Welcome to Life She Loves, a blog devoted to slow travel, Asian literature, and authentic global home cooking.
I'm Maria, an avid reader, home cook, and wanderer based in Southern California. This space is where I share the things I love most: quiet travel experiences, deeply human books from Asian authors, and recipes that connect us to culture.
If you’re someone who:
Skips the tourist spots for local food markets
Finds comfort in a good book and a warm meal
Believes food is a story and travel is a conversation
You’re in the right place.
✈️ What You’ll Find Here
Travel reflections grounded in culture, not checklists
Book reviews and reading guides from the growing archive of over 140 Asian books read
Authentic recipes from my own kitchen: Korean banchan, Sardinian pasta, Japanese comfort food, and more
🧭 About My Work
I run two connected projects:
→ Life She Loves — slow travel, seasonal recipes, food forest living
→ My Asian Era — a curated space for Asian literature reviews and book club conversationsMy Asian Era also hosts an online book club each month, we choose a new title by an Asian author and read it together at a thoughtful pace. It’s quiet, reflective, and open to anyone who wants to read deeper, not faster.
I focus on high-quality content and building meaningful affiliate recommendations from the pantry tools I use to the books I love.
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Want thoughtful updates about global recipes, literary book stacks, or quiet travel guides?
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Thanks for being here. Let’s explore, read, and taste the world together one slow step at a time.