my rituals: me in 2014

I’ve always liked the saying, “What a difference a year can make” because I’m a person who thrives on change. So in the spirit of new, I thought it would be fun to update my own rituals. Between career shifts, boyfriend start-ups and a new dog, things have changed quite a bit since my first ritual rundown. Here’s a glimpse:

Name: Archana Ram
Age: 28
Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ
Current city: San Diego, CA
Professional title: Freelance writer + blogger

Mornings with Teddy
Anywhere from 6:30 to 8 a.m. on most days of the week, I groggily grab Teddy’s leash and harness and take a brisk walk to the nearby dog park, Balboa Park trails or gorgeous canyon a block from our apartment (pictured above). My favorite part is walking with him off-leash. He’s pretty spectacular on his own, and while he’s walking by my side (or running ahead to eat something he shouldn’t), for a little while, it feels like we’re in the country. The whole thing is more exercise for him than me, but I really love that time in the morning when it’s just me, him and the cool, dewy air.

Meal planning
I’ve already talked about how fun, cost-effective and helpful meal planning is, so it’s no surprise that it’s worked its way into my weekly routine. Usually on Sundays I’ll sit at the dining table with Pinterest and a cookbook or two open along with my notepad. It encourages me to try new things and builds my recipe repertoire.

An afternoon (or two) off
Working for yourself from home is a blessing and a curse. It offers tons of flexibility but also makes it hard to separate personal from professional. A lot of times Eaman and I will take an afternoon off to clear our heads — and cure cabin fever. We decide our own hours, so why not? This week it was happy hour at Hillcrest Brewing Company. Other times it’s been a leisurely coffee outing, fish tacos at Marisco’s and even a trip to Fashion Valley Mall. It sounds stupid, but after growing up on the East Coast, I still get a kick out of outdoor malls.

Saturdays in South Park
I love, love, love South Park, a small neighborhood near downtown San Diego, but I love weekend mornings in South Park even more. They’re something so happy and relaxed about it. Families are walking, dogs are skipping and there’s such a sense of community. Our Saturday usually involves tiring Teddy out at the Grape Street dog park (my favorite one in the city area) and settling down for croissants and coffee at Cafe Madeleine. Lately, though, we’ve been switching it up with acai bowls at Captain Kirk’s. Both places are super dog-friendly, as is most of South Park. (I’m going to do a neighborhood watch on South Park next week!)

Hope you guys have a good weekend! (I’m running a women’s 5K tomorrow, woot woot.)