Hello, friend! I hope you’re having an amazing day! I’m coming at you with a casual post about what I’ve been enjoying lately and life around Charlotte.
First, let’s catch up: Spring has officially sprung in the Queen City, and the weather has been beautiful, so we’ve been outside as much as we can. Unless we have an after-school activity, you’ll find Brady and me in the driveway playing basketball or soccer. While I’m not very good at either sport (which Brady tells me all the time), I like this time hanging with him one on one. But I must mention that the pollen is at an all-time high, and our cars, house and nasal passages are covered in it, especially after spending time outdoors.
Other than that, life is good, but busy. I’m cranking away at creating content and teaching classes at Life Time Charlotte. Brady is entering his last quarter of first grade. Dave is doing all the things at work. And we’re trying our best to have some quality family time when we can, even though most days are a blur. I’ve also fit in a few girls’ nights lately, and those are always good for the soul. My girlfriends and I usually stick to our monthly wine night on the second Thursday of the month, and here’s a shot from the last one.
Now, let’s chat about a few things I’ve been enjoying lately and life around Charlotte …
What I’ve been enjoying lately and life around Charlotte
Reading “Bright Young Women” by Jessica Knoll
I reserved this book, “Bright Young Women” by Jessica Knoll, at the library after finding it on a best-sellers list. Honestly, I hadn’t read a very thorough description of the book before bringing it home. I knew that it was a gripping account of a crime that took place at a sorority house in Florida (my home state), and it had amazing reviews. I thought that sounded interesting and so I started reading it.
Within the first few pages, I realized that this book was actually a fictionalized account of real-life events, surrounding crimes committed by American serial killer Ted Bundy. The narrative is told through the eyes of a college student whose friends were killed, as well as through the eyes of a different young woman who eventually ended up as a victim. So much of the story is true, but it’s a fiction book. One interesting point to note is that the name Ted Bundy is never once referenced in the book, he’s merely referred to as “The Defendant.”
(“Bright Young Women” by Jessica Knoll)
I didn’t know much about Ted Bundy and his crimes against women, but after reading this book I did some serious research, and it’s so disturbing. Especially how people were intrigued by his “All-American” appearance.
Even though “Bright Young Women” is primarily about Ted Bundy and his crimes, it’s also about two women growing, learning and trying to overcome immense grief. I had a few moments where I was a little scared at night while reading (mostly when they talked about how “The Defendant” committed his crimes), but overall, I was really into the story, and I’m so impressed with how the author made it all happen.
The most gripping part was that the ending pages included real-life testimony from Ted Bundy before he was convicted and given the death penalty. And all of that combined made for a much more serious tone than most of the fiction books I read, and I liked the change. I’m on to something a little bit lighter now.
Wearing a weighted vest for neighborhood walks
I’ve been doing very well with taking a day off from the gym every single week to rest and recover. Sometimes that day off includes no exercise, and sometimes that day off includes a leisure neighborhood walk with a weighted vest. And let me tell you: I’m loving my weighted-vest walks.
(Here’s my weighted vest, and here are my sunglasses.)
Walking with a weighted vest is so beneficial. I’m seeing more and more people add vests to their walks, and that’s because the vest provides a little bit of resistance training in a low-impact way. The vest is supposed to fit snuggly to your body, so it doesn’t bounce or move. Then, you go on about your activities like it’s not even there, while enjoying the benefits for your muscles and even your bone density.
When you walk with a weighted vest, you need to make sure you have great posture, with your shoulders stacked over your hips and your core braced, and then you can walk hands free (arms swinging gently by your sides). I have this weighted vest and it’s 12 pounds, and it doesn’t feel like too much. While you can get adjustable vests or those that are much heavier, because I will likely wear this only on leisure walks, I think 12 pounds is sufficient.
I think weighted vests are going to continue to rise in popularity, and if you haven’t tried one, you should give it a go. It’s such a simple way to up the intensity of your walk, improve your cardiovascular fitness and improve your muscular endurance too.
Checking out Charlotte Intown Golf Club with friends
I’ve lived in Charlotte for just over four years, and I really need to get better about venturing out of my bubble and trying new things.
A few Sundays ago, Dave, Brady and I were invited to Intown Golf Club by some friends, and it was such a cool place. Intown Golf Club is an urban indoor country club with golf simulators, a restaurant and other fancy amenities. This particular spot is in the South Park neighborhood, and we had a lovely time there.
(I love to wear these sneakers.)
Our friends are members, and they reserved a private room with an indoor golf simulator bay for us, and this room also had a dining tables, chairs and couches. While the guys and the kids tried their hands at golf games, my girlfriends and I sipped on bubbles and had some food. I was a big fan of the decor and vibe of this spot, and it was so chic.
While country clubs are definitely a big thing in Charlotte, this particular spot is meant to be a smaller, more urban, non-weather dependent option for people wanting to golf (indoors virtually), host clients or host events.
We each brought our families with little kids aged from 4 to 7, and it went great for our group. I’m happy to know we have this place in Charlotte, and I’d definitely go back.
There are about 10 Intown locations currently around the East Coast, by the way.
Other things I’ve been enjoying lately …
Supperland and Folia
We finally tried popular Charlotte restaurant Supperland with some friends for a birthday celebration a couple weekends ago. This spot is located in an old church and features sharable Southern fare.
We really enjoyed the food, the ambiance and the company. Also worth mentioning is the spot we went to before dinner for drinks, Folia in South End, because the decor and vibe there was incredibly lovely as well (and shown below).
Rail Trail in South End
The other day, Dave, Brady and I went to South End on a whim on a Sunday, and we had lunch at Trolley Barn, grabbed lattes from Not Just Coffee and walked along the Rail Trail. It was such a nice little excursion out of our South Charlotte bubble on a nice day.
We could have just as easily picked up take-out from one of our usual spots, but we were all happy we trekked an extra few minutes for the experience instead.
(I’m a big fan of this outfit! Here’s my skort, here’s my top, here’s my bag, here are my sunglasses, and here are my shoes.)
Charlotte FC games
Major League Soccer season is back, and we’re pumped about it. Brady and I have gone to two home games so far at Bank of America Stadium in Uptown and have another one this weekend.
We absolutely love watching Charlotte FC play, and I always recommend this as a family activity to people in Charlotte. Even if you’re not a big soccer fan, it’s just a good, casual time. Make sure you get there for the team introductions, because that’s a really fun part of the experience.
The best of A Lady Goes West lately
In addition to all of the above, I’ve been around the blog a bit as well. Did you catch these posts?
Thank you for stopping by today, friend. See you back here soon or over on Instagram!
Questions of the day
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to in spring?
What’s the best thing you’ve done so far in 2025?
