coast to coast.

WHERE TO START?

A lot has changed in a small amount of time.

I left my job at Dwell.

Moved out of Brooklyn.

Packed up my Hundai with as much as it could carry.

Drove across the country 3000 miles while bonding with my father.

Moved into my apartment in Los Angeles...

...and on Monday i'll be starting at Entertainment Weekly.

If nothing else, I am so incredibly lucky to have had this experience. But beyond that, I am so humbled by the opportunity I have been given in this new (to me) city. Throughout this process i've been thinking a lot about an idea that was relayed to me a couple years ago, that people (and artists especially), must find comfort in their discomfort. I had been in new york city for around five years and I felt so incredibly comfortable. I had a great life there, incredible friends and roommates, and I enjoyed what I did day in and day out. However, I was missing that challenge that I had once felt. Change is an extremely difficult thing at times and i've prepared myself for that. Because really, if you're not changing how are you growing?

Fool for Love.

Fool for Love. from Erica Bonkowski on Vimeo.

Welcome to 2018, all.
Here are some things I'm focusing on this year...

Creating Beautiful Things.
Letting Go of Unneccessary Material Things.
Love for Friends and Family.
Staying Active, Building a Stronger Body.

What are you up to this year?

tis the season.

ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL

Winter is just a few weeks away and that means I just used Cyber Monday as an excuse to stock up on lots and lots of layers.

It's also a really trying time for my hair with all the dryness that comes around with the season, so i'm making a few changes to my beauty routine as well.

This year, i'll be dropping some of this baby into my shampoo.

Rosemary Essential Oil has a ton of benefits like healing my dry scalp and helping my hair grow Rapunzel long.

At twenty-six, I can also never remember anything so the fact that it improves memory is for sure an added bonus.

Besides smelling absolutely amazing, Maple Holistics creates this product a hundo percent natural and cruelty-free.

The other really amazing thing about this brand though is that they offer a free samples program.
So if there's a product your thinking of buying, but aren't ready to commit (we've all been there) you can try it out for starters!

dear journal.

MALAIKARAISS T-SHIRT LES FLEURS

MADEWELL 9" HIGH RISE SKINNY JEANS

J.CREW REGENT BLAZER

Currently Listening to:
Another Sad Love Song by Khalid

Journal Entry 10.27.2017

It's Friday and I'm tired. I'm lounging in a café in Berlin drinking an awful flat white and wasting away some time until my partner in crime is ready to explore the city again. I've watched the morning go from Sunny to cloudy to Rainy. We've been traveling through Europe together the past two weeks and having a blast and I am nearly ready to go home brought on by the solemn feeling of Berlin and it's history and just the thought of how I want to get bringing my 100-lb seeming backpack through two flights home over with. I'm starting to miss my other friends, my job and most importantly my bed. But I still have two full days left and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss out on Berlin because I can't get out of this headspace. So I'm writing this down so that I can put it out of mind, and enjoy the time I have left in Europe. After all is said and done and I'm set back into the daily routine of Brooklyn, I'll be wishing I was here in a cafe in Berlin waiting for my friend to come down and drag me out into the rain.

el tour.

LONDON, ENGLAND

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

PARIS, FRANCE

BERLIN, GERMANY

I just got back from a trip to Europe and it's taken me a while to get this post up just because it feels so strange that the trip is over. It wasn't one that I planned carefully a year ahead with fine detail and a good idea about how it would go, but rather booked a couple months in advance with a rough outline. I think that's what made it the most enjoyable trip I've been on. Aside from my travel buddy who I will be forever bonded with now.

We started in London and then moved on to Paris, stopped in Amsterdam and ended in Berlin. Each city was so beautiful in its own way, each had its own personality we found even reflected in the photos from place to place. 

I really enjoyed going at a time where there were fewer tourists and more foliage, though we ran into construction because of the fact. We were on the true twenty-something tour since we refused to spend money on museums and instead took it to the stores. We also took planes instead of trains in a roundabout way because it was cheaper and stayed in various different housing situations, all unique in their own way. We spent more time eating dinner than we did looking at art and we stumbled into some problems because of lack of being prepared but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. 

We went to a concert in London, drank plenty of champagne in Paris (once in front of the Eiffel Tower), rode bikes in Amsterdam and hung out in coffee shops in Berlin. After all is said and done, I truly felt the culture of each city which was really what the whole trip was about. 

And now that I'm back I feel out of order, like my true place in life is galavanting around European streets. 

More on this trip and individual city guides t.k.

morning glory.

How about that magic hour though?

Settling into the new room and discovering new light.

Trying my best to take in the beauty of the changes going on.

Pouring a little energy into decorating the space and being my best self.

Continuing to realize how complex this life is.

Like, very.

Discovering that I can't sit still for too long.

Finding new destinations to discover.

Making the most out of my weekends and exploring New York.

Thriving in creativity.

Challenging my artistic visions in ways I have yet to master.

Still haven't figured mornings out.

Send help.

fancy pants.

 BDG CHARLESTON RELAXED-FIT JEAN

TOPSHOP SLEEVELESS TANK

Man, it's been a while since I last posted, so I guess I'll pick it back up on another 'A' month. Been focusing on living life and making moves, a lot has happened since the spring rolled around. I had my #girlboss moment of the year and wrangled a promotion, you never know what you can get until you ask! I've turned out some designs this year within and outside of Dwell that I'm really proud of, learning a lot and still growing in the infinite possibilities of what I can accomplish. Also, I've joined November Project, a free fitness movement which has upped my positivity every week. If you don't know what it is, you should definitely take the time to check it out and see if it's in your city! Other than focusing on friends and family, that's been the time in a nutshell.

