Hi Columbia, Sam here. 👋 It’s been a while since Miranda and I introduced ourselves to you – and we know there are plenty of new faces who have subscribed to our newsletter.

So who are the people behind COLAtoday? Well, the day-to-day work is done by Miranda and myself (officially known as co-Editors). We take turns writing the email and sharing what’s happening in Columbia on our social media platforms. The bigger picture folks include the rest of the crew at 6AM City.

Meet Sam

I “technically” live in Lexington – but call Columbia, as a whole, home. I studied Visual Communications at UofSC’s Journalism School, got a job in food marketing with UofSC’s dining program after graduation, then moved to Charlotte for a couple years for another job. But my husband and I missed Columbia, and moved back in 2017 – when I started work as one of the OG writers for COLAtoday. When I’m not at work, I love to travel, binge-watch Netflix shows, eat deviled eggs, and spend time with my husband Bradley, our two pitbulls Karl and Mako, and our friends + family.

The last few things I did out in Columbia:

Grabbed drinks at Lula Drake before going to Kao Thai for Restaurant Week. In the last week, I’ve also already been to Drip three times for a dirty chai. And I’m constantly redecorating my house, so I’ve been spending a lot of time at both the Ivy House and Copper Barn recently.

Favorite places to grab a bite to eat:

I help pay the light bill at Alodias in Lexington (Except, really. As soon as we sit down the bartender says “a glass of the Alamos?”). I’m also obsessed with Bodhi Thai, and feel very lucky it’s only a few minutes from my house so I can GrubHub it to my door when I’m extra lazy. And best deviled eggs in Columbia? Hands down, Spotted Salamander.

Favorite person I’ve met in Columbia:

Bradley Kingsmore would be mad if I didn’t say his name. We met waaaaay back in 2010 on Lake Murray – and then I friend-zoned him like 3 years before agreeing to go on our first “date” at Saki Tumi. And the rest is history. But I’m also super thankful to have the opportunity to spend 40+ hours a week with my favorite co-worker on the planet, Miranda Lattimore. She’s one the many things I love about this job.

What I love most about living here:

I love how much Columbia feels like a small town in a big city. From strolling Soda City on Saturday morning or just hanging at a brewery after work, no matter where you go, you’ll always bump into someone you know. And the pride Soda Citizens have to live here is incomparable to any other. I also love Columbia’s proximity to the beach and the mountains (hello, CHS and AVL 👋) – or the fact that I can hop on a plane at CAE and be in NYC in a couple hours. Thanks to Cola’s affordable cost of living, traveling all over is possible.

Meet Miranda

I was born in a small town in N.C., raised in the upstate + moved to Cola for college back in 2011. I was originally enrolled in the J School at UofSC majoring in Mass Communications, but switched to Public Health with a minor in Women and Genders studies (funny how that worked out). I left a four-year career in real estate (shoutout to Jill + the whole HAR team) last year to become Sam’s co-Editor here after she slid in my DMs asking if I’d be interested in the job and to apply – and I’m so glad I did. I love traveling, crafting, introvert-ing and hanging out with my husband, Marcus + our dog, Mocha in my free time.

The last few things I did out in Columbia:

I woke up for a 6:15 a.m. pilates class at Sunnyside Pilates off Forest Dr., which I’ve loved doing since October. Last weekend, my husband surprised me with a pizza + wine party for my birthday at Il Focolare (a.k.a my favorite pizza place in town), followed by a night of *attempting* to escape the Mansion Murder room at Escapology.

Favorite places to grab a bite to eat:

In my neighborhood, you can’t go wrong with B.L.D. in Trenholm Plaza – I cannot stress enough how important it is to support local businesses(!!). Another spot I love is Il Giorgione on Devine, the owners George + Monica are the perfect hosts and always greet you with a smile before serving up the best Italian food in Cola. And you can never go wrong grabbing a glass of wine at Lula Drake on Main.

Favorite person I’ve met in Columbia:

It’s extremely hard to answer this, so I’m not going to. But I will say a plethora of people I have met here since my freshman year in college have made me a better person. From my co-Editor Sam, to my former coworkers-turned friends at HAR, to my friends I met through my husband, Aniya + Kristen, the list could seriously go on and on.

What I love most about living here:

Even though I’ve known my husband since middle school, we’ve learned so much about Columbia together since college – hiking the trails, trying new restaurants + meeting all types of genuinely good people truly makes Columbia a gem. The growing food scene over the years has significantly changed my perspective on food, too (along with meeting the chefs behind those delicious dishes, thanks mostly to this amazing platform + job). I also love trying new dishes through COLAtoday with Sam because we have similar taste buds + she has the best “happy dance” when trying new foods.