Food • 

Here is my ideal January soup. It’s the one I come back to, again and again, in the blur of my post-holiday malaise when my body craves fresh and wholesome things, but my heart dwells on the richness of…

Lately

  • Life • 

    December 5, 2012: My 25th birthday. A and I spread an old comforter on the grass in Alamo Square park and stretch our bodies into the waning sunlight. We feel the gentle crunch of fallen leaves underneath us as we lay down, padded by the layer of polyester fill and…

  • Books • 

    I’m always surprised by how much certain books shape my memories. For instance, I cannot imagine my family trip to France this year without The Ensemble by Aja Gabel. It’s as if the four main characters ate croissants by the fountain in The Tuileries and watched the sun set over…

  • Life • 

    My daughter has just learned the word, twinkle. She whispers Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in my ear at night, when I carry her upstairs to her bath, pleased with herself that she knows all the lyrics. On our way to preschool, I put on one of my favorite songs by…

ABOUT ME

I ask big questions and complain about how the laundry is never finished. Sometimes in the same sentence. Welcome.

I’m Renae. I’m a writer, a mom, and above all, an observer. I like to pause on the things that move me, to dwell on my experiences. Even the hard ones. Especially the hard ones.

More Articles
  • Life • 

    What is it about a pile of noodles nested in a spicy, meaty broth that’s so soothing? Maybe the summer heat is making us crave that spicy, steamy goodness (a concept that seems counter-intuitive, but actually makes a lot of sense—warm on the inside, cool on the outside). Either way,…

  • Food • Travel • 

    When it comes to carbohydrates, there are two distinct categories of people. There are the nonchalant carb consumers, those who prefer a nicer cut of meat or a good vegetable to anything starchy. Then there are the people with actual souls (just kidding… or am I?), the enthusiasts (a.k.a. me, the…

  • Travel • 

    I like attending other people’s graduations. The shot of optimism and “you can do it!” encouragement is always a refreshing change from the cool cynicism of the places I generally hang out (in recent-graduate speak, I think those places are called “the real world”). Two weeks ago, Adam and I…

  • Life • Travel • 

    I’m now old enough (and have moved around enough) to know that there’s no way to form an objective opinion on any place I find myself. This is true on vacation, when I allow myself to fall in love with a city just because I’m experiencing all the good times…

  • Life • 

    Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about writer’s block. (Thinking being the operative word here, because the thing about having writer’s block is that you can’t really write about it.) Is it a real thing? That’s my biggest question. It’s entirely different than this question: does it feel real— which I can…

  • Culture • 

    “I’ve been watching a few great things on Netflix lately.” I said this to a friend over Skype the other day. Thinking out loud about everything I’d watched recently, I realized I didn’t just have a few recommendations… I had eleven. But who makes a list of eleven things?! So I did…

  • Books • 

    Here’s my book list for 2016. There are 15 books on it. Confession time: I don’t usually get through that many per year. No matter how good my habits, I average about a book per month. However, that does not stop me from wanting to buy all the books. I…