Hi, I’m Marina! Growing up in the suburbs of Southern California, I dreamed of being a city person. In my head, living in the city meant wearing fashionable wool coats in the winter and hailing yellow cabs with the wave of a hand. In 2015, I got a job at an awesome company (I’m still there!) that brought me to NYC where I started the working-adult-chapter of my life.

7 years in the city has nurtured my patience for standing in the snaking check-out line at Trader Joe’s and has ironically sapped my ability to wait for the sidewalk light to change. While I do finally possess a wool coat in my closet, I normally run out the door with a large puffer that makes me feel more like the Michelin Man than Blaire Waldorf. I’ve reframed commuting as an opportunity for exercise because what better motivation is there for hitting 10,000 steps or even getting into a light jog to catch the bus than saving money I can now spend on ice cream?

While my experience living in the city today looks a bit different than what I imagined growing up, I’m excited to share some of the things I love that make this bustling city feel like home and I hope you’ll join me in this journey!

♡ Marina