1. Spice Hunting
No matter where I am, I’m obsessed with finding the best curry; Indian and Thai are my favorites. My fiancé is excellent at cooking international cuisine, and there’s a great restaurant in Brooklyn called Gandhi that has some of my favorite Indian food. But honestly, the bodega at the corner of my street has the best food. We order the lamb over rice for $6. It’s a hidden New York gem.

2. Young Adult Fiction
My mother is an author, so I spend a lot of time keeping up with the young adult fiction world. I’m really into the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, and I’m in the middle of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, who is a classic fantasy writer. But To Kill a Mockingbird is my all-time favorite book. That’s what I go back to when I need a little warmth.

3. Cat Play
We’re a big cat family. We have two cats whose names change all the time. We have a tree stump in our tiny New York City apartment and it’s the only thing they’ll scratch. They knock it over in the middle of the night all the time—it’s so loud. But we still find a way to laugh at it, even when they’re waking us up at 3 a.m.

4. Power Boots
My mom gave me leather boots before my college auditions, which at the time seemed like the biggest deal in the world. The boots make me feel super strong and powerful. I wore them to my Nancy Drew audition, too.

5. Club D&D
I play Dungeons & Dragons with a group of friends for about 10 hours a week. Those are some of my favorite times of the week, getting together and playing in our little fantasy world.

6. Aisle 3
I love grocery shopping. I feel like I can spend money on groceries because I’m going to eat them. So if I ever need to treat myself, I go ahead and buy that fancy coconut yogurt.

7. “Om” Work
I practice yoga at home every morning. I like how yoga makes connections between the entire body—acknowledging we’re one moving creature. It also ties in the mental and emotional work that I like to do, which is important for my job. Having that calm quiet time sets me up for a better day.

© Yolanda Crous
– Original Source