Sarah has recently relocated to Las Vegas where she's a travel blogger and freelance writer. Over the years, I've come to really appreciate the genuine person that she is and I enjoy reading her blog, Wandering Off, where she writes about her off-beat adventures in travel. Which is why I'm featuring her on my blog today.
Over the years, I've been asked on a few occasions about maintaining a blogroll on my blog. But truth be told, I hate blogrolls. Or curating one anyway. I know that inevitably I'll forget someone and then I'd feel really bad and hate myself. So I've always stayed away from them.
Yet, at the same time, I've always wanted to curate some sort of series that would feature some of the amazing women that have inspired me over the years, the inspiring women whom I consider friends, who've encouraged and empowered me to dare greatly, and the women who's blogs I love to read because of their bright ideas, authentic lifestyle, personal style, and words of wisdom and perspective.
So, it's taken me some time, but I've finally figured out a way to marry the two ideas into something that I'm passionate about and would love to write every month - Mama's Closet (or purse, or nightstand - I leave it up to the feature-ee). It's my take on a blogroll, if you will, where I give back to those fabulous women who've inspired me in one way or another.
So friends, meet Sarah... and her purse:
What one question would you ask a psychic about the future?
Where will we end up living once we really settle down? During my adult life, I haven’t lived in one place for more than three years. It’s hard to imagine ever being content to just stay put for the long haul. Sometimes my husband and I talk about where we’ll end up, and I would be curious to know if we’re on the right track or if we’ll chose a city we haven’t even considered yet.
Who would you like to trade places with for one month?
No one. I’m a very fortunate person, and I try to be thankful for what I have. There are plenty of people who I think have fabulous lives, but I wouldn’t trade places with them for a second!
Where would you choose to live if you had to leave this country?
I’d probably move to Italy. Friendly people, beautiful art and architecture, delicious food…that seems like a recipe for happiness to me! I went there for study abroad when I was in college, and I loved it.
Who has inspired you as a mentor?
From a professional point of view, I have a lot of respect for people who are successful and smart, yet are able to avoid being condescending. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I like the people who recognize that. In terms of my personal life and my role as a mom, I have some close friends who I really admire and whose advice I value. One of my “mom mentors” is my friend Jennifer. I feel like our parenting styles are similar in many ways. Plus, her daughter is a couple of years older than mine, so she’s always one step ahead of me! Other moms that really inspire me are my friends Andrea and Sarah both of whom I’ve known since I was a kid. In terms of travel inspiration, there’s my dear friend Kim…you should check her out. She writes a blog called Flutie McD. (wink, wink)
What one fear would you like to conquer?
When my husband and I were in Aruba for our honeymoon, we went scuba diving. Well, he went scuba diving. I ended up having a panic attack…in four feet of water…in the pool before the actual dive. It was super embarrassing, especially because the scuba instructor was a hot Australian guy. We were practicing what to do if something goes wrong, like you lose your mouthpiece or your mask fills up with water, and something about the mere thought of those scenarios just freaked me out, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Someday I’ll conquer that fear, although just thinking about it now is making me uncomfortable!
* Thank you Sarah for taking the time to answer my silly questions and for giving us a peek into your purse!