The Single Diaries brunches with yoga teacher Megan D’Amico.
Megan D’Amico graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Communication Studies. We met by chance when she was assigned to be the fourth roommate in our dorm suite, proof that everything happens for a reason. She later became my big sis in our sorority, influenced my decision to stay in L.A. after college, and continues to inspire me in so many ways. This past summer, I had the privilege of witnessing the start of a new chapter in her life: Megan’s graduation day to become a certified Kundalini yoga instructor—an unexpectedly emotional day for me.
In an experience as spiritual as yoga, your teacher’s energy guides the class more than anything else. Her classes are always a perfect start to the week: stimulating, motivating, and thoughtful. Megan shares her journey, her philosophy, and the lessons she learned to get to where she is.
“It’s human nature to protect our minds and spirits by fleeing behind the cover of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ But if you’re reading this and feel your heart reaching out to the people affected by Haiyan/Yolanda, take another couple of minutes to find out if you can help more. It doesn’t take much.”
Last weekend, one of the worst storms ever devastated the Philippines—the home country of my parents, grandparents, ancestors. We were fortunate that none of our relatives were directly affected, but the Filipino community is small and tight-knit so I know loved ones of friends were affected. Lara Torii shares her experience about the storm passing while she was visiting her family in Manila. Abba Chan talks about Tacloban (her birthplace and the town hardest hit by the super typhoon) and the efforts that her family is making in the wake of the devastation. Read on for their stories and to learn about opportunities to help directly. (more…)
Last month my friend and I saw Sara Bareilles at the Greek. I have been a huge fan since I saw Sara play at a college music festival in 2009. We all know her #1 hit “Love Song,” but this woman is so much more than that catchy albeit empowering pop song. She is at home on stage in more ways than one. Firstly, her voice is completely powerful, and live it’s a religious experience… until she drops her first F-bomb then a dozen subsequent ones. That leads me to my second point: she connects to her audience. Someone yells out “I love you, Sara,” and she’ll call it out right back. The stage is her couch, and the venue is her living room; everyone feels at home as she tells you about the experiences that informed the song she is about to play.
Before she played “Manhattan” on that September night, she discussed her decision to leave Los Angeles—her home of fourteen years—to make the cross-country move to New York City: a need for change, a bittersweet good-bye, and the knowledge that this chapter of her life was coming to an end. She hints at a break-up, perhaps because she was back at the scene of the crime. The lyrics were chillingly beautiful. Written from the perspective of her ex, the one who’s left behind, you get a sense of the pain felt from both parties.
At the show at the Greek, she dropped the veil of detachment that she sometimes puts up while discussing her journey in making the new album. Perhaps it had to do with coming back to L.A. after moving. Perhaps it had to do with playing the iconic stage. Regardless, she showed raw emotion that struck a chord with me.
It was during this song that my eyes started to well up with tears. It was during this song when I had a moment of clarity accepting that all the tension I had felt in the months prior was for naught. After a stressful day, I’ll drive home from work to my quiet apartment trying to breathe deeply and think about anything else. It finally occurred to me that what was missing from my day was the ease of surrounding family and a feeling of home. (more…)
Welcome back to What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. If you’re thinking about moving or just planning your next trip, we’ll fill you in with all the essential details on the cities our crew knows best.
Jacqueline Howard is an editor at Huffington Post and a host of Talk Nerdy to Mewho holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. Originally from Cincinnati, Jacqueline attended the University of Michigan, studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia, and lived in Los Angeles for a few years before heading back to the Midwest. It was as fellow interns at C Magazine that I got to know Jacqueline as one of the smartest and most insightful peers I’ve ever met. We became fast friends when I realized I could talk to her about anything (career choices, reality TV, boys, women’s issues in the media) and get sound advice or an interesting conversation. I still miss her in L.A., but I can’t wait to visit her in her new home. (more…)
Sara Bodle Takes our Homes From Drab to Fab on a Single Girl Budget
Last week I moved into yet another new apartment—a painful process, yes, but also a great way to get a fresh start. Moving is the the opportune time to clean out the old and redefine your space with new home decor.
For help turning my new apartment into a place I can truly call home, I reached out to Sara Bodle—one of my best college girlfriends—for a few tips. Here she clues TSD in on her apartment decorating advice for making our homes fabulous on budgets we can actually afford.
Read on to get her advice for transforming your own place from drab to fab!