about

Hi, I’m Em, a twenty-something self-proclaimed humanitarian and modern francophile living in Chicago. I write whatever pops into my head, which sometimes makes it onto this blog. Em la jolie is a space for exploring ethical and sustainable style, travel, personal growth, social issues, and the ever-changing pursuit of that certain je ne sais quoi!

I’m a midwestern native + proud Michigander with a penchant for leaving the country. My current life goal is to travel to 30 countries before I turn 30, mainly so I can just peak at 30 and get it over with. I spent a gap year between high school and college in Bordeaux, France, where I acquired a love for the French language and culture, my nickname and blog/social media namesake, and an accent*.

It brings me so much joy that you’ve decided to stop by my little corner of the internet! I try to bring fresh, thoughtful content and only recommend products, services, places that I really, truly believe in and enjoy. I struggle with the inherent capitalist nature of blogging, but my love for writing, photography, style, and teaching myself code won and here we are. I hope you find something inspiring, helpful, or at least have a chuckle at my wild trains of thought.

*to be clear, it was an American accent