The End Approaches
A Monthly Wrap Up
And just like that, we have reached the last month of summer. Noah Kahans album is on REPEAT alongside Fleetwood Mac, and I’ve eaten more grapes than I can count. This month was filled with adventure, and a bit of heartbreak. But plenty of joy as well.
Every month comes with it’s own lessons to be learned, and failures to grow from. July was certainly no different for me. It’s been a very difficult couple of weeks, emotionally and mentally. But there’s a silver lining to everything. So let’s get into it.
Sunshine:
The biggest joy of this month without a doubt has been adopting two KITTENS! These two cuties were found abandoned outside an elderly mans house, who kept an eye out for mom for a few days before taking them in. Soon enough, a lovely woman in town helped him get the word out and I caught wind that four adorable babies needed a home. I took my roommate with me, just to go say high and walked out with two fresh faced, five week old kittens. Meet Teddy, and Frankie! They are both happy, healthy and getting all their vaccinations done over the next two months! They are two bonded brothers and I just knew after five minutes they were meant to come home with me. Now, don’t get me wrong two kittens is quite the handful, but it is so worth it.
I also have begun the move in to my new apartment! Both of my roomies are fully moved in, and I will be living there full time as soon as my contract with my current job ends! I have slowly been taking stuff in, and the excitement builds every single day. I have also found some incredible Facebook Marketplace finds, and slowly the place is coming together! Thus far, I’ve only spent around $300 and I’ve found the most incredible vintage pieces. FB has become a very dangerous place I fear, but lucrative for sure. Our neighbors also seem to be very lovely people, and the apartment itself is tucked away in a nice quiet neighborhood. There’s a little creek nearby too that is so nice to visit in the early morning. I can’t wait to be completely moved in!
My family takes a yearly trip to a lake a few hours away, and this year was no different! I had a lovely week long escape to lay in the sun, swim around and spend plenty of time off roading and escaping into the bush. Got a bit of a sunburn, but a killer tan line as well! There was also some lovely trails and dirt roads not far away that we spent exploring, and visited an old spring that my mom used to camp at as a kid. It was so nice to take some time off, and essentially disappear from society for a while.
Vacatioooon I’ve been working really hard on my photography this month, and it’s been really fun to experiment! I don’t have a camera yet, so all of my photos are taken via my phone. They might not be the best photos, and they certainly won’t win any awards, but it’s been so much fun. I am saving up for a camera as a little Christmas gift to myself! If you have any cameras that you recommend for beginners, or just nice quality cheap cameras please let me know! Thus far I’ve been looking at a lot of Kodaks and Canons.
I won a tattoo giveaway… sort of. My tattoo idea was not selected, but it was one of the proposals that my artist liked so much she reached out to see if I would like to do it for a discounted rate! That way I get a killer deal, and she can add to her portfolio. So, this year alone I’ll be spending roughly $700 on tatoos… but that’s just the price we pay for swag. And I’m honestly so excited I don’t mind. Not to mention she is such an incredible artist that she fully deserves all of it!
I’ve spent a lot of time studying Pagan and Wiccan history this month! I used to be very religious, and in the years following haven’t particularly felt a reason to believe in any kind of higher power. I believe that we make our own way in the universe, and that magic/god is just another kind of science. Every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, every good action you take rewards you and vice versa. The energy you put out is the energy you will receive. In my studies, I find that a lot of modern ‘witchcraft’ follows the same principles, so it’s been lovely to dive into! Thinking about doing a full article about it… should I?
We had a MASSIVE thunderstorm roll in a couple weeks ago, and one thing about me is that I looooooove rain. Lightning is absolutely fascinating to me as well, and there’s just something so peaceful about watching a storm roll past. I made a little reel about it on my insta linked here
This is the storm coming in from the south. INSANE cloud shelf!
Rainclouds:
Now for the worst part of the month… your girl got dumped. I know, ironic given that two weeks before it happened, I made a whole article talking about how much I’ve grown in my relationship. It’s funny, honestly. I guess the universe decided I need to grow outside it too. Humor aside, it has been incredibly difficult to process. It was my first truly serious relationship, and I still love her a lot. But there was also no warning, and I truly had no idea she had concerns about the relationship. But I wish her no ill will, and hope that this is what was truly best for her. It’s not what I wanted, but it almost never is.
