One of the reasons I started blogging was because for a very long time I felt alone; like I didn’t fit in anywhere; like I was a bit of an odd ball. Writing, taking photos, and sharing became a way for me to fully express, (and embrace), all the different sides of me that I was struggling to reconcile on a daily basis with the intention of simply connecting with other people that might have similar interests.
As I’ve started doing this more, over the past few months, I’ve struggled with what I can only think is some form of imposter syndrome or a simple case of insecurity. I’d find myself feeling “random” for sharing anything other than what I was eating for lunch or the trip that I was on. Like what I had to say was irrelevant or insignificant. Or that I had no basis for what I had to say and was just another, to be blunt, skinny white girl taking photos of herself.
Logically, I could tell myself otherwise, but emotionally, it picked at me. What I realized was that despite the fact that I so deeply wanted to connect with others, I felt like no one knew much about me and as a result, what I had to share felt surface level. What I thought was a fear of judgment, was actually me wanting to share more of my story.
In light of this realization (and in honor of another wild trip around the sun), I thought I would share a few things that you might not know about me…
32 Things About Me
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and lived on the East Coast up until 2013.
I played field hockey all through high school and in college at Hobart and William Smith. Go Green!
I majored in architecture and double minored in fine arts and economics in college. When I was a junior, I studied architecture abroad in Copenhagen and fell in love with Scandinavian design.
I am a certified raw food chef and instructor. Right after college I started getting really into raw food – creating it, eating it, the nutrition behind it, and thought I wanted to be a chef of some sort. I used my savings and went to a school in Fort Bragg, CA.
My first job out of college was as a design assistant for a dress line in NYC. I was lucky to have an internship coming right out of college which eventually turned into a full time job. I absolutely loved being on the design side of fashion.
Everyone jokes that I’m a lizard because I love the sun and warm weather {warm, not humid} that much.
Despite what some people may think, I’m a very sensitive person. I feel deeply, regardless of how close I am to the person or situation.
On that same note, I’m a very empathetic and intuitive person. I’ve been told I have an old soul.
I met my husband on Tinder. I found a diamond in the rough. We got married in 2018 in Portland, OR.
I struggled with an eating disorder and orthorexia for almost 10 years. This is definitely not something that many people know about me or have at least heard me say, but is a big part of who I am. It had a tremendous impact on me both physically and emotionally and I plan on sharing more about this in the coming months.
I love to sing {and dance}. When I was in high school I was in an acapella group and sang and danced in all of the high school musicals. Oddly enough I’ve never done karaoke and would probably need a good 3 glasses of wine to do it.
My favorite restaurant in Portland is Tusk – we’re going there tomorrow for dinner!
I love traveling, which is ironic because when I was a kid I was the biggest homebody! It wasn’t until after I studied abroad that I fell in love with exploring different cultures and ways of living.
I moved to the West Coast in 2013 and have lived in Portland since 2015.
I love alternative medicine and am fascinated by the human body, epigenetics, and the brain.
So much so that I almost became a Naturopathic Doctor. I deferred two years after getting into med school twice. I knew I loved naturopathic medicine and helping people, but I also loved fashion and design. I wasn’t ready to accumulate 6-figures of debt for something that I was 80% sure would be my life long career.
I’ve spent the last 5 years of my career working in merchandising and e-commerce. After I realized that I didn’t want to be a doctor, I decided to explore the other side of fashion and retail that I had always been interested which was buying. I got a job as an assistant buyer at Zulily in Seattle and eventually moved down to Portland to work for adidas.
I love fruits and vegetables. I wasn’t always this way though. When I was younger I told my Mom that I only ate pizza, pasta, and hot dogs and loved candy.
I own a sustainable performance underwear brand for women. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit.
I love health and wellness {and all the “woo woo” stuff everyone is watching on GoopLab on Netflix). Many of the tools in the health and wellness world have helped deepen my relationship with myself, identify and overcome a lot of self-limiting beliefs and improve my overall well-being (mind, body, and soul).
I’m a projector. (If you’re into, follow, or know anything about Human Design, then that will make sense to you. If not, check out Jenna Zoe.)
I’ve pretty much been active and played sports since I could walk. I did gymnastics for 13 years starting from the age of 2 and did just about every activity under the sun when I was in middle school {horse back riding, swimming, dance, ice skating for a hot second}. I played field hockey, soccer and lacrosse all through middle and high school.
I have always loved fashion. When I was a little girl, I would dress up in my Mom’s fancy silk dresses and dance around the house. I think I get my love of fashion from my paternal grandmother. She had a closet to die for and a pair of sunglasses for every day of the week.
I’m a firm believer in the power of a tailored blazer, a good pair of jeans, and investing in comfortable shoes.
I don’t eat dairy and I’m not lactose intolerance. I stopped eating dairy because I never felt good after eating it. I also struggled with hormonal acne and when I cut it out {along with a few other things} it cleared right up.
I don’t really eat gluten either for the same reason unless it’s really good quality or I’m in Europe. There’s nothing quite like a good piece well-aged sourdough.
When it comes to food (and fashion, actually most things in life), quality is one of my top priorities. I’m a firm believer in investing in the things you love and buying quality over quantity.
Sometimes I take life way too seriously and often times have to remind myself that life was meant to be lived, not checked off.
I’m a hopeless romantic.
I’m a big kid at heart. I love a good cartoon movie.
I can be really guarded sometimes for fear of how I’ll be percieved. Less so now, as I’ve been working on that a lot over the past year, but still something I struggle with.
That being said, I’m pretty much an open book and always willing to share when people ask.
I have the worst sweet tooth, but luckily tremendous willpower as well. I will always pick the chocolate dessert. Unless there’s vegan ice cream. Then it’s a toss up.
xx
-S
I do love meeting and getting to know people – tell me something about yourself below!
