Author: Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Twenty-Five

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Did anyone else see The Imitation Game? I only saw it because I felt like I should see at least one best-picture nominee before this year’s Oscars, but it ended up making me think.  A lot. And not about the things I was probably supposed to be thinking about after seeing a movie about World War II, homosexuality and (spoiler alert) suicide.

Partway through the film, the only female character in the male-dominated intelligence team announces she has to leave and go back to her parents’ home. “It’s my parents,” she explains. “I’m 25, I’m unmarried, I’m living alone, and they want me home.” The protagonist responds with, “that’s ridiculous.”

It is ridiculous, isn’t it?

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At this point, my roommate turned to me and jokingly said, “You’re not moving to Texas in April, are you?!” No, I’m pretty sure if I showed up at my parents’ home with suitcases today they would laugh in my face (in the most supportive way possible, of course).

At 25 (today!), as an  unmarried woman working in a male-dominated industry who lives with another unmarried twenty-something woman in the same industry, I couldn’t be more grateful for the fact that it’s 2015 and I live in America.

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I’m so blessed to get to live the exact life I want – to work in a newsroom and live in my favorite city and spend all of my money on plane tickets and hotel rooms.I’m even more blessed to have a supportive family and the most insanely wonderful group of friends, near and far.

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This year, I’m taking advantage of this freedom. I’m fully committed to spending my twenty-fifth year writing, traveling, sitting in the sunshine, drinking lattes with friends and eating as much cheesecake as humanly possible. And I’m so excited to do it all with you at my side!

My week in Instagrams: 4/12/15

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Well, sort of. This week was pretty boring IRL – night shifts, crummy weather – until last night so I’ve been posting mostly throwbacks. So today I present to you the most random collection of photos possibly ever.

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Last Sunday, of course, was Easter. I posted this throwback after last week’s post went live: Easter 1997, featuring my sister and I in matching bunny dresses made by our ever-talented mother.

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For some reason, my Panera rewards card was loaded with one free coffee for every day in the month of April. Obviously I have been taking advantage of that by getting a large iced, every single day. The math works out to 7.5 free gallons of coffee by the end of the month, if you were wondering.

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She is Free is getting closer and closer – it’s officially NEXT WEEK! One of the sponsors is The Giving Keys, so this image was floating around my friend circle as we all hoped to win these necklaces.

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For #ThrowbackThursday, I went back to this image from Santa Monica in 2013. Ironically, California is one of the things I miss the most about Arizona: All of my favorite beaches and many of my favorite friends were only a 6-hour drive or 1-hour flight away! I was also nostalgic and missing the warmer weather – by Thursday it had been cold and gray in NYC for days.

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Friday was National Siblings Day, although when you’re a #ZinsKid (as we call ourselves), every day feels like siblings day. This gem, from Mother’s Day 2012, is one of my favorites. We only all get together about once a year, and I think here you can see how much fun we always have in each others’ presence. Bonus appearance by #ZinsDog, who may as well be the fourth sibling.

IMG_3808 FINALLY yesterday the weather cleared, giving way to blue skies, 60-degree temperatures, and the sweet glorious return of Smorgasburg. I think you can see the joy in my face. Tacos? NYC? Roommate bonding time? Perfect weekend.

And now, I’m off to church, a Monday off, and one last work week before my Birthday Week staycation. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

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Cleveland is cool

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Last month, when New York was still a frozen tundra and I was dreaming of tropical getaways, I boarded a plane to one of my favorite places in the world: Cleveland, Ohio.

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I know. Cleveland?! In the winter?! Cleveland isn’t even considered a popular destination when the weather is nice, let alone in March when it’s buried in snow. But my mom and sister were there on an extended trip, so my cousin and I (she lives in Atlanta) decided to fly out at the same time and make it a girls’ weekend.

So why do I love Cleveland so much? Well, it is one of my many “homes,” having been born there to two parents who lived in Cleveland for decades. I have a lot of extended family in the area and make my way back every  couple years. But even if not for these connections, I think Cleveland is awesome.

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It’s stunning, for starters. I’m a city girl through and through, but come on: Look at all of that SPACE! Look at the TREES! You can actually watch the sun set without peering around buildings. And this is my aunt’s yard in the suburbs, not the countryside. And all of that snow, completely untouched even though it’d been around for days. Anyone who’s spent an hour in NYC during the winter knows that this would be ugly slush in the Big Apple.

IMG_3597Here’s something that surprises a lot of people: Cleveland has a fabulous museum scene, and not just the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I try to visit a new museum every time I’m around and I’ve yet to be disappointed. This trip, we went to the Cleveland Museum of Art – which is free! – and had so much fun exploring the new addition. Check out all of the natural light!

Of course, having my family around made the trip pretty fantastic as well. One of our first stops (after a stop at Bob Evans so I could devour all the breakfast foods) was the grocery store, where we stocked up on junk food. Yup, five ladies consumed all of this garbage over the course of two and a half days.

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And of course, it wouldn’t have been the same without these girls – and our very own Grumpy Cat, Scully.

Yep – Cleveland is awesome.

My Week in Instagrams: 4/5/15

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Hello and happy Easter! What a glorious day.

This week rocked, y’all. Finally it felt like spring for a solid seven days straight, complete with warm temperatures and rain showers. It also marked the beginning of my Birthday Month, which is a thing my brother informs me I am weird for celebrating. OH WELL.Screen shot 2015-04-04 at 5.42.30 PM

Monday was the first day I really stopped to appreciate the fact that I could walk to my friend’s apartment while the sun was shining and stop to photograph the moment because taking off my gloves didn’t result in frostbite.

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Monday was also fun because I got to hang out with my favorite cat friend, Bernadette. Here she is waiting for me to stop taking pictures so she can steal my dinner.

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Thursday’s weather was the very definition of perfect! For the first time in months, I enjoyed my lunch break outside instead of in a coffee shop. I obviously wasn’t the only one with that bright idea, and it was so great to see New York looking so alive again. I may or may not have cried when it was time to go back to the office.

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Friday was one of those gray drizzly days that I can’t quite hate because hey, it’s not snow! Train problems led to me being in a cab, and it’s hard to be mad about that when you’re cruising up the FDR with views like this.

The week ahead is filled with night shifts, and I’m hoping to fill the days with lunch dates and adventures! Fingers crossed for more beautiful weather.

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My week in Instagrams: 3/30/15

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This post coming at you a day late because holy crap, last week was busy! I had plans every single day after work – super fun stuff, but as someone who thrives on alone time, it was exhausting. Never again.

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My Monday night community group met in Tribeca last week instead of Brooklyn, which gave me an excuse to wander around Manhattan. I love this building on 6th Ave – it’s actually a library!

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Since we’re still hovering on the line between winter and spring, I picked up these blooms at Trader Joe’s and they’re certainly brightening up my room on the gloomy days!

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Wednesday was our church’s worship night (my favorite nights, along with Sisterhood… and all team… and every Sunday…) Emmie and I joke that we’re the same person, but the unintentional matching outfits were hilarious, even for us.

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Thursday, as you know, was my one-year New York City anniversary! Since the city was rainy and gray, I posted this throwback to my very first night in the city.

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OK, so full disclosure – I was actually supposed to have a quiet night in on Friday to recover from the insanity, but my girlfriends were going to Pies ‘n’ Thighs, and I cannot say no to chicken and waffles.

IMG_3719FINALLY: Yesterday was a long day at work, followed by Palm Sunday services at Liberty! Easter, of course, is the very best holiday. I hope to see you at church next week!

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