I Took A Break from Substack
Less really ended up being more
Hi there,
It’s been a minute. Three weeks, to be exact. I didn’t plan on taking a (much needed) break from work, but apparently my system needed one. As you’ve most likely seen on social media, summer is in full swing. Montana with the girls, Wimbledon, Copenhagen. It’s all on the grid. What you haven’t gotten is a single word from me here, and I’ve been trying to figure out why.
I talk a lot about how “less is more,” and I apply that rule of thumb to my closet and my outfits every day. But what about posting online?
Over the past three weeks I did quite a bit of travel, and while I was taking photos and documenting most of it on social media, which is basically second nature for me, writing about it here just felt forced. By posting less here, I got to actually live so much more of my life offline. Less is more, even online. It was such a nice break and such a strong reset, and I came back with a lot of little takeaway moments I can't wait to share more of soon.
So, let’s get caught up to speed, shall we? Three weeks, three countries, one suitcase that's seen things.
*** For my PAID SUBSCRIBERS: I have gifted you all one month free as a thank you for being patient during my absence. I truly appreciate and value each and every one of you. I’ll go back to regularly scheduled programming starting this Sunday with a fresh new paid post that’s just for you <3
You can find all of my outfits worn below by visiting my ShopMy page here and my LTK page here. If you can’t find something, please drop me a comment.
Texas
We lost our beloved Meme and CR last summer, and I made a vow to return every summer to the place they loved most, the place I love most too. Concan, Texas is where I learned to swim, and I've spent every single summer there for 43 years. My kids love it exactly as much as I do. We spend our days rafting the river, catching up with family over beers, country dancing under the stars at night, and staying up until the sun comes up. It's never enough time in Texas, and there couldn't have been a better trip to kick off the summer.
Montana
Mercury began its retrograde right on time, because June and I missed our morning flight, the only nonstop to Montana. We ended up routing through Salt Lake City and didn't land in Big Sky until close to 1am. Long day, but so worth the hassle. I went with my two college best friends who are like sisters to me, and Shannon brought her two daughters, who June now considers her besties too. We take a trip together every year, just us girls. Paws Up Montana was the most beautiful place, and it reset me in a way I didn't even realize I needed. I felt like a kid again as we rode ATVs in the rain, mud slapping our faces. Every bit of it imprinted as a core memory.
London
London. Harry Styles. Wimbledon. Two nights and a total whirlwind, with bucket list things getting checked off left and right. We ran into old friends, made new ones, and it just felt so good to be back in one of my favorite cities in the world. Wimbledon especially had been on my list for over ten years, and when I finally got there I had a moment where I just sat in awe of all of it. The tradition, the hush, the whole thing. Some things are worth the ten year wait. All I can say is: WOW.
Copenhagen
Where to begin? Oh ya, remember that whole mercury in retrograde thing? On the final day of the trip, my phone jumped off the dock and straight into the ocean. It was funny, until it wasn’t, and then it was funny again. Outside of my phone and most of the photos from the trip being lost… the pastries have ruined me for all other pastries, everyone was effortlessly chic in a way that's frankly a little rude, and the water, the light, and the bikes had me under a spell the entire time. You can add me to the long list of Americans who are officially obsessed with Copenhagen. See my list of recommendations here.
Off the Grid
Outside of my travels, there have been so many amazing in between moments that I've been soaking in. Beach days with friends, early morning snuggles with my Hugh boy, sunset drinks in Malibu and warm swims at home with the kids. Last year we sat down and made a laundry list of things we wanted to accomplish by the end of the summer, a "bucket list" of items including surfing, dog parks, beach days, and cooking classes. In the end, a lot of it went unchecked and I felt a bit guilty about it. So this year I decided that rather than trying to do all the things, we'd do one thing and do it well, and get more presence out of the experience for it. June and I have exactly one thing on our summer bucket list, and it's horseback riding lessons. As many as we can fit in this summer, the happier we are.
What’s Next?
This might sound crazy, because it is, but next week I'll be jetting off to the South of France with the entire family for one final summer getaway. I can't really explain how all of these trips serendipitously landed within the same two month span with my schedule, at least not without a long, boring explanation, but it just all happened that way. So I'm rolling with it, with a big fat smile on my face and so much gratitude in my heart. My heart hasn't felt this happy in I don't know how long.
I’ll be writing to you very soon! Until then, I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.
Congratulations on really soaking up the sun, the rain, the moments and the loved ones in your life!
Enjoy the family time and travel!!