Author: Kelsey

Life enthusiast, hummus addict, & California native. I blog about topics that run the gamut from spiritual perspective to salad. Because you’ve got to learn how to have faith, and you’ve also got to learn how to cook a decent meal. And you can screw up both those things, and still try again.
faith, soul, Uncategorized

Overcoming fear, and other things that can feel impossible

by KelseyLeave a Comment on Overcoming fear, and other things that can feel impossible

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These past couple of weeks have been difficult. Two weeks ago, I had a plan. I had finally reached a “life stage” I had been anticipating for about a decade. Now, I’m back to where I started – no plan and no idea of what the future holds [if it’s not clear already, I went through a breakup].

What I found in the midst of feeling like “the bottom fell through” on my hopes and dreams were things I didn’t expect: security, faith, some courage.

Continue reading “Overcoming fear, and other things that can feel impossible” →

soul, Uncategorized

5 things I am [unexpectedly] grateful for today

by KelseyLeave a Comment on 5 things I am [unexpectedly] grateful for today

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1 . Hard things. I am still trying to claim this piece fully, but I am grateful for the hard things. When I want to see my deepest desires and goals fulfilled and delivered to me now, Amazon prime, two-day shipping-style, God is preparing me to receive those things with grace and patience. Meaning: He allows me to go through a sometimes-challenging and character-building process before I receive what I want. Thank you, God.

Continue reading “5 things I am [unexpectedly] grateful for today” →

mind, soul, Uncategorized

God in the details

by KelseyLeave a Comment on God in the details

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I just spent two weeks in Paris. I saw – on a near-daily basis – things of extraordinary beauty: the surprising sight of the Eiffel Tower, backlit in pink and orange at sundown or bristling in sparkle late at night; humans memorialized in stone and gold and marble, expressionless and majestic at the center of squares and parks; miles of grey and cream apartment buildings from another century, with delicate molding and tiny wrought-iron balconies.

Continue reading “God in the details” →

faith, faraway places, fly, Uncategorized

Cultivating creativity + community in Paris

by Kelsey2 Comments on Cultivating creativity + community in Paris
Cultivating creativity + community in Paris
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My travel companions, Jasmine and Amanda, sharing the love along the Seine.

I recently returned from a trip to Paris, during which my priorities were shaken up, stirred, and reordered. Still stuffed with French butter, baguette, and chocolat noir, I spent my plane ride home drifting in and out of sleep and melting memories of those things that make Paris Paris: the gray and cream cityscape at dusk, the steep ascent to the hill at Montmartre, the assurance of perfect croissants on every block. I’ve been to the city many times, but this particular trip moved me in such a way that I’ll be processing, remembering, and living in it for weeks and months to come. Continue reading “Cultivating creativity + community in Paris” →

mind, Uncategorized

How to fail forward

by KelseyLeave a Comment on How to fail forward
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learning to surf means you’ll have to embrace falling as part of the process.

Here’s to being vulnerable: for most of my life I’ve struggled with perfectionism. I’ve felt I had to make the right choice in every single situation, however seemingly inconsequential. Did I study the right subject in school? Did I say the right thing in that conversation? Am I wearing the right outfit? Did I eat the right thing for lunch? I used to obsess over decision I had made, agonizing over whether I had made the “wrong” one and whether that would taint a (ridiculous) aspiration to live perfectly. Continue reading “How to fail forward” →

body, Uncategorized

Grain-free breakfast bowl with raspberry compote + almond butter

by Kelsey1 Comment on Grain-free breakfast bowl with raspberry compote + almond butter

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In the spring of 2010, I studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, during which I gained a healthy 8 pounds on my 5 ft 2 inch frame. You guess the culprit: a) tender, beautifully buttery croissants, b) tarte flambée (basically, French pizza) c) copious amounts of chocolate, or d) jam.

The answer is: d) jam. Continue reading “Grain-free breakfast bowl with raspberry compote + almond butter” →

mind, Uncategorized

Why you should schedule rest

by KelseyLeave a Comment on Why you should schedule rest

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One of my favorite French phrases borrowed from the English language is le week-end. In French, “week” is semaine and “end” is dernier. I guess the French allowed week-end to slip through the typically impenetrable fortress of the French language to make it just a little easier to reference those glorious two days at the end of every work week.

In theory,  we rest and recuperate on Saturday and Sunday. Le probleme is that the French- and many other cultures- do le week-end so much better than most Americans do. When we do have “time off”- which is often rare- we have the tendency to fill those extra hours with more scheduled time. Grocery store runs, hours at the gym, and quick coffee dates with friends end up dominating days off, or hours after work. Continue reading “Why you should schedule rest” →

faraway places, fly, Uncategorized

Not so faraway places: Palos Verdes, CA

by Kelsey1 Comment on Not so faraway places: Palos Verdes, CA

 

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Terranea Resort.

Just over a year ago, I moved back to my hometown of Palos Verdes, CA, after almost ten years of a journey that I never expected to end where it started.

Returning to California, I’ve found that I haven’t rediscovered my home so much as discovered it for the first time. As a child, I could not see the gorgeous purple bloom of bougainvillea, the drama of high yellow cliffs over the surf, or the wide, blazing sunsets. I did not marvel at the rolling hills and rocky outcrops of my hometown, or explore coves and winding trails. I wanted to go to the pool, the mall, the movies. But now, I look at where I was born and raised as a frontier in and of itself: a destination just as much as any of the cities or countries I have lived in before. Continue reading “Not so faraway places: Palos Verdes, CA” →

body, Uncategorized

Mediterranean bowl with olive-oil fried chicken + quinoa tabbouleh

by KelseyLeave a Comment on Mediterranean bowl with olive-oil fried chicken + quinoa tabbouleh

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Here’s my approach to weekly lunch prep, which always includes a type of salad or “bowl”:

1) Choose a flavor profile (Mexican? Mediterranean? Thai?).

2) Stock up or assess where I’m at with ingredients (if it’s Mexican, I’m gonna need black beans and jalapenos, for example).

3) Cook or prep necessary components to throw together a salad/bowl every morning before work.

More often than not, I choose Mediterranean. Continue reading “Mediterranean bowl with olive-oil fried chicken + quinoa tabbouleh” →