It’s been two years since we arrived in LA, ready to start anew on the left coast. Fresh off a mostly snow-laden road trip, we were wide-eyed and optimistic among palm trees.

The 24 months since have gone by in an absolute blur. I put together the video below over the course of weeks and months. With gin on my breath and tears in my eyes, I scoured thousands of photos, hunted down video clips, and listened to song after song on a mission to find what evoked this season of my life.

This piece of history is positively one-sided. I took photos and video when things were good, when I felt happy, when the sun was shining.

Missing from this, are the moments when my knees gave out when I got a phone call about my mother’s health. The minutes spent searching for a flight to Boston that left within the next few hours so I could go home to my dad’s side.

I don’t depict the nights I got out of bed and paced the living room, or the nights it seemed like I was hugging Matt and my friends just a little too often and fervently.

Or the day I got let go from the company I'd spent most of my career with.

I also don’t show the twenty-something fruitless job interviews I embarked on, or the hellish three-day career I had for a flood restoration company that turned out to be a positively weird yet enlightening experience.

I don’t detail the countless “we appreciate your time but have decided to go in a different direction…” emails, or the hours spent figuring out how to apply for unemployment for the first time.

Missing are the moments spent on a cool tile floor in North Hollywood, hot tears streaming down my cheeks, while a sweet little dog kept trying to get me to play fetch.

And missing from this video is the fourth of July last year, when I awoke to find out my dad—my absolute rock through two years of hell—was having a heart attack.

 Matt and I were barely on a plane back to Boston when he uttered what we both had been thinking. “We’re going to have to move back,” he said. He didn’t make it a question, or act like there was anything at all to decide. We were going to do what we could to help my family, and we both knew it from that moment on.

Moving back to Massachusetts was energizing and gut wrenching all at the same time. A second cross-country trip that demonstrated the obvious majesty of this country left me feeling like there’s still so much more to see.

And remind me that wherever we lay our heads, we’re never too far from where we began.

Home is just state of mind.

This isn’t exactly the post I’d love to write. I’d prefer to skip straight to the tacos and photos and other nonsense that usually fills this site. But in order to do so, I need to get this one out. I need to let these fingers awkwardly hit the keyboard and write what’s been happening. It’s the only thing I can do. And so, here’s a lengthy, procrastinated-upon post, hastily supplemented with pics stolen from family scrapbooks and Instagram photos from last summer.

Hello from the road.
Today, we're on our way to Omaha.
Yeah. I know. Not the most glamorous road trip destination, but not the worst by any stretch of the imagination. We are leaving Chicago well rested and full of love, after quite the "hello/goodbye" type-party at Matt's mom's yesterday.

So, needless to say, I probably won't have recipes for a while. And though this may not mean much to many of you, I figured it'd be nice to share some of our final moments in the city that has been Home, to me, for the past ten years. Between the freezing temperatures, the packing of all our worldly possessions, and the well-attended farewell party we had last weekend-- it was the absolute definition of bittersweet to say goodbye to our friends, our apartment, my parents' house, our favorite stomping grounds... everything.

I don't know what this adventure will bring. I don't know what California will hold.
All I know is I will miss these moments, these faces, these places, that lobster roll (obv), and everything else my fair city has offered me over the past decade.

Oh, Boston. I love you so. But I've got to go.

I'm currently sitting in a living room in Chicago, watching more snow relentlessly drop from a gray sky. We are halfway along on our cross-country voyage to Los Angeles, and I have a lot of photos and recipes I need to sort through from our final days in Boston. Our last few weeks out there passed in quite the blur-- after a decade in the city, it took all I had to sort it out, pack it up, and move on out. It still hasn't really hit me that we don't live in Massachusetts anymore. There's so many people and things I am going to miss.

Toward the top of my Boston miss list is, of course, Mei Mei.
I've been on team Li kids since the beginning -- watching them turn their food truck dreams into reality like the smart, scrappy business owners they are. This past November, the siblings did it again and opened their brick-and-mortar restaurant in Audobon Circle.

