's Vineyard has been an exciting/overwhelming/somewhat annoying process but I'm finally settled. Our house is adorable (if teensy) and while I fear I may fall through the stairs at least 86 times this summer, at least it is a five minute walk to the ocean. Speaking of which, I discovered a lovely private beach nearby (pictured below) which I promptly hopped the fence and enjoyed. Sincere cheers to June, before it gets so crazy busy that I'll probably be tazed if I try that again in a few weeks.

 The weather the past couple days has been pretty blah, with rain and storms. I attempted to give myself a serene island morning today with an iced coffee and a book in the park, but had to abandon my plan after the rain began. So it goes. Anywho, looking forward to making the best of tonight with these bad boys in honor of the shitty weather. I'm not the biggest fan of rum (the phrase "sickly sweet" has taken on a very real meaning on certain occasions in summers past) but something about it, combined with some spicy ginger and a refreshing lime wedge, feels right on a cold rainy summer night when you're just hanging out with friends. Happy Thirsty Thursday everyone!

Dark 'n' Stormy

recipe yield: 1 drink

ingredients: 

-2 oz. dark rum (Gosling's Black Seal is a good bet for an authentic Bermuda taste)

-3 oz. ginger beer 

-wedge of lime

Fill a glass with ice and combine the rum and ginger beer, then add lime for garnish. Put on some good music/a movie (I'm thinking maybe something spooky for tonight...any suggestions?) and enjoy!

The place I left two days ago, amazing Bologna, Italy where I learned almost all there is to know about tortellini, gelato, how much Italian guys love their moms, and taking the time to enjoy a coffee (or mimosa) at a cafe for longer than my usual 10 minute Starbucks run.

On second thought, who am I kidding. Not sure I've ever spent more than three minutes, total, in a Starbucks.

Here Goes!

Hello! My name is Jules and I'm a college student entering my last year of school. Over the past three years, I've learned quite a bit about myself and what's going on around me. What I've learned thus far (though the list is long a growing) is that I love to wander. I never stay in one place very long, and I've been lucky to set my bags down in some pretty amazing places. I go to school in Pennsylvania but I've spent summers working in a fish-themed folk art gallery (and a sushi restaurant) in Catalina Island, with a publishing start up in New York City, and now nannying in Martha's Vineyard. I've spent my winter breaks working in retail and publishing in Boston and at rural schools in the Dominican Republic. Perhaps the cherry on top of these nomadic three years was the last five months of my junior year, which I spent in Italy. I got home two days ago (still not sure what time zone I'm in ) and the experience opened my eyes to some incredible things about the world and about myself. I've met some amazing people, seen some pretty fantastic sights, eaten great food, and collected quite a few ideas and pointers about how to make it all work. When things have become overwhelming for me at certain times in the past three years, I have always found that finding ways to bring elements of health to my life has been imperative in getting my head back in the game. Whether it be coffee and conversation with a friend, cooking a new dish, trying a new workout, or working on a new idea or project, overall wellness is something that covers so many different areas. To me, it's about finding the balance between the crazy, fun, up all night peaks and valleys of your twenties but also maintaining a sense of presence, joy, and understanding of all the changes. Leaving new places and setting new roots every six months is overwhelming, but figuring out how to navigate that and bring out the best in those experiences is a tricky and valuable tool. I love the strange up and downs of my life and the new people I meet all the time, and I'm hoping to document some of the ways I try and balance (or drop) everything that my early 20's are throwing at me. Advice always welcome, thanks for checking out my blog!