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![I just love being a girl with my girls ♥️🍑🤠 Can’t believe it’s been almost ten years since we met or that there was ever a time before I knew them!!]()
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2025-07-15 04:06:37
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I just love..
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![One of the most bizarre parts of sharing my life online is that I have no idea where this story is going. It is WILD that I’ve written my Substack, Morning Person Newsletter, for four years now, sharing the most intimate details about my life. Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude at the ways I’ve grown and changed, documenting every step even when it was unimaginably hard (divorce, grad school, living on my own) but also so, so good (publishing my novel, buying a house, finding my rhythm and love again).
I had no idea what I was getting into when I launched Morning Person in 2021 as the newsletter I always wanted in my inbox, but it certainly wasn’t all this and 45,000 subscribers! I know many of you have been following along since the early days. 💕 Where will it go next?? Your guess is as good as mine. xx
https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/]()
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2025-07-13 18:23:31
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One of the mos..
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![Hi, hello! 👋 It’s been nearly six months since I was last here, but that’s because I’ve been spending most of my time finishing grad school (two more months!!) and building a community (with over 40,000 readers!) over on my Substack, Morning Person Newsletter!
This morning, I hosted Portland readers at an outdoor Pilates class, taught by the owner of my favorite studio rollupspilates, with matcha lemonades from teabar afterwards and time to meet and mingle with other readers! It was such a joy, aaaand we raised $325 for a local animal shelter, onetailatatime, in the process! Anyways, just wanted to pop in and share the love from a truly restorative gathering, bringing this online community offline. More to come! xx
https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com]()
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2025-05-26 05:13:11
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Hi, hello! 👋 It’..
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![If 2023 felt like being tossed down a tunnel of grief, 2024 was the year I crawled out of it. Looking back, I can’t entirely believe everything that happened. I had my fill of monumental milestones—getting divorced, publishing my first novel, building Morning Person, creating my home, traveling the world—but, in reflecting, it’s the smaller moments that stand out.
I hiked in the pouring rain, made frittatas, read books, then befriended the women who wrote them, ran back onto dance floors for my favorite song, shared kisses, sat in hot saunas, brewed hundreds of cups of coffee (and forgot to finish at least half of them). I learned to love a little deeper, and that the low-lows make room for the high-highs. I’m ending this year in amazement, so full of gratitude and excited for the next chapter! 💕]()
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2025-01-01 03:30:51
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If 202..
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![Obviously. kamalaharris timwalz]()
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2024-11-04 05:56:47
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Obviously. kamalaharris t..
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![I spent the last month traveling through Japan (!), but I’m still thinking about my first week in Tokyo. I fit as many miles and meals as possible into this city, which quickly became one of my favorite cities in the world (it blew away my impossibly high expectations).
I shared an obsessively compiled four-day itinerary, including a downloadable Google map packed with over 200 recommendations. It’s the most in-depth travel guide I’ve ever written and is a must for anyone considering a trip to Tokyo (I don’t say that lightly)! There are tons of photos from my own adventures there, with honest reviews, but here are a few best bites and sips! (With a special moment for the best bar in the world, 📍 Bar Martha)
https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/p/four-day-itinerary-tokyo]()
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2024-09-26 01:49:22
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I spent the la..
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![I don’t have the words (or organized photos!) yet to encapsulate just how incredible my time in Tokyo has already been, but yesterday was an absolute peak experience. It began with summiting Mt Fuji at 2 am, in time to see the sun rise over the crater with the lights of Tokyo in the background, after spending the night in a mountain station. I’m at a loss for words, but filled with endless gratitude for this trip and this country, and for rediscovering my love of adventure and solo exploration! 🗻💕]()
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2024-09-10 07:33:35
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I don’t have th..
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![I left my heart in Lombok 💕 I’m currently in the Jakarta Airport on my way to Japan (!), but spent my final week in Indonesia scootering down dirt roads in search of remote beaches, making new friends, devouring smoothie bowls and jamu, scuba diving among sharks and neon coral (don’t even get me started on bubble coral!!), and doing it all with betsyschell! A true adventure and we didn’t even crash our scooter once 🙌🛵
I’ll be sharing a full trip recap on Morning Person next week! Expect all the tips, photos, and details there! x]()
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2024-09-04 18:48:49
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I left m..
