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(04/04/17 3:51am)
As I have mentioned ad nauseam, I’m from Atlanta. I have a lot of Georgia pride for a lot of really solid reasons: we have amazing Southern food, a rich urban culture, warm weather and a rollercoaster of sports teams. But besides the biggest repository of granite in the country — shout out to Stone Mountain — we don’t really have access to the kind of breathtaking nature available in Charlottesville.
(03/23/17 5:57am)
Upon arriving to the University, I had only “Sunday brunched” a couple of times. Yes, I’d had brunch before, but the ceremonious breakfast-lunch hybrid with a big group of friends, bottomless mimosas, frittatas and country biscuits was a fairly new concept to me. But in Charlottesville, a place that could be dubbed the Brunch Capital of Central Virginia, Sunday brunch is an institution that is held dear to the hearts of locals and students alike. For this instillation of my C’ville adventures, I’ve conducted tireless research of every notable brunch spot within city limits. Hopefully this list of rankings will introduce you to old favorites or new twists to make your Sundays a little bit less lazy.
(03/01/17 6:42am)
So yeah, I’m writing about grocery stores. They don’t sound that exciting at first, but I promise, grocery stores are where the magic happens. Even if you have a meal plan, even if you hate to cook, even if you’re happy with Bodo’s for every single meal, it only helps to know the low-down of where to buy your food. If you don’t have a car, your family will come into town eventually, and you’ll want some fresh food at your disposal. If you’re a veteran of C’ville grocery emporiums, let me know if you’ve checked out every single spot on this list. For the purposes of this article and my own entertainment, I’ve ranked each one on a scale of one (least preferable) to five (most preferable).
(02/01/17 5:56am)
We just finished our first full week of classes, and here I am on my Saturday afternoon at Milli Coffee Roasters, slaving away. “Syllabus Week” has never existed at our elite institution, and the first week of classes always serves as a reminder that we go to one of the most academically intense schools in the country.
(01/18/17 2:16am)
Sometimes we all need a few hours of free roller skating in our lives. Right down 4th St., the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation department provides for that, for five hours on Fridays and Sundays.
(11/08/16 2:43am)
I know not too many of you have met my mom, so I’ll give you the need-to-know in just one, all-encompassing sentence.
(10/25/16 12:30am)
Okay friends, this is a good one. In a far off land, about one hour and 20 minutes away, in a mysterious town – Broadway, Va. – there sits the most magical kingdom in all of Virginia — the puppy farm.For just a $5 donation to the operations of the farm, you and your friends can go hang out with a bunch of golden retrievers for as long as you want. No, I did not hallucinate. Yes, this place exists.My boyfriend Nick, visiting all the way from Georgia Tech, didn’t believe me when I explained it to him. “They just let you play with a ton of puppies for as long as you want?” he asked. I knew I had to show him the light — or more appropriately, the gold. We called ahead and set our appointment for 11:30 a.m. Friday, even though the forecast called for rain. Playing with a bunch of muddy puppies meant we needed clothes that could get smelly, dirty and hairy, so we made sure to plan accordingly. The ride down was really beautiful — rolling highways in the heart of mountain country. The leaves had changed enough so that we saw a patchwork of oranges, reds, yellows and greens as we cruised along I-64 and I-81. Just as the rain was stopping we arrived to a bunch of turkeys and expansive farmland. A woman came out to greet us, directing us to different areas of the property and introducing us to some of the older dogs. I’m a dog person through and through, and seeing their adorable smiling faces immediately lowered my stress level.Then she led us to the back of the kennel, signed us in and introduced us to 16 newborn golden retriever puppies.Let me break this down for you — 16. Golden retriever. Puppies.And then she left us alone. With these puppies. For as long as we wanted.We climbed in the first pen, being especially careful not to step on any of their tiny bodies, and they immediately attacked us. Luckily, they’re extremely small and not very strong so we would just pick up two or three at a time and they would fall asleep in our arms. They absolutely loved my hair and Nick’s shoelaces and would follow us wherever we went, crying when we left each pen.We went to all three pens, making sure to get an adequate amount of kisses from each tiny pupper, letting them crawl on us, sneeze on us and sometimes even pee a little on us. I debated stuffing the littlest one in my raincoat, but Nick gently let me know that I could neither afford nor take care of such a small and needy animal.We said sorrowful goodbyes, hung out with some of the older, calmer dogs and made our way home. It was such a great day.I would like you to know that this place is real and everything I just wrote is true. Please take the time to go if you can, you won’t be sorry.Next week, my mom and I will explore the legendary Skyline Drive. Stay tuned!
(10/11/16 2:26am)
Our bags were packed, the PB&J sandwiches were in their baggies, the trails were selected and the gas tank was full.