I lost my job! Well, let me clarify. I lost one of my jobs. You see, I was hired to work with them over a month ago, but due to some miscommunication I unfortunately will not be able to fill the position due to a conflict of schedules. My classes take first priority, and sadly in this case it meant losing a job that I was excited about. But I still have a part time job on campus, and have already begun the search for another. No matter what, things will work out. It’s just emotionally regulating until then :)
My brand new kitten Frankie decided it was a good idea to jump out of my 6’8” roommates arms and land squarely on the wood floor. Poor buddy was limping so it was time for the second vet visit in two weeks. Thankfully no breaks, but he did manage to sprain both his elbow and his wrist. He’s alright now, but gave my wallet quite the scare.
Recommendations:
Tv Show/Movie: Would it truly be July if I didn’t recommend watching Mama Mia? “July 17th, what a night!” Truly one of the best movies to watch with a group of friends. If you haven’t watched it yet, girl go watch it this month! I also rewatched two of my other favorites this month: The Princess Diaries and Pride and Prejudice. I’m not sure what it is, but July just feels like the month for campy, heartfelt romance’s and musicals. So highly recommend rewatching or watching these movies!
As far as TV goes, I’ve honestly not watched much this month! If you have recs for me, please leave them in the comments. I need a good new show.
Book: This month I finally completed one of my best friend’s favorite books. Gwen and Art are Not in Love. This was a fantastic coming of age fantasy queer read! If you like the sort of forbidden romance, ya, wlw and mlm representation, highly recommend this one. I read it during my trip on the beach and nearly devouuuured it. Very fun campy story with a great ending.
Music: This month I have had two bands on repeat: Peach Pitt and Flipturn. What’s not to love? Bedroom pop/rock and some indie rock is all a girl needs in life afterall. The perfect vibe to drive around with windows down and music at top volume.
Craft: And finally, a craft of the month. This July, I got really into experimenting with markers! I don’t tend to draw much, but using a new medium has been really fun, and I’ve had a great time just sitting and coloring with a movie in the background, or dnd podcast or whatever. Amazing way to keep my brain active without having to think much, and stay off my phone.
Articles I Read This Month:
This article by Kylee was an incredible read, and one that I sorely needed this month. It’s all about perspective babes <3 Reminder to take a breath, and let things pass.
I now have a crush on Simone de Beauvoir thanks to hot chai ☕️ and this article she wrote! Incredible addition to the brain crush series, and I await ep4 eagerly. As if I needed more strong female role models in my life. Oh wait, we always need those!
The day I stop recommending anything Aaliyah 🧘🏼♀️ writes is the day you know I’ve died. INCREDIBLE writing that had me deeply thinking about how the world views women and how it affects my self perception. And I quote, “I’m sorry I’m not what you expect, I am simply two people at once. More than that, I am hundreds of people at once.” I’m sorry… Aaliyah why did you go for the throat girl? Still thinking about this one.
Looking On:
And now, August begins. A new month, a new slate, new characters for a new chapter. Life isn’t always easy. I would argue that it never is. And this July was one of the harder ones I have had in a while. But looking at my lists, the pros vs the cons… my things to be grateful for is so much longer than the list that made me cry.
And that is such a blessing.
So let’s treat August like one too. No matter what bad will occur, what hurt we will experience, or what twists come our way, don’t let it be the end. Don’t let it be the thing that knocks down the tower of cards. Because you’ve come this far, haven’t you?
So, my biggest goal for August is just this: To let myself feel deeply, cry plenty, and smile so much more. What about you?
What will your August look like?
I love you,
Love this recap!!! And the kittens!!!! Happy end of summer!!! Wishing you peace as you navigate this breakup 💗
I laughed at out loud at what you said about my article omg!!! Anyway, this recap was especially great to me. You've clearly gone through a lot but the way you write about all the positives nonetheless is really inspirational, truly. Also, those kittens are super cute. TV Show rec: Sterling Point just released on Prime, and though I'm not done with it's quite good! I'm a few episodes in and my highlight is the wlw rep in it, which is soo rare in a show that's in the summer romance/drama featuring love triangle genre lol.