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![Come pack with me for my 6-week trip (!). I’m currently in the Singapore Airport (happy as a clam with butter toast and soft-boiled eggs), but 24 hours ago, I was closing up my carry-on backpack, that’s only half full so I can bring things back! I feel like I’ve been training for this moment my entire life, and shared how I packed extremely minimally, with links to every single item I brought for my adventure to Bali, Lombok, Japan, and Seoul. Also, after my 16.5 hour flight, I can confirm that my “seat back pack” had every single thing I needed my long trek across the Pacific! Read all about it in the link below!
https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/p/the-5-to-1-rule-for-packing-in-a-carry-on
P.S. way too out of it to choose music to go over this, so let’s just pretend I was going for an asmr vibe 😘]()
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2024-08-22 04:43:55
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Come pack ..
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![Backyard or secret garden? Eating every meal outside until further notice (mosquitos and 17 trips back and forth to the kitchen, and all) ✨]()
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2024-07-17 02:43:58
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Backyard or secret gard..
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![SHE’S HEREE!! Bursting at the seams right now because ‘You’re Safe Here’ is officially on shelves, and available online! I’ve already received so many messages from you this morning telling me how much you love it 😭🙌 Thank you, thank you for the support. Just absolutely marinating in gratitude right now.
Hope to see you in LA tonight for my sold-out (!) conversation with joysullivanpoet, and check out Morning Person today for an exclusive excerpt! 🙌🪶 Happy launch day to You’re Safe Here!]()
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2024-06-25 22:03:52
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![One piercing, over a hundred signed books, several bagels and bike rides, two shows (Stereophonic and Merrily!), 95 degree days, a sold-out book event (!), the best publishing team and moderator, and friends from every stage of my life! Feeling like the luckiest girl in the world after this weekend in New York 🥰 I knew it would be special, but nothing could have prepared me for this!
Full recap plus links coming soon to Morning Person (of course!), and signed books will be on shelves at ptknitwear and booksaremagicbk tomorrow! 💕]()
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2024-06-24 18:51:06
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One piercing, over ..
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![One more day until my novel You’re Safe Here is out in the world! Called “dystopia at its best” (Booklist) and a “heart-pumping thrill ride” (Publishers Weekly), I am soo excited for you to dive into it! I had the most wonderful time celebrating it in New York at some of my favorite bookstores—I can’t wait to see you tonight in San Diego at mystgalaxybooks! ✨]()
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2024-06-24 17:59:02
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![When I bought my own house at the end of a life-changing year, I didn’t make a single mood board and instead went entirely on instinct: What do I love? How do I want to feel in my home? I wanted to create a space meaningful and personal to me, and turned the mixed blessing of starting with a blank slate into an opportunity. Enter: tons of color, a humongous couch, and soo many personal touches including a painting by my friend Brenna, inspired by my favorite Mary Oliver poem! We’re even selling a print of it, this week only! Links and deets on Morning Person today ✨
https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/p/living-room-reveal]()
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2024-06-18 19:25:50
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When I bought my ow..
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![Okay I know it’s June, but can we talk about May for a quick sec??
1. Kicked off summer wedding season in San Diego
2. Held my book for the first time (out June 25th!)
3. Created and shared my dream bedroom on Morning Person
4. Saw deadandcompany at the Sphere in Las Vegas
5. Got sweet texts from friends supporting our favorite indie bookstores!!
6. Summered hard (aka grilled and drank n/a shrubs) and gardened harder
7. Saw lcdsoundsystem with the best crew in Bend (travel guide coming to an inbox near you)
8. Took and passed the National Counseling Exam!
9. Visited a college friend in Seattle and left rapha wearing cyclists in our dust, on a rusty bike and all the wrong gear
10. Welcomed a milestone 30,000 subscribers to Morning Person Newsletter!!!
Not sure how to top that, but June is looking preeeetty promising 😉 https://lesliestephens.com/Events]()
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2024-06-07 02:40:56
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Okay I know it’s Jun..
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![Walking barefoot through my dream bedroom to get rosemary from my backyard. I literally couldn’t have imagined this a year ago, and can’t believe I get to wake up here every morning. 💕☀️
Still a long ways to go (in life, the bedroom is thankfully DONE), but so grateful to be here and for this beautiful bed, gifted to me from article! Full reveal on Morning Person!]()
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2024-05-30 22:40:12
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Walking barefo..
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![I’m going on tour! ✈️ My debut novel YOU’RE SAFE HERE comes out in less than one month (!) and I’ll be hitting the road to meet you in person and chat with some of my favorite writers, beginning in New York then heading west! Details and tickets available in the link below and in my bio! Any cities we should add?? Let me know here and tag your favorite local bookstore!
