Coffee and a Conversation
As Told Over Brunch is a home for intelligent discourse from the twenty-something perspective - so the stuff you gossip about over mimosas on Sunday morning or over takeout on your friend's couch when happy hour ends too early. We love chatting about our lives, whether it be the relationships we’re building (or destroying), lessons we've learned at work, struggles at school, growing pains we've felt, or even the food we’re talking over.
Last week when I was alone in San Diego, I had set myself some goals. One of which was to brunch. I was so committed to that goal, I did it twice. I approached the situation with some trepidation, because one facet of brunch, which seems essential to the enjoyment of it all is the camaraderie. When I was, "Sara, party of one," I was definitely missing some (or all) of the socialization of brunch, but the food was on point both brunches.
Read MoreOne requirement of my sophomore year Introduction to Public Relations Writing class was to submit an editorial to the school paper. There was no limit on what we could write about, so I picked a topic I was rather passionate about. James Madison University is beautiful: the mountains, the buildings and the perfectly thought out flowers.
Then they threw a paintable rock right in the middle of a field where the sun sets perfectly over the rolling hill. It looked like a graffitied igloo. Horrible. So I wrote about that. And then it got published.
Read MoreI usually keep my work/blog life pretty separate, and don't explicitly talk about what I do (because I'm a stripper...kidding), but today I'm going to lay it all out in the open for you. I work at a really cool start-up, like my brunch-table bio says, but if I were to write a straight blog about it, it wouldn't actually sounds that cool. Because we're all about car insurance. Please stop yawning; we're only in the first paragraph.
So why do I think this start-up is so cool? Because the whole goal of our company is to make that boring subject easier to understand, more transparent and way easier to buy. We're working to change the way an entire industry works. It's exhilarating, and there's a real need for our service.
Read MoreMy love for brunch is universally known across all my friends and family. So much so that my parents knew they needed to bring me to brunch when I was at home in Connecticut. The only problem there is that some places are better at brunching than others are, and Connecticut falls into the latter category. However, my parents discovered a great brunch location, and decided to take me there. Yes, this is a travel-inspired brunch blog post, because all my current traveling is making me more opening minded about promoting places outside of Richmond. Here's to you, new perspective.
The last two times I was at home, my parents brought me to Pepper Pot, a quaint brunch eatery in Southington, Connecticut. If you had to imagine a place where old Connecticutians dine, this would be your place.
Read MoreMy company sent me on a press tour around California this week. We started in San Francisco, spent a day in Los Angeles, and then ended today in San Diego. Since I never am on the West Coast, I decided to stay behind for two days. After shooting our last interview this morning, hitting up the San Diego Zoo, dining and shopping in the Gaslamp District and then finally checking into my hotel, my two days alone have officially begun.
I am anxiously excited for my two days of loneliness (wait, if you're excited to be alone, is that loneliness? I beg to differ.). Anyways, everyone's been asking me what I planned for myself this weekend. And you know what, the answer is pretty much nothing. However, I have set some goals, which I think is as close to plans as I'll end up having. In the hopes that making my goals public, I'll actually do them, here they are:
Read MoreAs I sit here, staring out at the setting sun across the San Fransisco skyline, my inspiration is renewed. There's something about being entrenched in the hustle of a place like San Fransisco. And while I've only been here for about eight hours, and seen little more than the view from my hotel window, the local ABC station and a very fancy French restaurant, I like it here. I wish I could have taken a picture of my meal tonight, as it was perfect in every way that you could hope for, however, I wasn't in a setting which Instagramming your food seemed appropriate.
Maybe it's the fact I've been awake now since 3AM, and according to my internal clock, we're quickly approaching midnight and I'm delusional. Maybe it's the Mumford and Son's I'm currently humming along to, but there's nothing I would quite change about this scenario. The shower had a fancy head, huge fluffy white towels greeted me upon my exit, and I have my choice between two equally soft white beds. But this is feeling like a dream.
Read MoreWe made it: I officially came in second in The Biggest Loser Challenge at my work. It’s been a really awesome three months, where I learned that I can actually lose weight, I can stay motivated and I can totally do it. However, dieting is hard and should be a life change that continues forever, not a three month long competition. But today’s not what about what lies ahead for me and my pact with myself to live a healthier life, but a reflection upon the clichéd “peaks and valleys” of dieting.
Read MoreWe used to live two blocks away from City Diner, which means we'd go anytime we were in a hurry, hungover or lazy. The restaurant itself is rather small, so if you go with a crew, be ready to divide and conquer. They get you in and out quickly, and you can tell you're surrounded by a lot of regulars. Bonus points, because they do have a very small alleyway, which is surprisingly nice to sit in during the summer months.
I've been to City Diner a multitude of times, and I've had generally positive experiences. Keep in mind you're at a diner, and you'll definitely be satisfied. My favorite meals are their omelets because they're cheap, delicious and come with a ton of sides. If you're looking for economical, the omelet is definitely where you want to look. My favorite is meat lovers, because meat, duh.
Read MoreI hope we all remember where I stand on Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is a brat. Since the time I chronicled her pulling every song she has ever sang off of Spotify like a damn child, she's pulled quite a few new, equally brattier stunts that deserve to be collected into one place. So join me on the adventure of: Taylor Swift is still a brat.
Read MoreMy favorite buffalo chicken sandwich in Richmond comes from Gus'. And they have cheap beer, a ton of TV's and is half a block away from our house, so it was the most idyllic place to go to watch the World Cup final, or to just grab a quick, reasonably priced meal on a weeknight.