Summer 2023 Recap: Travels, Puppy, & More

Hello, hello my lovely community! I hope you had the most amazing summer filled with plenty of rest, relaxation, and sunshine. As always, it flew by way too fast, and I’m holding onto to these final days and remaining tan lines I have going on, haha!

Back in June I mentioned I was going on a summer break from blogging, and everything I was looking forward to. Today I’m back to recap the last couple months. I kicked off summer by completely chopping off my hair—I think about 5 inches total!—and it’s been so freeing. I love long hair, but definitely needed a switch up. Since then I got to travel, got a new puppy, and spent quality time with my loved ones.

Crete

This was my second time back in Chania, Crete, last year being the first. Crete is the largest Greek island, surrounded by warm mediterranean waters, the freshest seafood, and friendliest people! I’m a total beach girl so it was nice to unplug and dive into some books, lay under the sun, and indulge in all the island has to offer. My favorite activity was touring an olive tree grove and seeing first hand how olive oil is harvested. I am the biggest olive lover to exist, and experiencing that together with my mom was really special.

Milan

Ohhh Milan! I’m convinced this is the only other city outside of New York I would want to live in! The city truly exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I loved wandering through the cobblestone streets and seeing ancient runes standing tall next to modern architecture. And the shopping is beyond anything I’ve experienced in my life. I don’t think I have ever seen so many stores before — way more than New York! We also took a two day trip to visit Lake Como, which was stunningly picturesque, but as first timers we should have done a little more research on transportation around the lake. I would like to visit back during off season, someday, and reserve a boat ride in advance.

Antibes

The last time I was in the South of France was pre-covid, in 2019. I grew up visiting there in the summers, and am familiar with all the beach side towns and jumping on the train to get around. This year we hopped around Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Cannes, and Nice. I spent my days lounging by the water, eating fresh seafood, and checking out all the local flea markets. It’s also nice to see how much has remained the same over the years, and we were able to hit up some of our favorite restaurants and cafés from over the years.

Lady Joon

Meet my new puppy, Lady Joon! Joon is a term of endearment in farsi meaning “dear” or “beloved.” She has been the biggest joy and blessing. I truly didn’t understand what unconditional love meant with a dog, but here we are. She’s about six months old now and loves to roll around in the grass, chew on everything, and cuddle.

As I gear up for the new season, I’m focusing on a reset and getting back into my healthy habits. I’m excited to share more on here, but have decided instead of posting every Wednesday, to cut back and post every other Wednesday moving forward. My schedule is just sadly too hectic and I need to prioritize where I can. Hopefully you still find value and inspiration here when needed!

XoXo,