I’m an offline gal working in an online world—I cannot WAIT to meet in person! 🙌
https://lesliestephens.com/Events]()
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2024-05-29 00:26:13
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I’m goin..
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![Filmed while still *fully* in shock. My first time holding my book in its final form, five-plus years in the making! 🤯 Not sure I’ll ever get over this or the fact that you’ll be reading it in one month! Toast, meanwhile, completely lost interest the moment he realized it was not treats. Can’t win em all.
YOU’RE SAFE HERE, coming to a bookstore near you! Preorder it to get it June 25th! Aaahh!!🪶]()
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2024-05-24 21:32:22
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Filmed whil..
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![Every single item in my closet 👀 This year, I’m committing to the Rule of Five - only buying five new items of clothing for the entire year (!). I wrote all about this decision and, more importantly, how I’m going to stick with it on Morning Person. The post also includes a link to every single item in my closet, to help hold me accountable, and give you the deets! Let’s do this 🙌 also lol at the silver lining/tidiness of not sharing a closet with a partner?? 😬💕
morningpersonnewsletter.com]()
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2024-03-20 02:58:28
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Every s..
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![“Rather, she meant that following her heart had led her on some great adventures. She’s regretted none of them—and there were many more to come.”
Began today with such a generative live community chat with thejaneratcliffe about rest, followed by hot yoga, the realization that Morning Person has reached 28k (!) subscribers, and a slow afternoon reading with a blustery walk as soon as I get off (and redelete) this app. Exactly the Sunday I needed, full of active rest. Grateful, grateful.
morningpersonnewsletter.com]()
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2024-02-05 03:35:48
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“Rather, she mean..
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![Shared all my tips and grocery list for shopping at Costco when you live alone, in the highlight labeled “Costco tips,” but this was easily my favorite part of filming these stories. Little dude loves a peanut 😂🥜♥️]()
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2024-01-24 02:23:20
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Shared all ..
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![Shared a “Day in the Life” in Morning Person today! The first time I did this, I was freshly separated from my husband, so there have been quite a few changes. 💕
Every day is different, but always includes time in nature, something social, exercise, and pauses for meals, which is a 180° switch on where I used to be. In documenting this day, it felt good to realize how far I’ve come in creating space for my own joy.
You can read it now on morningpersonnewsletter.com!]()
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2024-01-16 22:41:40
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Shared a “Day i..
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![You already know the way this story begins… When I exploded my life and my marriage last year, it was largely in reaction to the realization that I had been sleepwalking for thirty years; going through the motions of “good” grades, college, career, husband, and house. It was as if I woke up and realized, “Oh, fuck. I don’t want any of this.” I spent the immediate aftermath ripping myself out of the only life I’d ever known, operating in survival mode. As difficult as that was, it turns out that the initial awakening, and accompanying logistics, was the “easy” part. What’s proved to be much more challenging is the task of building a life that reflects this recognition, and honors a more attentive and intentional way of being.
Today on Morning Person, I’m sharing one of my favorite issues of all time, all about the work I’ve put into engaging wholly in life (what’s changed and what’s worked) rather than distracting myself through it because I don’t want to miss this. I hope you find it helpful. ♥️
https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/p/practices]()
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2024-01-09 23:31:33
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![This overhead light was the home purchase I was most excited to buy for the house I shared with my ex. I’ve been told it’s “too much” but, what can I say, I love its unapologetic femininity and flower-inspired petals. It brightened our living room until I moved out, and he replaced it with something more streamlined and simple.
This morning, I finally took my light out of storage and installed it in my kitchen. It may be a sleepy, rainy morning in Portland but it feels appropriate to begin this year with a light. Here’s to brightening more rooms and being too much in 2024. 🌸✨]()
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2024-01-03 01:01:09
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![Back in Portland, but not before a perfect last day in my hometown! Started the day off with a hike up Whites Creek trail, then pancake breakfast with the fam and a half day skiing at Mt. Rose with my oldest friend and brother, and capped it all off with a cheeseboard, mocktails, and competitive game of Wingspan in front of the fireplace. I couldn’t wait to get out in high school, but I’ve really come around to this biggest little city. 💕 hire me, Reno board of tourism 😂✨]()
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2023-12-29 02:39:22
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Back in Portl..
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On average, Leslie Stephens gets 865 likes and 16 comments per post. (Historical)
