Sarah Kelly

My name is Sarah, and this is my blog. I have been quite a few things in my life – an actress, a producer, a creative director, a publicist, a sports fanatic, an amateur vocalist, a lover of fine wine and strong coffee, a world traveler with a serious case of wanderlust – but through it all, I have always, always been a writer. When I began writing this blog, I didn’t have a clear direction of where I was going or what I wanted to achieve. I only knew that I’d lived through some incredible moments and I wanted to share my stories in a way that was funny, entertaining, and (hopefully), moving. I started with the name, Extra Dry Martini, and its tagline, Straight Up With a Twist: a cheeky take on my favorite cocktail, a tip of the hat to my blunt Sagittarian nature and my edgy, sarcastic sense of humor, and a thinly-veiled attempt to position myself as a female 007. But what began as a rather straightforward desire to carve out my own little corner of the Internet quickly escalated into something more:  a lifeline. I could never have anticipated that just a few short months after launching Extra Dry Martini, I’d be swept up in a maelstrom of - there’s no other word for it - tragedy that would forever shift and shake my world. This blog has been my platform as I’ve struggled through grief and loss. It has been my attempt to make sense of the senseless, to shine a light in the darkness, and to refine and reclaim my voice. Through it all, I’ve realized that my safest landing place is on the page, my most sacred sanctuary the warm blanket of the written word. And as I’ve been writing, something powerful has transpired: my life has changed. I like myself better. I’m less afraid. More honest. Less careful. It is not simply an increased sense of self-awareness that I have gained as a result of writing through the most difficult experiences of my life; I have gained a community. The many, many people who have reached out to me - to connect, to relate, to share their own experiences - have reminded me that, though at times it may feel like it, none of us are alone. I’m still navigating my own perfect storm, still ever aiming for True North. But along the way, I have learned to recognize that the words “a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor” are true. I have learned to make peace with the storm, learned to love it even, because the storm has been my becoming. I don’t know where this journey will lead, but I thank you for joining me on it. Thank you for venturing with me into the great unknown, into all that’s unexpected and beautiful about this thing we call life. As Tennessee Williams said, “Make voyages. Attempt them. There’s nothing else.” Here we go, Sarah