Maryann LoRusso

It’s been three weeks since this once-in-a-lifetime trip to India, and I’m still processing the sights, sounds, foods and people we encountered. 🪷 There’s no way to condense such a rich experience into 20 photos, but here goes… **Since IG does not allow separate captions in a carousel, here’s a breakdown: 🪷Doing a little transcendental meditation at the Moonlight Garden outside the Taj at sunset. A monkey pal lounges nearby. Steve and I tour the Taj in the early morning. Arif Ahmed and his family, descendants of the 17th century artisans who originally decorated the Taj, use generations-old techniques to maintain the intricate stoneware on the monument. 🪷Jaipur highlights: Posing outside the Palace of Winds. Strolling the farmers market. Partaking in a scrumptious thali platter. A peacock resting at the Rambagh Palace. Swinging by the pretty Patrika Gate. 🪷The Chan’s Baori Stepwell in Rajasthan. A brave snake charmer. The Lake Palace Hotel, which floats in the middle of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, and the Udaipur City Palace. 🪷The Janki Jhula Bridge in Rishikesh. Dipping our feet in the sacred Ganges. Attending a Ganja Aarti ceremony at sunset on the steps of the river. 🪷New Delhi moments: a visit to the Gurdwara Banglasahib Sikh Temple, where tens of thousands of people of all faiths receive free meals every day. The vibrant flower and farmers market.

An intimate chat with one of my favorite authors (RIP #gabrielgarciamarquez)…and a long-overdue photo drop from our Colombia trip. Una experiencia inolvidable.

Three decades with this man, and all I can say is: Sign me up for the next 30! Steve and I recently celebrated this milestone anniversary and had a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come as a couple. When I was a newlywed, I thought it was chemistry that kept a relationship going. Now I know it also takes common goals, curiosity, a tremendous amount of patience, and a sense of humor. Most important, it means consistently showing up for one another, having one another’s back. At our wedding, one of our guests told us that marriage was a bus and the key to a long life together was simple: never get off the bus. For years, Steve and I made fun of that analogy. But now, as an older and hopefully wiser woman, I’d say that guest was onto something. Because if you stay together long enough, you’ll hit bumps in the road. At times it’s uncomfortable to keep riding, and you might even be tempted to get off at the next stop. But in most cases, it just takes one of you to tug on the other’s sleeve and say, “Sit down, babe, we still have a long way to go.“ At the end of the day, it’s as much about the journey as the destination. And it’s not just the big moments, but the little ones, that sustain you from day to day. It’s the silly jokes and the laughter and the family game nights and the meals and the cleaning up the kitchen together and the goodnight kisses. Throughout the years, Steve has showered me with so many of these simple but magic moments, and I hope I’ve done the same for him. We are so grateful for everyone who celebrated with us. To those who gave beautiful toasts, for those who danced like there was no tomorrow. Hugs to our darling girl Ava and her Dlo, who graced us with a gorgeous duet. A big thanks to Therese for her mad party set-up skills, @bbernthal for his extraordinary poetry, James @destinosf for the delicious Latin food, and DJ Ani for spinning our favorite tunes. A special thanks to @spencerbrownphoto for capturing the best moments with his skillful and creative eye. And Steve, for all these years you have been my rock, my soulmate, my partner in crime and the love of my life. You make life beautiful, and I love you so much.

“Making art shows you who you really are.” Wise words uttered by music legend Stanley Clarke during a performance with master jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba at @sfjazz this past weekend. The pair, who headlined Saturday evening of the newly revamped San Francisco Jazz Festival, not only showed us “who they really are” through their seemingly limitless talent, but also proved that jazz is very much alive and well in San Francisco. And we need it now, more than ever. Clarke’s wise words remind us that no matter what’s going on in the world and in our lives, we need something creative to get us back in touch with our deepest, most soulful selves. So never give up playing, or writing, or singing, or painting, or sewing…or whatever it is you do to reacquaint yourself with you. 🎶

And just like that...We have a college graduate! Go, bears.

