there’s something about turning 22 on the anniversary of the beginning of quarantine that makes me want to be nostalgic. i’ve learned a lot of fun and not-so-fun things this year about myself, so i wanted to share!

reading is knowledge. quarantine gave me some extra time on my hands, so i’ve been motivated to read more. i’ve picked up some excellent books including: angela davis’ women, race & class, hadas thier’s a people's guide to capitalism: an introduction to marxist economics & (for a lighter yet equally racial tone) brit bennett’s the vanishing half.
learning to feel music more. between watching old concert/festival footage and feeling the excruciating pain of missing live performances and my last newsletter, i’m trying to feel the music i’m listening to. sometimes this translates to using a pair of headphones to thoroughly hear the background vocals, but sometimes this means i’m listening to steve lacy’s thats no fun and pretending i’m the main character. it just feels right!
document everything. i feel like i need to record/photograph every moment in my life! this sounds very gen-z of me, but i feel as if i can relive a memory much better with visuals! brb, clearing my phone storage!
i’ve really underestimated the impact that a nice bouquet of flowers can be for my mental health. i feel like i don’t need to explain this one? have you ever gone to trader joe’s and bought their $5 spray roses? that’s euphoric!
handwritten notes are not only special to receive – but to send. for a moment, i was frequently sending 99c trader joe’s cards to my friends, and it feels so special compared to a ‘hello’ text.
sometimes, that depression room will get the best of you…and it’s okay. fall 2020 was a rough time for me, and my room was going through it, too. tiktok reminded me that it’s normal for those with symptoms of depression, and i felt seen.
i don’t think i’ll ever be ready to have a child, considering how i treat my animal crossing villager and nintendogs. you should’ve seen my island after seven months unattended. weeds everywhere!
plants are going to do literally whatever they want to do. my mom’s green thumb didn’t pass to me apparently, but i tried!
sometimes it’s okay to just say you’re busy and not actually be doing anything. if my animal crossing villager can do it, i can too!
start a food blog! my food instagram page that i started in august 2019 literally got me a free meal and at least two brand deals. this is your sign to create the account!
journalism is an industry based on validation. from the words of my great pal miss mia uzzell, i learned that i can’t seek validation from my journalism career. it’s so easy to feel invalidated when a pitch isn’t accepted or my work is heavily edited, therefore i must unlearn! we’re unpacking our insecurities all 2021!
impostor syndrome never really leaves. her and i were besties last fall, but we had a misunderstanding on her end last december. i was happier! some days, she wins. it happens. i try to think about my personal wins whenever those days occur.
i appreciate soft colors. tiktok has helped me realize that lilac and sage green are beautiful, simultaneously sapphic colors. why do two colors make my brain so happy?
how you decorate your living space is important. i recently bought a nice, suede chair and disco ball for my book nook, and i’m so excited about it! moving in with my partner made me realize how much i love to decorate my personal space and how thankful i am for separate rooms.
making instagram more casual is fun! there’s something about posting photos of pikachu and photo-dumping old concert footage that sits right with me.
i should’ve gone to therapy sooner. pretty self-explanatory, but this reminds me to text my therapist back!
it’s okay to not be great at your hobbies. pole dancing has taught me that it’s okay to not be great at everything. it’s fun though! it makes me feel confident and like i’m putting on a show for the two stuffed animals in my room, and that is the important part.
listening to ‘lo-fi hip hop sounds’ is an alternative to therapy. those ten hour videos that pop up on your youtube suggestions are there for a reason! they’ve helped me relax while studying, writing, cooking etc.
jazz music is the superior genre. i may not be paying much attention in my jazz history class this semester, but i am appreciating jazz music much more thanks to my professor. if these walls by kendrick lamar is on my top songs of this year, it’s probably self-explanatory. you’ve got to listen to kamasi washington’s work.
it’s hard to separate work from home when you work from home. i’m still working on this one and have no funny advice to relay. we can’t fix everything!
being the main character makes life more enjoyable. the pandemic helped me realize that i need to begin living more in the moment and fantasize everything that i do. shoutout to my main character playlist on spotify helping me live that fantasy!

enjoy this playlist, while you’re here.

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screaming into the void, but in lowercase

21 things i learned at 21