At this time next week, I'll be finishing packing up my stuff to load onto a few "relocubes" the next morning, which will meet us out in LA. The fact that we are leaving so soon is just starting to hit me-- it's going to be pretty crazy adventure. But for this week, we're still in a pretty normal routine around here-- comprised of viral videos and TV as much as always.

2008 sounds like a long time ago.

I suppose it wasn't, in the grand scheme of things. But to me, right now-- it feels like worlds away.

I was still pretty fresh out of college, reeling from a breakup with a dude whom I'd thought, at least for a few moments, could have been "the one."

(Spoiler alert: I was way wrong.)

I had just landed a "real" job, working for a mobile startup, that I thought could be the dream gig. (Spoilers again. I was so right.)

And then I found myself in an apartment in Medford, California scheming with one of my roommates and best friends.

We'd head out west for a week.

Or ten days, actually, because when you're twenty three, somewhat reckless, and armed with paid vacation time-- why the fuck not?

So we did. We hopped a 5AM flight from Logan to LAX-- our cab driver on the way to the airport gawking at the length of our trip.
"You gonna come back and the birds a be chirpin," he remarked.
We laughed. And hoped it was true.
Seven hours and one Atlanta layover later, we found ourselves in paradise, crashing with two of our buddies from Chicago, who'd lived in Boston for a bit before this stint in Los Angeles.

And then it happened. Around 4AM Pacific standard time, the day after we arrived, with gin on my breath and my heart in my chest, I leaned in and planted a kiss on Matty.

We'd always been friends.

I'd always had a crush.

But I never thought it would happen like this.

It was right before the holidays when I last shared some bits of what's making me happy. Figured it was time! I'm also going to shake this up a bit and add a bit of a personal touch-- in addition to whatever articles/shows/products/noms I enjoyed on the web or out and about, I'd also like to share some photos of what else made me smile. This is an easy week to do so-- my BFF just had a baby. Without further ado--

This was an epic year.
One that saw me compose seventy blog posts (70!) about everything from food, to travel, to love. (The dogs wrote a few, too, I suppose. So let's give credit where it's due.)

I started the year off by promising to blog better-- aiming to share more moments, better photos, good recipes. I think, as I close this year out-- I am finally getting there. With a massive rebrand  of this here space in progress, and better food posts than I've ever had-- I think it's safe to say I am holding up my end of the "blog better" bargain.

I hereby promise, so it's in writing, to do even more this coming year. But for now--

Here's ten moments that will forever leave me nostalgic for 2013.


February
Day after winter storm Nemo pounded Boston with over two feet of snow. We ventured out to see how our neighborhood had weathered the storm. The local dive let everyone know their status via snow message.



March
Ozzie turned two, and not that I am one to make a big deal out of my dog's birthday, but I'd be remiss to recap this year without a nod to my first-born-puppy-child. Words cannot describe the love and happiness this little white guy has brought us. He's also an excellent blogger.



April
We went to Chicago for Matt's 30th birthday. His twin brother's wife threw them a hell of a party at a dive bar. Matt and I danced like fools and drank like drunks. It was the weekend before Marathon Monday...and it puts a pang in my heart thinking about that trip. 



May
Found myself on a business trip to Los Angeles, and suddenly weighing the pros and cons of residing there permanently. I was reminded just how much I love California. More importantly--I started to picture myself living there. And I liked it.

I hope everyone had a really lovely Christmas yesterday. I know I did.
This year, and this holiday season in particular, is kind of bittersweet.
You see, while I've alluded to it quite a bit on here-- I have yet to officially state that this is my last year in Massachusetts.
At some point, early next year, Matty and I are moving to California.
And while it positively kills me to leave my family and dearest friends, I know I have to do it. I know I want to do it. I've been within this all-too-comfortable Boston box for so long, it almost slipped my mind that I could go somewhere else.
But the opportunity has presented itself, and I know it's a decision that would haunt me later on, had I let it float on by. So, there's a lot of planning to be done. But in the meantime--it's Christmas. And it's nice to be present.
This year was pretty tough on my family. I lost an uncle, and a grandmother, in a few short months, and I didn't really address it.

