The Wanderluster

It’s a gorgeous day Down Undah and made even more gorgeous by this new series I deem “My Favorite Things”. It’s a free-for-all over here, where I name some of the books, words, places, clothes (am I a fashion blogger now? God save us.), anything my little heart desires in hopes that something will pique your interest. And if some of these are also YOUR favorite things, let a girl know! So, without further ado, here we go!

FAVORITE BOOK

I’m currently reading Oscar Wilde for the first time and chose The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde’s infamous novel that caused a mass moral panic in Britain in the late 19th century is filled to the brim with insight, humor, and philosophy. The storyline is not what makes this a masterpiece; it is Wilde’s artistry and his ability to weave words around themselves in a way that is utterly unique and poetic. His remarkable wit is immediately apparent and I find myself attempting to memorize his one-liners. I’m already planning on reading it again in the future, as I think this is one of those novels in which the reader discovers something new no matter how many times he or she reads it.

FAVORITE NETFLIX SPECIAL

Brené Brown’s The Call to Courage
Watch this special. Watch this special. Watch this special. I don’t know Brené Brown, but this woman has been a life-changing presence for me. Her new special is the sum of her life’s work boiled down to an hour and a half. Vulnerability, fear, failure, discomfort, courage, she covers it all and is absolutely hilarious while doing so. I will be taking notes on it come the weekend.

FAVORITE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

Paleomg is my girl and I would want to be her if I weren’t me because I think we all need to stop wishing we were other people and just work on ourselves. But she’s fun, stylish, has the best recipes, doesn’t take herself too seriously, and oh the list goes on!

FAVORITE SONG

Lizzo – Truth Hurts
“Why men great ’til they gotta be great?” Whew, you said it, Lizzo! This lady has really hit the scene, hasn’t she? The first time I heard of her was just last week when I watched Someone Great on Netflix (I’m still job hunting so holy moly have I been hitting the Netflix hard) and I immediately needed to know who sang it. But I didn’t want to distract myself from the movie (been focusing on not getting side-tracked by technology these days), so I waited. But I did it eventually. Anyway, long story short, this is a bop. I’m sure my mother will listen to it, so sorry for the expletives if you are like my mother or are actually my mother. I wish I thought of some of these lines though (i.e. “I put the sing in the single.” HOW have I not thought of that?!)

FAVORITE WORKOUT

I recently discovered Orangetheory and although it’s a bit pricey, especially here in Australia, it’s a great workout only made better by the community aspect of it. Personally I find it hard to workout hard on my own (and studies show that you don’t work out as hard when you’re alone), so having a class to attend is the way to go. It’s a full body workout that is scientifically proven to have you burning calories for 24-36 hours post-workout. I don’t even care about that though, it’s just a great way to keep moving with brand new workouts everyday!

FAVORITE BLOG POST

“It’s Not Enough to Be Right—You Also Have to Be Kind”
Ryan Holiday is one of my favorite writers and his portfolio is filled with gems like this one. Whenever I need to recenter myself—and I have to recenter myself a lot—he is one of the sources I turn to. Don’t stop at this article; there’s so much more where this came from.

FAVORITE QUOTE

“The most grown up thing you can do is fail at the things you really care about.”
-Joan Cusack’s character in the film Unicorn Store. A quote I will constantly go back to whenever fear rears its ugly head (which is pretty much everyday, to be honest).

*I wish I could say I were affiliated with any of the above but I am not. These are purely my own opinions.