July is my favorite month. I look forward to it all year and it always goes by too quickly. Summer is so ephemeral and the crinkled leaves falling onto the concrete make it seem all the more sad as it passes. Even though I am no longer a kid, the anxiety I feel when I see a back to school commercial is as potent as ever. I love the long walks in the sun, the lush green everywhere, and the warm temps that I swear make me a calmer, more chill person.
This summer I have done a lot and seen a lot. I'm reading a ton of books (ok I'm reading two, but they are lengthy!) and I've had a lot of good food. Harry Styles was right when he said you know, it's not the same as it was, because I am trying to do all the things I enjoy in the summer, but they just don't feel the same this time around. There is a hiking trail out on Long Island near my parents house, and I love going there and trekking down the hill to the hidden secret beach. Well, this summer, New York State has started a "No Mow" initiative, which is great for the bees and wildlife, but sad for me because they have now blocked off the path to the beach and to the little nooks and crannies of the forest that I used to go to in order to preserve the tall growing grasses. I'm going to head back in August to see if I can find another trail to the secret beach, but it isn't looking great. August also includes me leaving the country for the first time since 2018 and man oh man am I excited.
Here are a few things I have been consuming and enjoying this summer, I tried to organize them by category and I don't know if I did a great job:
Stranger Things: I know I am late to the party! I finished watching the first season, and I found myself wishing that I had a group of friends like the ones on the show when I was in middle school. As of August 1st, I am now on the beginning of season 4 and SOMEONE spoiled a part of the ending for me and now I wanna riot.
Severance: Watched this at the recommendation of a co-worker, and wow! I have never seen a show like this before. The extreme slow burn of the plot didn't bother me, and the pay off in the final episode of season 1 was so incredible. Highly recommend.
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman: This was my first Alice Hoffman novel and I finished it last week. This book is very intense and a downer but in a hopeful way? It's hard for me to explain this experience in a small little blurb, so I will just say that women are incredible and amazing and have made sacrifices for others since the beginning of time and it's usually extremely unfair but oh well that's life, I guess!
The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan: I was in Barnes and Noble with my sister and as I was waiting for her to make a decision on her purchases, I came across this series. I read the first few pages to kill time and was immediately hooked. I know this series is quite old, and it is now a television series streaming on Amazon Prime so if anyone spoils anything for me it will be my thirteenth reason I stg.
Trader Joes: I don't live near a Trader Joes, but I have been lucky enough to have gotten Trader Joes groceries TWO weeks in a row. Two standout items for me are the gluten free chicken nuggets and the coconut and almond creamer. The colorful fonts and cheeky labels on the products are fun and speak to my wanna be graphic designer heart.
Skincare: I recently have gotten into skincare in a major way and I can't explain why. I needed a new moisturizer and that need snowballed into three new (very expensive) purchases, learning about under eye patches, and the need to google what hyaluronic acid was. My favorite moisturizer is this one from Shiseido and these under eye patches. Because I want to sustain the longevity of these products (I use them SO sparingly), I have been keeping them in the refrigerator, and now I am convinced I need a separate mini fridge in my bathroom for all these high end skincare products and THEN I was like I need a mini fridge in my bedroom too because I want a place to put my fun drinks and snacks from Trader Joes! Alas, I do not have the room in my apartment for such luxuries, and must restrain myself from dreaming of such exciting purchases.
Electrolyte Packets: I have been struggling with dizziness and fatigue recently (probably because of the hot hot temps?), so I have been ordering these packets. They are simple and taste like lemonade. I famously struggle with staying hydrated and drinking water, and these are fun and make me want to drink something.
Ice Trays: These ice trays have become an obsession, a mentor, and a friend to me. Something about them being spheres and not squares feels correct in my mind and since I have purchased them, I have found a whole new world of ice trays to choose from. Ice in the shape of hearts, butterflies, octagons, the possibilities are endless AND this unfortunately fuels my desire to get a mini fridge. I have promised that I will limit myself to just these ice sphere trays because, again, nyc apartments are small and I don't have a ton of room.
Pepper Spray: I hate to report that I have been needing to carry around my pepper spray because I was followed near my subway stop the other day while coming home from work. There is nothing more terrifying than realizing you're being followed and the instinct in you becomes to stay calm because is he really following you or is it in your head and then, yep, you're being followed and you need to stay calm for other reasons, and those reasons are because this man who is following you may be violent and might harm you. Fun stuff!
Aurora: This is the cutest little restaurant where I met up with a friend for brunch in Williamsburg. I then met up with another friend about a week later and we ended up at the Aurora Soho location. I got the steak for dinner and it was divine. This place is definitely my vibe and outside there is seating covered in vines and I want to go back so badly.
Partners Coffee: Partners has a Mocha Chocolate Iced coffee that I swear I can feel change the wiring in my brain after just the first sip. I never used to be a coffee girl and this year I've really taken the plunge, maybe I'll write about this topic more in the fall. This mocha coffee is my favorite of all.
Final Fantasy XIV: Am I a grown woman? Yes. Have I begun to play Final Fantasy with my boyfriend? Also yes. Am I embarrassed? Still undecided. It has been so hot (like the heavy and humid hard to breathe kind of hot) that we have been opting to stay inside instead of hanging out in the sun. I became anointed in the nerd realm of this hell scape of a game that has incredible graphics and a pretty cool story line. Also, I must add that the players on this game (you are hooked up to the internet and can play with other nerds) are so nice and really incredible. I thought I was going to get bullied in this game because I am a noob, but I have had nothing but cool experiences with the people who play this game.
Ointments and Cream: Ah yes. Last but not least, the ointments I have been using. I swear if you didn't know me and walked into my bedroom and saw all the ointments, creams, and essential oils on my bedside table, you'd think I was an ailing 95 year old woman. But no. Between the bug bites, heat rash, and strained neck muscle I somehow achieved (I slept on my neck funky and couldn't turn my head properly for 3 WEEKS) , I've had time to rank my faves: 1. Cortizone 10 will always and forever be my baby for targeting any anti-itch needs 2. Arnicare Cream worked wonders on my strained neck muscle, and 3. Tylenol is my everything, it can do no wrong, she is a princess and she is the vibe. I carry around a tiny Tylenol bottle with me everywhere, not just in the summer. This time around it cured the massive headache I got after a trip out to the Long Island sound with some friends.
I'm finishing writing this article on August 5th, and there is so much more the second half of summer has in store for me. If I remember, I'll jot about it here on this blog. Some fun photos of July for ya:
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