But a week before Christmas, like a little holiday miracle, my cousin gave birth to a baby. A beautiful baby that arrived so perfectly and looked so content that you had to just know my uncle had a part in this whole thing. He would have been so happy to hold his first grandchild. We all took turns for him on Christmas Eve.

This is, like, my favorite weekend of the year. Always. I've been in my kitchen and surrounded by friends all weekend, and I'm so excited for Christmas this week. Hoping you're warm and snuggly and feeling the holiday love, wherever you are!

Here's a few things that made me smile this week!




1. Chocolate covered, candied orange peels featured on Cupcakes and Cashmere. Emily is one of my favorite "big time" bloggers, and this photo lured me in. I spent this past weekend making so many batches of these (even after burning my hand pretty bad during the first go-around. Lucky me) and they are every bit as delightful as they look. My twenty-year-old self, who always ordered a Mocha Valencia at Starbucks when that was a thing, fell in love. My chef friend recommended blanching the peels twice, using fresh, cold water each time. For every person who exclaimed "you can eat orange peels?!" there was an equally amusing "mmmmmm!? These are so good!" immediately following. Make these. Stuff stockings. Make friends. The end. NEXT!

2. I've already shared around here that I still love the occasional SNL episode. Last night's with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake was just the holiday silliness I was hoping for. My favorite skits were the hilarious musical short "Do it on My Twin Bed" and Celebrity Family Feud, which found Justin Timberlake trying on his best Jimmy Fallon impression. And Jimmy absolutely losing it barely off camera. So good.

3. I was stocking up on holiday booze and was asked if I'd like to sample Ron Burgundy scotch!
I said yes! I don't even like scotch! I'm just excited about Anchorman! It was decent and made my ears warm! Some liquor stores have cardboard cutouts of Ron Burgundy for this promotion! I'm having trouble controlling the tone of my sentences! NEXT!

4. I cannot carry a tune in a fucking baby bjorn, but I love me some synchronized singing. I had missed the Sing Off in the past year, but was so glad to see NBC bring it back just before the holidays. Jewel makes a great addition as a judge, but mostly I was just missing sir Ben Folds from my TV. Watch this and stop hating fun already!

Hello!
Of course, this time of year, this list is composed of a lot of holiday fare. Here's what's making me happy this week!



1. G-Thing, one of Magic Hat's holiday brews, is a gingerbread ale (!!!) that may or may not be available outside of their holiday sampler pack. Either way, there are worse reasons to pick up a twelve pack of winter brews, but I'd hoard all these guys for yourself.
2. Amy Pohler and Billy Eichner took to the streets of New York to absolutely harass pedestrians into singing Christmas carols with them. It is epic. Watch for the moment they encounter a baby with a hipster name.
3. The annual Hater's Guide to the William's Sonoma Catalog via Deadspin is almost as great as last year's (but not quite) -- and makes me hate myself for wanting some WS goods.
4. Also via Deadspin (can you tell we're a little big on Gawker Media around here?), this dad shared his daughter's hilarious and extensive Christmas list, with his own annotations, and it's glorious. I, too, would like a thousand bucks this holiday, little girl. I feel you.

I'll be back next week with more holiday happy as we get down to the Christmas wire. Perhaps I'll have even done some shopping by then!

I have really come to love the NPR app on my iPhone. My weekend usually consists of a lot of kitchen time, and I don't think I would nearly enjoy it as much without a playlist of NPR programs and my trusty Jambox (both featured below, naturally). One of my most-played programs, after Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! of course, is Pop Culture Happy Hour -- a weekly podcast that dives into various topics round-table style. I love Linda Holmes, the host, and the cameos from a myriad of other NPR personalities. What I love the most, however, is that they close this show with each host declaring what has made them happy that week. It's a small moment, one that reminds me that there are endless sources of joy out there. So, as I update my blog and prioritize the type of content I'll be sharing here, I decided what is better than my own weekly happiness.

