a lil message to the class of 2026

I was recently asked to contribute a quote for the senior class video for the Sonoma Valley High School graduating Class of 2026: 

"Reflecting on your youth will be a precious asset as you age and serve as a grounding point when times get tough. Lean into nostalgia and your roots: fondly remember the kids you grew up with that genuinely know you, cherish the crazy adventures & sweet memories you cultivated at SVHS, and appreciate the places & faces you connected with in our cozy town of Sonoma. These are unique experiences to keep in your back pocket throughout life."

—Kelly Bonbright, Sonoma Valley High School Class of 2000, #nomapride 

5th grade, age 11. Class of 1993 at Prestwood Elementary School, wished my mom would have curled my hair like my friend Holly.

The only girl in the 5th grade graduating class to receive this award. A cherished accolade. I've since never lost my spirit for leading with kindness.

stepping back

took a step back (in my 80s Salt Water sandals!) from social media. my orbit feels a bit slower, moving around more intentionally. prioritizing my own agenda, no more catering to comparison spirals. :) 

strawberry picking in rainbow, ca

Kenny's Strawberry Farm

five days so far

laying on the cool floor of my beach condo

i can actually hear the ocean waves a lot clearer from this position, it's a built-in, natural noise machine

back pressed flat against my cushy mat, aches & pains buzz about my body

so stiff, so sore, so underutilized

i'm worried about how i'm going to get up, but this feels grounding

social media slapped me in the face this week

spiraling in comparisons, losing sight of self-worth

"back to basics" isn't just a thought, it's necessity

day one of deactivating all social media: 

actually shed a tear, what is the fear? 

will people think i intentionally blocked them? 

will they think i've got an illness? 

will i miss an important nugget of news? 

i came out of the womb with FOMO so this feels impossible

day two feels eerily quiet, like when you hide in a closet as a child

i loved playing hide & go seek

something rebellious about keeping people guessing where you are or what you're doing

the entire internet is still at my finger tips

everyone is just a text or phone call away

i spent two hours on the phone reconnecting with a former Pixarian suffering the same life overwhelm

starting to feel much more connected without having to consume all the noise on socials

i honestly feel healthier for doing this

day three feels softer and lighter

it's freeing being out of the loop

walked seven miles on the beach path today

tonight i could smell my candle burning that I was convinced had no scent

more room to breathe and go about my day with focus & intention

the fog is lifting

sleeping a little more that usual on day four, my body recovering & restoring

i want to feel guilty about bed-rotting but i'm not going to fight it

falling out of bed, happy little ideas and inspirations start flowing freely

day five something silly happened

a delicious visual from adolescence appeared:

mid-90s Sonoma, sitting on a bench outside PayLess Drugs with a small personalized pizza from Gramma's Pizza

a teen-haven, a place to find cheesy Moon Bread on the menu

i miss it so much, it closed decades ago :( 

last night i let a black spider crawl across my hand as i let it outside

i'm not afraid of spiders but i'm afraid of what people think of me :) 

"boredom and silence are the real growth drivers. they give you space to think and create. that's when solutions show up for problems that have been stuck for months." 

–Cooper Baggs

cozy coffee

moments & memories

from recent travels to my two favorite cities:

New York City

• witnessing Jill as the last person on our flight to NYC, then witnessing myself as the last person on my flight outta NYC ;-) 

• immediately touching down and finding the most bomb Texas BBQ @ Hill Country BBQ in Chelsea

• Billy Joel's final concert in residency at Madison Square Garden. Axl Rose, Jimmy Fallon, and Billy's little daughters all making appearances

• Jill running through the seats at MSG finding free Billy Joel collector cups for us

• ten dollar bootleg Billy Joel concert tees outside MSG

• walking an insanely steep and long flight of stairs in and outta a dive bar with Jill and discovering my astounding knee pain 

• obsessing over all the toasted savory and sweet bagels w/ fun cream cheese options (rainbow sprinkles! walnuts! veggies!) at Bagel Pub 

• Jill and I drinking and conversing with an adorable pair of awesome dudes at Jake's Saloon in Chelsea 

• a cozy stay at Pod Hotel Williamsburg watching Paris Olympics and not totally vibing with the toilet located inside the shower...it was a Toto toilet so it was slightly acceptable

• the best falafel gyro and mozzarella sticks from a street food vendor in Herald Square

• a hot, sticky, historical stroll through Green-Wood cemetery in BK with Carly & Jill followed by frozen margs at an outdoor bar 

• french onion soup and ginger beer at Sweetwater 

• AC and spot-on horoscopes at Oslo Coffee

• purchasing a vintage Matisse and NYC Subway poster at Artists & Fleas and then 20 minutes later leaving them in a store for 3 hours. came back and they were still there!