(09/27/16 1:07am)
A warm breeze blew across the mountain top, as college students and families sat on picnic blankets, laughing in the sunset with wine glasses in hand. From this vantage point, you can see across all of Charlottesville, out to the University and neighborhoods and even into the Shenandoah Valley. As you sit on the slightly-sloping hill, live local music floats down from the porch above as you indulge in fresh cinnamon doughnuts, local Bold Rock hard cider — if you’re over 21 — and homemade peach and vanilla ice creams. Old couples, young couples with young children, dog owners and student groups alike trickle in and fill the hill by about 7 p.m. until the sun sets over the city you all share. Oh, and it’s free.
(09/14/16 3:44am)
I’d never really seen anything quite like it. Imagine hundreds of people, dozens of dogs and babies, tons of deliciously enticing smells and the creeping sense that there isn’t enough money in the world to satisfy all of your cravings. That’s the farmer’s market on the Downtown Mall, and that’s how I spent my Saturday morning.
(08/31/16 3:02am)
For those who didn’t keep up with me last semester, in my column each week I would make a positive adjustment to my diet or routine, track its manageability and take note of the effects it had on my body. I was inspired by my roommates and their chia seeds, hemp milk, raw bean sprouts and cold-pressed juices, and I treated my body like an experiment — testing out different means of self-care and wellness. I did it all — exercise, vegetables, sleep, reading and meditation — to see which adjustments made the biggest difference in how I felt. I spent a lot of time thinking about my choices in conjunction with my well-being, and constructing a lifestyle that I could weave into my chaotic life at U.Va.
(05/03/16 3:27am)
Put simply, I am not a fan of vegetables. They have never been the part of the meal I look forward to most, and it was only until very recently that I started tolerating salads. To put it into perspective, I was the toddler — and the middle schooler — who snuck peas under the table to the family dog. When I came to U.Va., my salad-loving, veggie-craving, modelesque peers influenced me to grab a plate of sliced cucumbers and baby carrots each time I went to the dining halls, and I would sometimes even tolerate a plate of romaine lettuce, red onions and broccoli with my dinner. Then, upon living in an apartment, cooking for myself proved to be a barrier to healthy eating. Green vegetables were definitely possible, they just required more time, money and planning to prepare. But it wasn’t until I realized I hadn’t had a vegetable in two days that I knew it was time for a change. I was going to eat green for every meal.
(04/19/16 3:37am)
On any given day, you can find me in my bedroom, living room, Nau Hall, Newcomb, the AFC, Alderman, restaurants on the Corner and Clemons. Aside from my 20 minute walks to and from my classes and Central Grounds, I spend the majority of time enclosed by white walls and fluorescent lights. Our lifestyles in college usually demand the indoors — thanks to our constant attachment to outlets and Wi-Fi — and time outside is more elusive than one might assume.
(04/04/16 10:56pm)
I’ve always felt qualms about enjoying a barbeque sandwich or a hamburger, but managed to suppress that guilt because of the pure joy I experienced each time I ate one. But more recently, I’ve felt worse and worse with every chicken sandwich or steak, picturing the faces of cute little farm animals with each bite. The decision to go vegetarian for the week came after a viewing of “Food Inc.,” a documentary guaranteed to make you feel skeptical about the American meat processing system and question every late night Cook Out tray you’ve ever consumed. If you enjoy blissful ignorance, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you love eye-opening, borderline life-changing experiences, give it a watch.
(03/22/16 12:42am)
Every week, I spend 20 hours in class, 50 hours in the library, seven hours in meetings, five hours at the gym (if we’re being super generous), about 55 hours sleeping, leaving 31 hours for eating, self-care, cleaning, relaxing and friendship — and I consider myself lucky.
(03/02/16 12:28am)
My favorite Jewish holiday is Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year. In addition to many significant intricacies, an important tradition is fasting all day and then breaking the fast with a huge buffet style meal at sunset. I began fasting in seventh grade and every year, my immediate family gathers in my grandma’s tiny kitchen for a spread of bagels and cream cheese, egg salad, macaroni salad, cheese casserole, kugel and cheese blintzes (among other bizarre Jewish delicacies like gefilte fish, reserved for my Great Uncle Allen).
(02/16/16 12:45am)
“House of Cards,” “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Seinfeld,” “Broad City,” “Homeland,” “The Biggest Loser” — while some shows are more respectable than others, my time at U.Va. is charted by these and many more. But I’ve noticed my television addiction has started to take priority over other parts of my life, parts which are more valuable for my social, academic and physical wellness. What would it be like to spend a whole week without any sort of TV?
(02/02/16 5:18am)
What was the last book you read for fun? What about nine-year-old you?
(12/01/15 1:41am)
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 8-10 hours of sleep per night for teenagers and young adults, but a study by the University of Cincinnati reported that 55% of participating college students sleep for fewer than seven hours a night.
(11/03/15 2:57am)
This article is dedicated to the men and women of U.Va. who work out on a regular basis. They are superhuman and deserve our undying respect.