beverly hills whatta thrill

it's been exactly twenty three days since I made the hop, skip, and jump from boston to los angeles, and I'm still in that weird "I feel like I've been here forever" slash "it feels like it's been 5 minutes" phase. I jumped right into work the second day I arrived (#whatwasIthinking), and have been attempting to adjust to the time difference/jet lag/settling in phase ever since. I feel like Thanksgiving, with it's sleeping in/laid back vibe/good food/humbling attitude, has given me just what I needed to get my butt into gear. what an incredible opportunity for me to be here in california, with one of my best friends, in a city with so many amazing opportunities, and limitless adventures. in these twenty three days I've managed to cross quite a few things off my LA bucket list; lunch at Lemonade (order the arnold palmer with mac & cheese- so good!), visit the urban lights at the LA county museum of art (expect a post with pictures soon because it was just too pretty not to have a mini photo shoot), shopping on melrose (surprise visit from my cousin who decided to drive down from san fran for the weekend), santa monica (celebrated a very Persian thanksgiving with Nikki's family at her grandmothers by the beach. less traditional, more rice- but amazing), but there are still plenty of adventures to be had :)

xx, marissa

love letter to boston

dear boston,

you and I go back quite a bit. you were the first city I remember visiting as a kid, and thinking to myself, this is where I want to live when I grow up. driving through you during the hiccup (then shit show) that was the big dig was interesting. you were the place that housed the museums that featured some of my favorite works, and opened my eyes to the beauty of rembrant, degas, and monet. you were where we went for certain foods that couldn't be found in the boonies when we made the move from the north shore to hopedale (pizza from santarpio's and pastries from modern). for an adventure filene's basement was always there to riffle through and score good deals, but it was more the thrill of the hunt that we loved than actually shopping. newbury street (at the time) opened by eyes to the benefits of boutique shopping, and I was introduced to designers and brands that couldn't be found at my suburban shopping mall. you were the home of suffolk- the school that I dreamed of, and hoped and prayed senior year that I would get into. where I thought that my career aspirations of law school would come into fruition, and I would make a difference in the world. you are where I made my first best friendship that I wasn't born into/was a result of location, and where I tiptoed into letting someone into my heart for the first time. you are where I experienced a sense of fear & vulnerability that I had never felt, that ultimately shook me enough to take a good, hard look at my life, and see that it wasn't going where I wanted it to go. you were my home during the quarter life crisis, where I eventually picked myself up, dusted myself off, and moved forward. you are where I found my two bosses who turned into mentors/role models, and opened my eyes to the benefits of having a strong & bad ass circle of female friends. and now, it is where I leave you, to start a new life in a new city. I will forever miss your amazing weather that month and a half out of the year, oh fall why can't everyone have you! I will miss your citizens with brains full of knowledge and mouths full of sarcasm. I will miss your windy, cobblestone streets; your one ways; and your blue book laws that I've cursed forever. you've been good to me boston, and I can't wait until I see you again.

love, marissa