What would your 11-year-old self say about birthdays? I recently found my childhood diary (always a writer, what can I say?) and took a trip down memory lane. On this day many years ago, little Maryann woke up happy and excited to celebrate with her friends and family. She also wrote in an entry the week before, “I can’t wait to be an adult to make my own decisions. Well, almost one year older and closer to being a grownup!” Looking back, I can smile at the fact that I was so eager to grow up, when now all I want to do is freeze time. It’s a reminder that this day, whatever day it is, is the youngest you’ll ever be, and you should enjoy every minute of your life, your family and friends, the body you were blessed with, and all the stuff you love to do. Despite the challenges of being an adult in this complicated, often infuriating world, it’s a privilege to be here. It’s a privilege to be able to age, because not everybody (including my Dad who passed away at age 46) gets to do it. You bet your sweet ass I’m going to enjoy my birthday weekend. The sun is shining, my family and friends are in my orbit, and I’m right here where I want to be.

So many books on writing, so little time. Whether you’re a professional scribbler or just working on a writing project, sometimes you need a little inspiration. Here are some of my favorite books on the craft of writing. Please share yours in the comments! Kurt Vonnegut and Suzanne McConnell’s Pity the Reader is packed with not only valuable advice on writing, but stories from Vonnegut’s own career as a wordsmith. His first writing rule? “find a subject you care about.” Ann Lamott’s Bird By Bird offers big-hearted advice for wordsmiths of all ages and abilities. Roy Peter Clark’s Murder Your Darlings contains more than 100 writing tips from 50 of the best writing books of all time. Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones is a gem I first read while studying journalism and creative writing in college. Taking a Zen Buddhist approach, Goldberg offers solid advice on the craft of writing—and I love this book so much that I’ll be doing more posts about it! Meg Bowles’ How to Tell a Story, while not for writers only, is a guide to telling an unforgettable story from the creatives at the Moth. Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life is a collection of essays that illuminate the dedication, courage and touch of weirdness it takes to embark on a life as a writer. Grant Faulkner’s Pep Talks For Writers offers motivation, encouragement, helpful exercises and, yes, pep talks for when you feel creatively blocked. James Scott Bell’s The Art of War For Writers offers tactics for idea generation and development, character building, plotting, drafting, querying and submitting—not to mention dealing with rejection, which is part of every writer’s life. Now it’s your turn: Share your faves!

Only in San Francisco is it January and October at the same time!

Yep, that was me on my local NPR radio station this morning talking about ikebana, my MIL, and how to cross the great political divide. A lot to cover in a two-minute segment, but my most heartfelt thanks to KQED for giving me the opportunity to try! It was such a fun and memorable experience, and one I won’t soon forget. 🎙️🎧

29 years ago on this day! 🥰 Happy Anniversary, @tomiojo . Not sure if there’s anyone who would’ve put up with me for this long, and no one I would rather navigate the next 29 years with. ❤️❤️❤️

Vacation photo drop with a timely PSA! 🌺 “A body is meant to live in.” Yesterday I had a long chat with one of my dearest friends. We talked about the fact that many people around us have been getting sick or injured, or have parents and other loved ones who are turning frail. My husband and I had just returned from a trip to French Polynesia to celebrate our anniversary and honor our newly empty nest, and I told my friend how spending unstructured time in one of the most beautiful places on earth made me really appreciate where I’m at. Especially the fact that I’m lucky to still have a healthy, functional body that can take me places, that can run and dance and swim, that can be nurtured with delicious food and sun and all that other good stuff. Some of it may not come as easily as it did when I was 25, but what are you gonna do, right? When you’re young, you don’t quite get how precious a gift your body is. You take it for granted. Or you’re super critical of it. You don’t realize how magical and temporary this gift is, until something goes wrong. What a silly waste of time. No matter how old you are, what shape you’re in, what you think your body can or can’t do, be grateful for it right now. Let that beautiful body of yours take you places. And enjoy every minute you get to spend in it. Thanks to the gorgeous people of French Polynesia who understand what it means to live, and to my wonderful husband who initiated this vacation of a lifetime. We saw whales and sharks and dophins and lotsa tropical fish. 🐠 We sunned and swam and watched sunsets and got sick on a boat (at least I did). ⛵️ We ate fresh food and read books and connected with one another. ❤️ And thank you for indulging this photo drop, which absolutely couldn’t be helped given how stunning these islands are. 🏝 @sofitelmoorea @leboraborabypearlresorts #emptynesterslife #frenchpolynesia #mooreaisland #tahitilife #boraboraisland #islandvacations #midlifetravel #travelover50 #islandtravel #morebeautifulproject

This three-day event takes place practically in our back yard and we wouldn’t miss it for the world. So every summer it’s always me and my husband, plus all of our friends’ kids! But don’t ever tell me I’m too old for a music festival! 🎸🎤🎶