San Diego is a city of transplants. Sure, there are many whom are born, raised, and never left, but more often than not, I meet people who end up in our sunny city for a job, for a relationship, or for the simple life. And we transplants tend to gravitate towards each other. For example, my neighbor/friend, who moved to San Diego from Chicago via Albuquerque, introduced me to Annie D’Souza, a community manager and blogger, who recently moved to SD from Minneapolis. I’ve had dinner with Annie, chatted over coffee with Annie, and celebrated the New Year with Annie, but best of all, I received a rubber costume horse’s head from Annie. (Don’t ask. It was a Secret Santa thing.)
Like me, Annie balances multiple gigs—including a contributing editor role at Brit + Co.!—with her blog, Worthy Pause, which chronicles her adventures in Paleo cooking and general life musings. Because she seems to do it all so well, I’ve turned to her on more than one occasion for guidance and motivation. Today I turned to her for a different reason—to ask her about her rituals, and as it turns out, this San Diego newbie has carved out quite the routine in her new city.
Name: Annie D’Souza
Age: 30
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Current City: San Diego, CA
Professional Title: Community Manager and Writer
Lists.
I make SO MANY LISTS, but the one I make before bed is a bit of a nightly ritual. I sleep much better when I take the time to unload my brain on paper. In the morning, I prioritize that list and map out the day with my trusty Thyme is Honey notepad over coffee—either on my balcony or at a local coffee shop.
Tennis.
I’d never categorize myself as sporty, but I love tennis more than basically any activity in the world. When I’m playing tennis, I’m 100% present. It’s like my yoga. Plus, the view from the Balboa Park courts is downright dreamy at sunset.
Constitutionals.
My husband and I have been taking walks together every evening when he gets home from work—we call it our daily constitutional. Sometimes we visit the animals at the zoo or just take a loop around the block if we’re short on time, but it gives us a minute to slow down, digest the day with each other and hold hands for a little while before we get distracted by laundry, Netflix and whatnot.
Kitchen adventures.
Worthy Pause is mainly about food, so it’s probably obvious I cook a lot. When so much of my work life is spent sitting in front of a screen, I don’t think of cooking as a chore. I value that time to work with my hands and make something tangible, even if it disappears a few bites later! [Note: Here’s the recipe for the above mint coriander chutney with salt-n-peppa shrimp!]
Green-ish thumbs.
I’m just starting to get my patio garden off the ground (literally off the ground—it’s a container garden), but while I wait for the fruits of that labor, fresh-cut flowers from the farmers market are the best treat on Sundays.
Thanks, Annie! You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
All pictures courtesy of Annie D’Souza
i tried the whole30 and it was an interesting experience, dont know if thats something i can do 100% of the time though.
@Dixya Ha, your 100% comment made me laugh because I just ate a burrito. I love cooking paleo at home… but I also love burritos. :)
Your blog is great, by the way—you had me at paratha.
I love finding new blogs to read through this series. :)
Thanks so much for having me, Archana! <3