• Jill forcing me to see Friends the Musical Parody at Jerry Orbach Theatre despite never seeing an episode. this show has a solid Monica impersonator! 

• meeting the lovely and inspiring Pixarian Deanna Marsigliese at NYPL followed by drinks at the classy Campbell Apartment in Grand Central, then a fun shopping stroll through Koreatown eyeing press-on nail bling

• doing a much-needed load of laundry at my local laundromat off Grand Ave in Williamsburg, while stopping at Femme Fontaine for a spritz and deejay beats with a few femmes

• the tastiest chopped salad at Elder Greene in Greenpoint BK with Tricia. Then getting the flu shortly after...

• happening upon fresh-squeezed tangerine juice made by an adorable husband and wife on a Williamsburg street corner just as my flu was starting 

• swimming in a sudden storm on the TWA Hotel rooftop while geeking out watching A380s land and takeoff at JFK

• next NYC visit: Patzeria Perfect Pizza in Theatre District, Milk Bar for a toasted pink lemonade bar, text Tony Danza for another Manhattan meetup 

Reykjavík

• the ease of taking the FlyBus from KEF (Iceland) to local spots in downtown Reykjavík for thirty bucks. meeting Dori at her cute lil boutique hotel Local 101 and gobbling down her heavenly homemade croissants 

• discovering the beauty and serenity of Vesturbær & old Reykjavík neighborhoods

• coffee table chats, laughs, and snacks with Dori & her sweet & jolly boyfriend Olí

• the beautiful vintage light fixtures inside Dori's apartment

• Freya the Icelandic Magic Softie Kitty, jumping on my shoulders and cuddling with me while I was deliriously ill at Dori's 

• swiss mokkas at Kaffi Brennslan and Kaffihús Vesturbæjar

• hours spent at Vesturbæjarlaug trying to cure my illness inside the geothermal pools and steam room

• veggie burger, fries, and Applesín (Iceland's iconic orange soda) at the cute burger stand outside Vestur pool 

• an hour spent at Verzlanahöllin thrift store, came out with a few gems: a purple vintage ESPRIT button down, Billi Bi - Copenhagen chunky black loafers with gum soles, a 90s denim vest, a dog toy

• the most necessary and comforting minestrone soup served in a kettle with fresh bread n butter at Café Rosenberg 

• the soothing shapes & colors inside Hallgrímskirkja and its grand organ

• a rainy afternoon meeting Dori's friend Andrea at her custom jewelry shop, Andrea Ellen Jewelry on Laugavegur street. we met a couple shopping in the store who sailed from Greenland to Iceland for twenty days straight...according to their experience: no thank you

• the unmanned waterslide in Alftanes and riding it a dozen times

• treating Dori to a memorable meal at Fjallkonan: candy floss boss cocktail and hummus tower!

• shopping for snacks n souvies at Nettó with Dori. a few favorite finds: Nivea Wonderbar facial cleansing soap, Labello strawberry shine lip balm, Rís candy bars (basically KIX cereal in chocolate), Squashies chewy candies, bags of Smash! (basically chocolate covered Bugles)

• dinner n drinks with my Icelandic viking sisters Lóa and Ásgerdur at Snaps Bistro, catching up after a few years gone by...LoaLand loving her NYC souvenir. "Showshashay" to my unicorns! 

• next Iceland visit: housesit for Andrea while she's on holiday, hang with Dori & Olí and possibly convince them to take me to Vestmannaeyjar ;-) 

soundtrack of my travels:

Controversy by Prince

You May Be Right by Billy Joel 
Wish I Never by Kehlani

How Long Do I Have To Wait for You? by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Uptown Girl by Billy Joel

Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter

Lost on You by LP (and thinking it was Gwen Stefani haha)

Lovely Day and Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers 

Dreams by Fleetwood Mac 

All I Want by Toad the Wet Sprocket (such an early 90s classic!)

Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too by New Radicals (haters gonna hate)

Theme from "A Summer Place" by Percy Faith