How to Pack for a Romantic Getaway

DD x Vogue · Paris · by Marina Khorosh

Ah, that first getaway with the new beau. . . .After a summer of getting to know each other over casual dinners and laissez-faire promenades, the Big Test has arrived: You are off for your first weekend of unity and togetherness and coupled-up bliss, where no secrets or personal pet peeves will be left uncovered. Which means that along with the general anxiety of whether or not you will still be dating once this is over comes a certain sartorially influenced stress level. After all, you want him to think that all those effortless outfits of yours practically materialize out of thin air rather than being the product of an overstuffed weekender that doubles as a back hazard. Recently confronted with this challenge over a weekend trip to Île de Ré, an island off the west coast of France, I learned some valuable lessons that show that a bit of preparation goes a very long way.

10 Things to do Before Summer is Over

Those Who Can't Do, Teach · Paris · by Marina Khorosh

I can wax poetic clichés about summertime for hours, calling out its infinite benefits such as FroYo as breakfast, rosé as water, and denim shorts as a uniform, yet I will save us all the energy and get straight to the point. Above anything else, summer is a three-month promiscuity free pass, in which you and are exempt from consequences and repercussion by the law of heat wave and summer brain, a universal rule if there ever was one. Since it expires in merely a month, its time to wake the F up and take action. So if you haven’t done any of these things yet, do at least 5 this weekend, preferably simultaneously!

Three’s Company

I Know How To Pick'Em, Misery Loves Company · Paris · by Marina Khorosh

If you walk down any Parisian boulevard and inadvertently stumble across a movie theater, you will, without a doubt, see a poster for Gaspar Noé’s Love, yet another explicit French “love story” meant to celebrate mildly disturbing sexual encounters between barely post-pubescent pretty young things. This time, the French had truly outdone themselves, throwing a 3D component, a transsexual encounter, and a threesome into the mix.

The Chic Parisian’s Guide to Summer Weddings

DD x Vogue · Paris · by Marina Khorosh

Of all the things that confuse French people about Americans (noise levels, portion sizes, sweatpants in public . . . the list goes on), the biggest culture shock definitely lies in the phenomenon of the big fat American wedding. I’m always entertained watching my French colleagues devour Facebook albums of me in a parade of bridesmaid dresses and coiffed updos, mocking my resemblance to the seven girls by my side, all looking like “les meringues.”

Male Turn-Offs, Revealed

Those Who Can't Do, Teach · Paris · by Marina Khorosh

While it may seem that I have gone completely mum on this blog regarding all things personal, I can reassure you that its for a pretty decent cause. While details must remain more classified than NSA affairs pre-Snowden, I have effectively managed to gather some valuable insight on slippery slope that is Level II dating, starting with a few faux pas that will send a man running for the hills faster than El Chapo. Feel free to apply selectively, or ignore altogether!

Love Lessons from Japan

Typecasting · Tokyo · by Marina Khorosh

My newfound obsession with Japan knows no limits. From the schizoid robot shows, to the ancient temples, to the food (the food!) to samurai practice in the middle of parks and entire streets dedicated to the most bizarre Japanese animé, the juxtaposition of the weird and the beautiful and the chaotic rings so close to my inner turmoil that I cannot help but feel a mysterious kinship with this culture. And so, I decided to investigate further and see if the Japanese dating scene held any gems that we could apply to our own lives, basing my research on a combination of articles, readers advice, and the conversations I had with a few people I met there. Here is what I found.