my winter is most people’s summer. i feel most alive this time of year and 2025 proved to be no different than the years prior. i’ve been dreaming of a life I am now seeing unfold before my eyes. part of it is actual tangible change (fer sher) but the larger part is perspective.
i want to share separate dedicated newsletters about the following topics so we won’t get into too much detail right now but the TLDR of it is: i received an offer for a new full time job AND news that i was selected for an artist residency all on the same day. then i started the new job and the residency all in the same week. i’ve been waiting for the needle to move in life-changing ways for a while (like a really long time) and it’s so crazy how when all the pieces hit…ALL the pieces hit!
the change was intense. it happened quickly and it happened all at once. i did what i needed to do, and spent extra time mapping out my strategy from 12-week year planning to personal branding (peep my in-progress linkedin revamp). but i’m unlearning that working hard enough means feeling strung out at all times. bc it doesn’t. so i decided to allow my nervous system to regulate and fully frolic in this phase of seeing the fruits of my labor and i came aside to rest.
in this rest, i’ve embraced that my practice in food is not exhibited through social media posts or follower counts, but it’s really the day to day of my normal life that i’ve fully relished in these last couple months. it’s everything not obviously shown in the photos below that represent why i do what i do and why i love food so much. my word for 2025 was contentment…my word for 2026 is pace. here’s a lil walkthrough of some recent celebrations and memories made as i paced myself these last couple months. depicted through the lens I know best: food.
baby sis bday dinner @ harp in crown (philly)
by baby sis i mean 1 year younger than me btw.
it was fun being the sounding board in deciding on the stops for the night, some planned ahead and others that were last minute decisions. the night felt very girly and grown. i felt like i was on an episode of girlfriends.
we started at midnight at the wicked for cocktails, harp and crown for dinner (LOVE thier perogis), and the w for after dinner lounge vibes.
the talk of the night was how the w is the city’s best kept secret bc we had no idea it would be poppin like that?
harp and crown
philadelphia, pa
12 13 25
fellow foodie linkup @ cookhouse (baltimore)
cookhouse
baltimore, md
12 10 25
got a chance to catch up with a fellow foodie in the city and I couldn’t be more proud of some of the news she shared with me!!! but also it was a night of kee-keeing that was v much needed.
baltimore in general is great at crafted mocktails. and cookhouse is a perfect example of that. while i was underwhelmed by my steak frites, i LOVED the date cake dessert and will be going back for the french onion burger.
honorable mention:
going out to eat with someone as food-adventurous as you is so UNDERRATED.
work lunch @ the empanada lady (baltimore)
my favorite part of my new job is getting to take my team to lunch lol
i’ve been to empanada lady many times so i was thrilled when my team picked this spot for us!
honorable mentions:
turkey empanada, beef empanada, salmon bites, tres leches cake
empanada lady
baltimore, md
12 17 15
self service pastry tasting @ cafe dear leon (baltimore)
cafe dear leon
baltimore, md
12 20 25
my neighbor randomly asked me for recommendations for pastries to do a spread for guests she was having over.
so of course the next morning i went to cafe dear leon, picked a few random ones and called her to come over and taste them soon as i got home. she was impressed and placed an order for her gathering!
honorable mentions:
am i allowed to say everything? lol the crab dip bagel isnt pictured bc we devoured it before i took a photo.
also i keep making random friends at coffee shops?? during this visit i chatted with another guest bc we coincidentally placed almost identical orders. so we ended up exchanging information. i feel so adult and like i’m living in a sitcom whenever i talk to strangers. is that just me?
holiday party @ kong pocha with the mera kitchen collective team (baltimore)
kong pocha
baltimore, md
12 21 25
it was sweet surprise to be invited to mera’s holiday party! spoiler alert: mera is the host of the artist residency i’m doing.
off-key karoake with endless korean bites…what more could you ask for?
honorable mentions:
corn cheese (GET THE CORN CHEESE), sweet and spicy fried chicken (ALSO GET THIS), fried shrimp dumplings and my go-to beverage: milkis.
nye party (baltimore)
i never go out for new year’s eve but did things a little different this year. we’re friends w a couple who happen to be jamaican and haitian so the spread was a hit. the jerk chicken always goes crazy.
it was a great time and we got the best of both worlds since we left the party around 11pm to bring in the new year right at home <3
friend’s house
baltimore, md
12 31 25
family dinner @ the crib (baltimore)
i dream of hosting dinner parties at the crib and it was an unofficial goal of mine for 2025. glad to make it happen with the people i love most.
the decor was SO random but we made it work and i actually quite liked it. it felt very homey.
hopeful that this is the beginning of more at-home hosted dinners for 2026 and beyond.
crib
baltimore, md
12 25 25
as always, i read all my emails so reply to this if you’re interested in more details about any of the spots mentioned above, and i gotchu. happy new year y’all!