So I've been embracing this total menswear vibe that's been happening. I'm also really excited about the high-waisted pant trend that has come back, I always thought that I was meant to live in a different decade, but now that this trend is here I know I am exactly where I need to be. I got these guys from Urban Outfitters. The trick about these pants is that they feel and look a bit like pajamas, but the vertical stripe on blue gives them more of a work feel. I recommend pairing a looser fit pant with a tighter top, or a crop to offset the lack of shape these have, although they do hug the hips perfectly! Madewell has also been turning out some great high-waisted moments. I got the High-Rise Slim Boyjean and the High-Rise Boyshorts for good measure.

Currently listening to the Beatles White album.

Okay, that is all. Till next time, folks!

april showers.

URBAN OUTFITTERS COLOR BLOCK SWEATER

I'm curling my hair always, and when I look out and it's pouring, it really dampens my mood. I live in the city and need to walk everywhere, so it's inevitable that I will have to strut through the raindrops in my raincoat since I'm not keen on using umbrellas. I came up with a system to stop my curls from coming undone in wet weather one day and it's been working ever since.

After curling, I keep my curls in tact instead of shaking them out. I try to do bigger curls on rainy days, about four on each side. Then I take them one by one and secure them with a bobby pin, alternating sides from the one farthest back to closest to my face. I make sure to place them on the opposite side as they are coming from on the back of my head.

I'll walk around like this on the subway or outside under a hood until I get to my destination and remove the pins. I'll then shake them out or comb my fingers through them to give them volume and my hair is ready for the day! Sometimes I will keep them in all day at work if I have an event to go to later at night when the forecast predicts rain.

highly functional.

 lengthen

 fix split ends

thermal protection

curl definition

soothe scalp

Just when I was at the end of my shampoo bottle, I discovered Function of Beauty. This company has hair care down to a science. If you go onto the website you can select exactly what you're looking for, what type of hair you have, and even designate the scent and color. It's like the choose your own adventure of beauty products.

I used it this morning after my workout and it lathered perfectly and smelled delicious but not overpowering (I selected medium scent). The bottles also come with a pump so it's easy to access. Another plus to using Function of Beauty is that you get to pick the size combo you want, I went with the 8oz option since i'm trying it for the first time and it fits just right in my shower caddy.

I've been having issues with my hair lately, I have mean split ends and my hair has been breaking off in long strands due to excessive thermal exposure. I've tried a lot of things so far to remedy it like using a hair mask every couple of washes, putting in leave in conditioner and thermal protectant spray before I curl. I've even been letting my hair air dry to avoid my curling iron and hair dryer, which is definitely not ideal.

Hoping that having a shampoo/conditioner combo that is tailor made to my hair will only help my hair problems.

Holler if you guys have any other ideas...

we out here.

FINDERS KEEPERS THE CREATOR PLAYSUIT
POOKIE & SEBASTIAN COTTON LACE MAXI

FREE PEOPLE SUN GODDESS MAXI

SILENCE + NOICE OVERSIZED JUMPSUIT
FREE PEOPLE CHAMBRAY JUMPER

Driving through Joshua Tree was an indescribable experience. The roads are pretty damn open, and each time you go over a hill, there's a new landscape in front of you, similar but uniquely beautiful. I drove from 5am to 5pm driving from Arizona to California. I saw the desert, I saw a snow capped mountain, I saw rolling green hills and then encountered true LA traffic. I saw so many different varieties of cactus, took about a thousand photos and videos and felt care free until the sun set that day. 

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip out to the west coast. I wanted to travel, to see lots of places I haven't been before and see people I haven't seen in a while and a little one I was anxious to meet for the first time. But, if I'm being completely honest with myself, I wanted to get away for a bit. I wanted to escape my usual routine which has been getting the best of me lately and I wanted to explore and gain inspiration from a different part of the world where things were all shiny and new for me. I wanted to check LA off my list. I wanted to hit the open road by myself and take time to take in the beauty. I wanted to drive down the coast and feel the Pacific Ocean on my toes. I wanted to run through the desert. I wanted to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in a blue moon.

I did all this and then some.

Some things I planned on, and others I let happen on their own. I tried to keep to some schedule when traveling, but I let my awesome hosts show me around their lives for an unplanned couple of days. I had two days that were completely mine though, when I was on the road. I love driving. In fact, it's one of my favorite things to do and the thing I miss the most when living in Brooklyn. I usually take long drives to find clarity in my life, I dwell on the past and I plan for the future. I think that I thought I had a lot to think about when I embarked on this journey. Follow that? What I learned was though that I really have more figured out than I realized.

What I did though, was embark on a journey solo. I made a decision to go and I picked up and left. I made a promise to myself on this blog over a year ago that I would take a trip down the Cali coast, whatever it took. I didn't do it in the year goal I gave myself and I haven't traveled the entire west coast (yet). But... I did what I had to do to make it happen the best I could. I think the most important lessons I learned this trip was to make the best you can out of every situation, to cherish every moment with family and friends and to live the moments to the fullest. All pretty cliché I know, but it's what's working for me.

Travel. Live. Discover.