This month has been the most exhausting month I've had since I moved to New York––although I've loved every single bit of it! It started out with the last couple of weeks of school––which means finals, naturally, so I spent hours sitting down reading and trying to write somewhat coherent essays. I also had one of my childhood friends visit from Canada and my family arrived on the 15th. After that, the month was all shopping, Christmas, and lots of tourist-y activities.
And although I would say I'm finishing the year pretty tired, I always have enough energy to think about the new things to come, and plan ahead for stardom next year! But I should concentrate before on thanking for the beauty of this year and for all the amazing things that have happened to me... So that's why I'm planning on sharing my highlights of the year tomorrow, in case you want to pop by!
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As I mentioned above, this month was mostly about the shopping and spending time with my loved ones, so I must confess I wasn't very good at reading
– Life according to Coco Chanel
– Condé Nast Traveller shares the 10 "dangerous" places I would love to visit next year––starting with Cartagena, my hometown––because
What on earth are you afraid of? These destinations may have a tinge of danger about them, but take the word of our staff of intrepid travelers and beat the crowds to these formerly PR-challenged destinations. In years to come, you'll be glad you visited so ahead of the curve.– Some thoughts on the daily rituals of history's most creative minds
But there is a broader lesson here. The perfect workspace isn't what leads to brilliant work, just as no other "perfect" routine or ritual will turn you into an artistic genius. Flaubert didn't achieve what he did because of hot baths, but through immeasurable talent and extremely hard work. Which is unfortunate, because I'm really good at running baths.– Little rituals everywhere: the act of the sacred pause
If you listen to your heart’s longings, you’ll find that your life is littered with little rituals everywhere.
– Some interesting thoughts on the creativity creep
– I loved these arguments about why we should travel young––and I could actually share the whole article as a quote below, but I don't want to give it away because it really touched me! So what I can share is:
While you’re still young, get cultured. Get to know the world and the magnificent people that fill it. The world is a stunning place, full of outstanding works of art. See it.
– This article on why your realistic goals are holding you back was almost like a flashback to entrepreneurship classes in college and social entrepreneurship competitions––except better!
Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio
