Author Archives: sorellaaglio

Purple Polka Dots & The Road to the White House

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The other day I looked through my closet at this black shirt with purple polka dots, put it on to wear to work, looked in the mirror, and thought I should get rid of it as it isn’t (and probably never really was) flattering. But I can’t get rid of it, because when I look at it it reminds me of 2008, and explaining to Hillary Clinton why I couldn’t take a photo with her.

When I was a senior in college, I took a class in the fall called “Road to the White House.” It was easily my favorite class and is one of my favorite memories – working the campaign trail (albeit I had Republican candidates) and learning more about the insane way the politics works in the US.

Among the events we attended as a class was a rally for Hillary Clinton in Salem, NH. We were going to hear the senator speak and cover the event. It was one of a few events that we went to as a class (the other was a democratic debate where I stood feet from all the candidates and took photos) and it was, to say the least, memorable.

For the event, and for the class, I purchased a few items from the Macy’s in Boston with the help of an overly spunky salesperson who whisked me from section to section of the store in search of the perfect clothes to look professional but still hip. Among them was this black, purple polka dot shirt that is some kind of double-layered mesh with frills and lots of buttons. If it sounds bad, that’s because it.

Anyways, dressed in purple and ready for the event, we headed to NH. During the Q and A portion, one of our two teachers stood up and endorsed Senator Clinton. It was a shock to us all, as we were there as journalists, and suddenly were thrust into the spotlight as this class whose teacher publicly endorsed a candidate – not exactly non-partisan.

Needless to say, after the event Senator Clinton’s team wanted to get a photo with our class and our teacher, and our other teacher was aghast and reminded us that we were there as journalists and should remain neutral as media members.

As our class, and our teachers, discussed this on stage in a gym in rural New Hampshire, Senator Clinton and her team wondered what the hold up was (she was very gracious, but I am sure she had places to be.) As our students scurried from on the stage, ready to be photographed, to off the stage, remembering their career choices, the senator looked confused, and so of course I felt the need to explain to her why, exactly, we couldn’t take a photo with her.

So I stood there, in this black and purple polka dot shirt and blazer, hot and nervous and 21 years old, and told Senator Hillary Clinton that we couldn’t take a photo with her because we were journalism students, and we couldn’t choose a candidate for integrity’s sake, and the moral implications of our seemingly endorsing her ourselves, all the while lightly touching the senator by the elbow…you get the idea. The senator understood, and told us she wished us well in our studies and walked with me off the stage.  I still get flak from my dad about not taking the picture.

And that’s why, for a little while longer, the purple polka dot shirt, unflattering eight years later, will sit in my closet. Because once it gave me confidence to explain my morals to Hillary Clinton.

we’re only hearts & bones & blood (but we are giants)

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Slacking this early in the year – but here I am, getting back to it. Since this serendipitously ended up on Traci’s birthday, I will speak to her beautiful soul on her 30th birthday.

Traci, you’re one of the bests. The people that makes me laugh the loudest, the longest, the hardest. You can always make me smile, always have something to tell me that will make me cry tears of happiness, and you obsess about the weird shit I obsess about like Lin-Manuel and GG and Marc Broussard, etc. etc. I love you to the moon, and I am so glad that we became friends in a moderately-sized Kasteel in Nederland, only to live a mile from each other ten years later and more than 5,500 miles from where we started.  

I am so thankful for ten years of inappropriate hand-holding, adventuring around Europe and around Boston and around Los Angeles, and for your making every day an adventure – whether we’re going to Trader Joe’s, hiking with Ray, or just sitting in someone’s driveway listening to Justin Timberlake, you make life more fun to be living.

Here’s a smattering of photos of us over the years – and here’s to many, many more.

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You and these five other beauties have made my life so much richer over the past ten years, and I can’t think of a better way to start celebrating 10 years from this trip than with a celebration of YOU. Happy Birthday, and see ya tonight! XOXO

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yoga & what i’m reading

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Writing once a week is proving hard, so I’ll write about what I always want to know about y’all. First of all, I did Day One, Day Two, and Day Three of my yoga challenge, and it took me all week to do them. Looks like I am going to have to be better this week if I want to get this 14-Day challenge done in 3 weeks…yikes!

Meanwhile, I am trying to get some good reading done while I’m in-between book club books, a rare time when I read what I want instead of what I’m supposed to! Right now, I’m listening to Mindy Kaling’s first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, which is read by her and therefore delightful. I will say, though, that celebrities-turned-authors are not my fave genre, and I’m glad I am listening to this instead of reading it…I miss the fiction story of it all. Maybe I should do some autobiographies.

I am also reading The Likeness by Tana French who wrote a book club book we read, In The Woods which was an awesome Law and Order:SVU-type book with partner love and intrigue. While I can I say I didn’t like how the first one ended, I will say I love the way French writes and I am enjoying the second one.

Next up, I want to read Midnight’s Furies, which is a book about India’s independence and the partition of Pakistan. Book Club is this week, so I’ll get a new assignment there, and I also am stumbling through the audiobook of Team of Rivals (I don’t love the narrator, she’s a little pretentious sounding to me) and I have Empire Falls next for an audiobook, too. I have an Audible subscription because I am in the car for about an hour and a half a day, so I try to make use of my time.

In other news, I am caught up on Limetown, Serial, Radiolab, and trying to find other podcasts to love – I also dig 99 percent invisible, and I know Katie will remind me of Pop Culture Happy Hour.

So that’s what’s up here. Happy Sunday, everyone!

xo

leaves know they need to let go

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Today I started a two-week yoga challenge that realistically will take three weeks because #life. In the first video, Fiji talks about how this time of year there are not a lot of leaves on the trees because the leaves know they have to let go of the past. It was while we were standing in tree pose, and I struggled (and tried to smile through it!) to stay away from swaying too much.

My lack of yoga last year was because of my half marathon training, and also because of my wrist injury in soccer. But in 2016, I want to focus on yoga again because I miss the strength of my body, I miss the peace it brings, and I miss the calm. Although I’m glad I ran a half marathon, I want to balance my cardio with strength training, and I can think of no better way to do that than yoga.

Hopefully this challenge will remind me of the reasons I love yoga – today’s class already calmed me after a day of cooking and a weekend of standing which left my hips tight. It was the perfect Sunday-evening destress heading into another week.

I want to be like the leaves. I want to let it go. I want to move forward and recognize the past and leave it under me, moving forward to the light of spring. Let’s hope this yoga challenge can help me in 2016 center myself and stay true and light in the busiest of times (as 2016 is already shaping up to be!)

Namaste, everyone.

What is hidden here safe in my chest

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Happy New Year, chickadees! As you may or may not, I love New Year’s. I love a fresh start, I love a list of goals, I love moving into a new year and a new space. I love the reset button.

First up, here’s a review of last year’s goals:

  • read 52 books – I read 23 books this year…this was a lofty one that I knew I probably wouldn’t make.
  • find more free time for walking, wandering, laughing, sunshine, giggling, and Scrabble – I’d like to think that I did this…and continue to do this.
  • run 300 miles – The summer was hella hot. We moved. I ran 230 miles. I consider this a win since it’s more than 2014.
  • do an unassisted headstand – check, check!
  • move CHECK OMG GOOD GOING US.
  • reevaluate my recipe wheelhouse – Did this, but also traveled a LOT and relied on old standbys. Will work on this again in 2016.

So what are we doing this year, you ask? Here are some of my goals:

  • Read 25 books – Obviously I didn’t make my 52 goal, and I want to be realistic. Here’s to reading more this year now that we have a house and are not looking every weekend!
  • Free time/relaxation/etc – Always, always working on this one.
  • Run 300 miles – Now that I have a half under my belt, running a couple miles three or four times a week is a piece of cake – so let’s get to 300!
  • Do an unassisted handstand – This will be hard, but I want to get there. I am working on this already, starting today, and I have a lot of good work ahead, so I am excited about this one!
  • New recipes, always, forever. – My kitchen is no longer baby sized. I have a dishwasher. I want to get at it this year. Suggestions, please!
  • Write on this blog once a week. – Keeping up GMS is a lot of work, but I want to write more about what’s going on in my life, even if it’s just for me. This is where I journal most, and I want to update more often on what I’m feeling and not just what I am cooking.

Hope you’re having a good new year, and that you’re setting goals for yourself that you want to reach – or you’re committing to not setting goals! Love you kiddos!