I’m almost embarrassed at how long it took me to think of what I’ve been reading, eating, playing, recommending, and treating myself to for my March because I’ve basically had blinders on when it comes to the O in REPORT this month: I’ve been obsessing over my manuscript, which is due to be submitted to my editor at Lonely Planet in full at the end of May.
Ultimately, I did manage to come up with responses for every other letter in my monthly REPORT, too—but outside of my day job, pretty much all of my time, energy, and passion has been poured into finishing this project in a way that won’t just make me proud, but will make the global LGBTQ+ travel community proud.
I’m so excited to get to the point where I can actually share some behind-the-scenes sneak peeks of the book with you here (!!!) but for now, here’s a look at what I’ve been enjoying most this March.
Reading: EMILY HENRY’S LATEST
I received an advanced copy of beloved romance author Emily Henry’s soon-to-be-released Funny Story and devoured the whole thing in one delightful afternoon. Another one from the master: Earnest, funny, sexy, messy, and deeply relatable.
It had all the classic “will they/won’t they” tension of your favorite comfort TV show (actually now that I think about it, love interest Miles looked a lot like Nick Miller from New Girl in my mind’s eye) along with dialogue that actually made me laugh out loud more than once.
But what really surprised me was how this book dug deep into the characters’ pasts to inform their present emotional motivations, love languages, and even attachment styles in a way that felt open, honest, and realistically feasible for people in IRL relationships to do, too. I found myself rooting for both Daphne and Miles—not just together as a couple but as individuals—to find their happy endings.
Eating: CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES FOR BREAKFAST
In the Netherlands, for reasons I previously could not understand, it is super common to eat hagelslag for breakfast: buttered toast topped with chocolate sprinkles.
Well, not exactly chocolate sprinkles—not the American kind that are mostly wax and sugar anyway, but a specific Dutch confectionary made with a minimum of 32% cocoa. And definitely not to be confused with the English fairy bread (and heaven forbid a Dutchie hear you suggest as much).
Hagelslag is so popular in the Netherlands that there are entire aisles dedicated to it at Dutch grocery stores. It’s reported that 750,000 slices of bread dopped with hagelslag are eaten every day as a part of a Dutch breakfast, and that 14 million kilograms of hagelslag are consumed each year in the Netherlands.
So I figured, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I started eating hagelslag for breakfast as a sweet treat on Saturday mornings, and I gotta say, that snizz is straight up dee-loy-cious.
Playing: CHAPPELL ROAN’S TINY DESK CONCERT
Quite possibly the best NPR Tiny Desk Concert of all time? I have been listening Chappell Roan nonstop since October, but this live rendition of the songs I’ve been scream-singing in the shower for six months is on another level—as is the commitment to the bit by not just Chappell but her band, all in fully smeared make-up to complement her fully camp look complete with lipstick-stained teeth and a mile-high, cigarette-tangled wig. I will be playing it on repeat for the foreseeable future.
Obsessing over: MY MANUSCRIPT
March, April, and May are all heads down, get the work done months for me as I wrap up the manuscript for my first book, so to say I’ve been (and I’ll continue to be) obsessing over that work would be an understatement. It’s been surreal to see the project come together with each chapter I complete, and it feels wild that I’ll be finished writing it so soon—it feels like work I could do forever.
I’m starting to discuss color palettes, cover design, and the overall look and feel of the book with the design team at Lonely Planet and I can’t wait to share those updates as we start to finalize things in the coming months!
Recommending: A SUPPLEMENT SUBSCRIPTION
I finally gave up on the headache of trying to remember to a) actually re-stock on my vitamins and supplements after they run out and then b) manually sort them into my weekly pill container every Sunday along with my prescription meds.
Instead, I signed up for a monthly subscription that automatically delivers a personalized box of 30 daily supplement sachets to me every month so I can just grab one each morning to take along with my breakfast. It’s been so much easier and I’ve been way more consistent about taking them every day!
It’s called CUURE, for anyone curious (CUURE-ious? ugh, I’m so sorry) and if you wanna try it out yourself, you can use the referral code ALICIA4426 for 30% off of your first order.
Treating myself to: KINDLE UPGRADES
Was I influenced by #BookTok?
Yes.
Does that make me in any way regret ordering a Kindle stand and page-turner that allow me to read in a comfortable position without neck or back pain?
Absolutely fucking not.
Best €50 I’ve ever spent.
What’s in your March report?
Even if you’re not someone who enjoys “journaling” per se, this kind of guided reflection is a fun way to think about how you’ve been spending your time and energy lately. So, what have you been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating yourself to in the past month? I’d love to know!
OMG manuscript deadline time is no joke. Wishing you lots of relaxing baths and cozy teas in between pages.
I appreciate it! If you’d like to panic with me, I’ll be here