Revere Beach, MA, USA
I’ve gone this whole month without a single blog post. I don’t like to do that, but it’s been another busy month, and I firmly believe in prioritizing my present tense as much as possible. It’s one of those months where I ended up traveling halfway around the world– but, lucky me, it started and ended in Istanbul.
Wakefield, MA, USA
Best Of The Month
I went on a whirlwind trip to the US for two reasons– to be a bridesmaid in my best friend’s wedding in Ipswich, MA and to see Hamilton with my family in San Francisco. The whole trip was only 14 days, which really isn’t enough for both coasts when traveling from Istanbul, but I packed it in and it was a joy to see so many lovely people. My friend Julius even came to Boston from New York, which was a special treat.Two particular highlights: swimming and drinking wine in my best friend’s parents’ pool a few days before the wedding, and giggling with my sister in my parents’ hammock while we goofed around with Instagram filters. Simple summer joys, full of laughter.
And earlier, in Istanbul, my darling friend Natalie was back in town and we slipped back into our neighbor routine like she’d never left.
Spy Pond, Arlington, MA, USA
Worst Of The Month
Three or four time zones in one month is a bit much. I felt constantly unmoored from the actual clock.
Also, one of my dearest Istanbul friends left the city for a new adventure in Milan. That one doesn’t quite feel real yet.
Istanbul, Turkey
What I’m Loving
Reads: I read a very short Albert Camus book that I enjoyed on one of my many flights, The Adulterous Woman. I also dug into a New Yorker magazine on a different flight and was fascinated by this article about a woman who prosecutes terror cases.
Music: My sister stared making me a playlist when we were in California, and of the many gems on it, my current ear worm is Green Light by Lorde. A runner-up shout out to the song Don’t Take My Soul by Jane Weaver, which was stuck in my head all through the beginning of the month.
Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Movies/TV: In TV land, I’m still swimming in the surreal nightmares of Twin Peaks. Hillary and I watched the episodes 7 and 8 together, in all their glorious mindfuckery.
Also, I saw a brilliant movie about 15 years after its cultural moment: Minority Report. What a great film! Except for an ending that sort of fumbles the ball, it’s brilliant, with a Phillip K. Dick story line and brilliant cinematography. I only watched it because I was bored on an airplane, but I’m so glad I did.
Podcasts: The one podcast episode that’s been rattling around in my head all month is this one from 99% Invisible about the modern design of urban baseball stadiums. There’s no standard outfield size in baseball, so urban stadiums can conform to the quirks of their surroundings. Fenway Park is a perfect historic example of this, and Camden Yards in Baltimore launched the revival of this sort of park. Really fascinating stuff. It made me appreciate Fenway all over again when I caught a Red Sox game during my brief Boston visit.
Downtown Crossing, Boston, MA, USA
The Film Files
My camera broke… again! As usual, it blitzed out at the beginning of a two-week trip. Boo.
Melrose, MA, USA
Ephemera
I am attempting to grow more spider plants from cuttings, which means for the first time in my life I bought soil. My thumb is turning green, apparently.
Also, I’ve been doing these monthly round-ups for exactly two years! Sometimes (like this month) it is the main thing that keeps me consistently blogging, and it’s such a lovely time capsule of past months. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy sharing them.
Istanbul, Turkey
Upcoming
A few months ago, my friend Will (who lived in Istanbul, but now lives in Australia) asked if I wanted to have an adventure. I can never say no. So in a few weeks, he and I are off on an open-ended trip to Albania!
No Comments