man, november felt like it lasted forever. with thanksgiving a week later than usual this year, the month really dragged. it was a good, fun month, but i am glad it is over and that thanks to my current vacation i only have to work 3.5 more days this month / year!

november highlights.

indie memphis film festival / successful youth ignite event / quick jaunt to little rock to see maggie and the parents carroll / grizz game with evelyn / mike conley’s return to memphis / 15-year rhodes reunion / low-key thanksgiving / weekend with sol the pup / harry potter and the chamber of secrets in concert with the symphony

november books.

range: why generalists triumph in a specialized world by david epstein. another next big idea club selection, range takes a deep dive into how generalists are continuing to lead successful lives in a world that seemingly becomes more and more obsessed with hyper-specialization. from athletes like roger federer, who played multiple sports growing up and didn’t focus on tennis until his teenage years, to frances hesselbein, the community volunteer who transformed the girl scouts when she became ceo – in her 50s – and implemented cross-departmental collaboration, it was very eye-opening. and i won’t lie, it also felt very validating. as someone who refuses to be pigeonholed and who often wonders why she doesn’t feel the need to be super focused the way some others do, it was very refreshing to know i’m not the only one.

killers of the flower moon by david grann. wow. what a book. i knew nothing about the osage murders [or the osage tribe in general] or about the connection between the murders and the rise of the fbi. i learned so much while reading this book, from how much we have continued to mistreat native americans to the birth of the forensics movement in the country to the lengths people will go to to accumulate wealth. considering the topic this is quite a quick, easy read, and i definitely recommend it to any and everyone.

currently reading: re-reading the shadow of the wind ahead of our visit to barcelona! so excited to finally see some of these places in person.

the best things i watched.

i wrote a separate post about the great things i watched at the indie memphis film festival. everything was phenomenal, but i have to give a special shoutout here to lil’ buck: real swan. always great to see a memphian achieving their dream.

the 30for30 series on the founder of bikram yoga was incredible, and netflix’s new documentary was equally enthralling.

i first saw a trailer for brittany runs a marathon at the beginning of the summer, so when i saw it was on amazon prime i knew it would make for good long weekend viewing. i related to a lot of parts, and while it was a little predictable, i enjoyed watching it.

cool things on the internet.

this sums up my thoughts on yoga so well.

she had a sketchy airbnb experience and wound up uncovering a nationwide scam.

mari andrew’s timeline of a 2019 relationship is very much the story of my life right now. ya girl’s been ghosted not once, not twice, but three times this year.

which beyoncé song are you? i’m irreplaceable. obviously.

more love for my river parks partnership peeps.

some great kitchen tips and tricks.

the worst dating advice single people have received from their married friends.

the last remaining mcdonald’s hamburger and fries in iceland still look exactly as they did when they were purchased 10 years ago.

it’s been 59 years since ruby bridges desegregated her elementary school in new orleans and spent the entire year in a class by herself because white parents refused to send their children to school with her.

joejuan williams is saving 90% of his nfl salary thanks to tips he got in a high school financial literacy class. another vote for requiring this for all high school students.

poor grammar is a turn-off in online dating. i have definitely swiped left on lots of people who don’t know the difference between your and you’re.

i can’t believe i’m saying this, but i want to eat at this nashville restaurant.

my jackalope brewery was featured on the 3rd hour of today!

katie couric has started her own morning newsletter, and i am really enjoying it. it feels like my favorite parts of the huffpost morning email and the skimm rolled into one.

legier biederman was interviewed by tulane’s school of liberal arts. legier was my brother’s doubles partner in tennis in school, and her sister peyton is the reason i went to baylor. she’s a badass who now runs her own jewelry business in los angeles.

this three-part series by the daily about the jungle prince of india was absolutely insane and so, so interesting. i learned so many things i had no idea about, and i have been telling everyone i know to listen to it.

happy final month of 2019!

xx

disclaimer: some of the links [mostly the books] are affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase something using the link above i will earn a small commission at no extra charge to  you.