I'm somewhat of an internet addict, so there will be plenty of links here-- maybe viral videos or articles I loved-- but also some other sources of happiness. I can't wait to share the recipes we try, the wine I just finished, the shirt I keep wearing or the show I can't stop watching. I'll try to come up with three or four things a week; but this being the first post of this nature, I have quite a few, off the top of my head, that I must share. I hope this inspires you to take stock of the moments each week where you find yourself smiling. I can't wait to hear what's making you happy, as well.

Apparently, I've brought up my friend Court a few times around here.

I guess after ten-plus years of friendship, it's pretty difficult to maintain a quasi-online-diary without mentioning her a couple hundred times. And since I feel like this is always a good place to store some photos and memories of mine, maybe even more so than whatever food I just shoved down my gullet, here are a few of my favorite shots from my best friend's recent baby shower.

One of my hidden talents seems to be finding rental properties in the greater Boston area.

Back in August, our friend Justin texted Matty in need of musical entertainment for the bar he is tending these days.

Justin's my buddy from college--and has always been a bit of rambling man, if you will. In the winters, he spends every day doing what he loves--skiing, and teaching others to ski, on Loon Mountain. However, when the season ended and he remained in the state of New Hampshire, he knew he had to find something to do for the warmer months.

So, for whatever reason-- I'm a Massachusetts snob, who knows-- when I heard "bar in New Hampshire" I pictured spending my Saturday pounding Coors Light in a dimly lit dive while Matt played guitar. And that didn't sound horrible, of course. But it didn't sound great, either. Couple that with the absolutely staggering hangover I awoke with Saturday morning after a Red Sox game on an empty stomach the night before-- and I wasn't exactly raring to go to this gig.

So, I know we're going about two hours away, but I don't know it's Laconia when we are getting ready-- so I throw a toothbrush and some other shit in a bag, try not to puke, and I get in the passenger side of my car, all but bawling with how I am feeling. Matt asks if I want to just stay home a few times, but I know I would be livid with myself if I did-- it's his first out-of-state gig and I haven't seen Justin in months. So I tough it out, slap an address in my GPS, put my feet on the dashboard and sip ginger ale the whole way up 93 North.

When we're about fifteen minutes out, my best bud Courtney texts me and mentions she is super jealous we are going to see "Justin and Corey!"
"Corey is here, too?" I reply, unaware that our other buddy from Boston has decided to flee north and bartend alongside Justin.
"Yep!" Courtney replies, and then, "hope you remembered sun screen."
At this point, I call her, because I have no idea what she means.
"Did you bring a bathing suit?" she asks immediately.
"What?" I reply. My fucking head hurts.
"Did Justin tell you anything about where you are going?" she asks.
"Clearly, no." I say, still trying not to puke.
"You're going to a fucking yacht club," she says, laughing. "So."
"Ohhhh," I reply. "Welp. Better shake off this hangover."
So we make it to our destination, Akwa, I see the absolutely beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee is right before us, and my jaw drops.
And then I puke next to my car.
But then it gets so much better.

For one week, each and every summer, Matt's somewhat extended family gathers on Lake Michigan, a few hours north but a world away from their usual lives in Chicago.

I have been fortunately able to attend these vacations for the past five summers. It is always an amazing time -- some years are more monumental than others, but I always return happy and refreshed, with an overwhelming sense of love. And a need to eat a salad and stay away from Bud Light for a while.

I have poured over thousands of pictures I took during that week in July, and have put together some carefully edited photos that capture just what an amazing time it was.

I couldn't be more thankful for this extended family I am marrying into, and the traditions they hold so dear. Here's a peak at the best week of the year.