April: THE BIG FIVE

a rainy month: saying goodbye to my Grandma, an irresistible book, my "recipe" for the perfect date night, a wholesome daydream, & more!

Hello from my kitchen table! Cherries are finally-sorta-kinda in season, so I’m munching on those and drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper. Did you know that if you get the mini cans, you can have a Diet Coke followed by a Diet Dr. Pepper and it’s less than 60 fl oz of caffeine? Love that for me.

Okay now it’s nighttime and I’m snacking on strawberries and HU dark chocolate (the salty kind!).

Let’s debrief April, shall we?

love you, grandma

On April 7th I flew to Wisconsin to attend the celebration of life of my Grandma Coli (Coletta). My family, cousins, aunts, and uncles gathered together to bury her next to her husband, my Grandpa Stash. I played the guitar as we alternated being shoveling dirt and sharing stories. Freezing hands, snotty noses, bits of laughter. I like to imagine our tears were watering the wildflower seeds scattered beneath us. Anjali and Safi (besties) drove from Chicago to attend the public service and they sat behind me as my mom read her beautiful eulogy for Grandma Coli, capturing her spirit perfectly. It was healing to gather with everyone and honor her life. Below are two photos from my rehearsal dinner last June, 2024, captured by Chaz Cruz. I love her hair clips and radiant smile.

the plot

One of the best feelings in the world is to find myself unable to put a book down. I’ve been known to walk around with my nose in a book, a la Belle in the opening scene of Beauty in the Beast. When turning pages overrides the addictive scroll, you know it’s good, and The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz absolutely delivered. This psychological thriller, recommended to me by my sister’s fiancé (thanks Samantha!), had me gasping and staring into space with my jaw on the floor. Here’s the summary: “Jake, a writer down on his luck, steals a plot to a novel that brings him fame, fortune, and success, but someone knows his secret and threatens exposure.” Dun dun DUNNN!!! It’s well written and pretty damn spooky. A tv adaptation staring Mahershala Ali is in active production!

half marathon

On April 12th I ran a half marathon with my dad in Burlington, VT. This was my second half marathon to complete but the first where I ran all 13.1 miles.

24 hours before race day, I woke up with an injured foot. “I don’t know if I can run tomorrow,” I whispered to Austin in the early morning. With the help of my mother-in-law, a talented physical therapist, I wrapped my foot in KT tape and bought strong compression socks, hoping it would be enough to get me through. And…it was!! Every step felt surprising, a tiny miracle of my determination and grit. It was an overcast day, with the threat of imminent rain. After mile 4 I remember thinking, “Why am I doing this again?” During miles 8, 9, and 10 I listened to “Strawberry Wine” by Noah Kahan on repeat. By mile 12, when my legs and feet were aching, I gave myself a massive high five. My mom cheered us on and we ate homemade minestrone soup when we got home. Running with my dad is one of my favorite things to do.

daydreaming

I visited Anik (sister) on April 26th to watch her tennis team play their last home match of the season. As I watched her coach the players with a coffee cup in hand, I entertained a daydream:

I’m not visiting. I’m a local and I go to every home match. My weekends revolve around college tennis—early mornings and purple fleece sweatshirts with the team logo on the front, grabbing pizza for the team, being known as “Coach Anik’s sister.”

I love coming up with creative cheers to make the players smile. “STUNNING. That was a STUNNING serve!!!” I yelled, with a tone of awe in my voice. The player grinned. I sat back and did the same.

pizza, pride & prejudice

I love a spontaneous date night. There’s something sexy about saying, “Hey…wanna go out tonight?” Or even better, sending a text that says “Meet me at [insert fun restaurant here] when you get off from work?”

One Friday evening, Austin received his rehearsal schedule for Saturday and it looked like he might be finished around 5pm. Omg. We decided that, if the stars aligned, we’d meet for dinner and a movie. By 4:30pm, Austin still didn’t know if he’d be able to join me for our date night, but I left the apartment anyhow, keeping my fingers and toes crossed. En route to our destination, I got the text: “I’m free.” YAY. We grabbed slices at Prince Street Pizza and enjoyed them on a bench while we watched a game of pick-up basketball. We then took the bus uptown to watch a special screening of Pride & Prejudice. Finally, we got scoops of Van Leeuwen and slowly meandered to the train, soaking up the springtime weather. Dinner, movie, dessert with a dash of spontaneity. No notes.

Thanks so much for reading.❤️ I hope you have a super sweet weekend! What do you have on deck?

I hope you do something just for you, like…

• give yourself a high-five in the mirror

• clean out your closet (I’m loving Michelle Obama’s new pod that she co-hosts with her older brother!)

• watch a funny movie

  • Game Night, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, My Old Ass (which is also a tear jerker), to give you a few ideas!

• practice Yoga with Adriene

• rest your eyes in the middle of the day

I hope you also do something for someone else, like…

• give a 20 second hug or a 6 second kiss

• share something you admire or like about them

• bring home a sweet treat

• pay for a stranger’s coffee

• go to a local bookstore and buy a book (or 3)

xo,
alexa