August Edit: Walking, Thrifting, and Writing at a Time Like This
That's a wrap on one particular bad time and the summer (almost)
I left for Panama on August 1, kicking off a month of adventure. August is always fun. There’s my BFF’s birthday (which we were in Panama for) and a lot of end-of-summer goodness.
But this August was a time of extreme ups and downs. There was good news and bad news. I connected with many amazing people, old friends and new ones. I had job interviews and, finally, a job offer. I made progress on some important goals, but I also realized how many others remain stalled.
I also finished an essay on friendship that I’d been working on for a long time. Publishing it last week felt like a feat, which is why I so appreciate all the lovely feedback! Most has come through texts and Instagram DMs, but I’d also welcome a “like” (heart icon) and/or adding a comment, which helps increase its visibility so more people can discover it.
Here’s what else I was up to in August!
Thrifting. A lot. I’ve always loved it, but recent finds reminded me how good it can get.
My new hot sauce bookmark, which sparks joy and proves that using a proper bookmark instead of a random piece of paper can be nice sometimes.
Walking as much as possible. Again, not new for me, but getting outside for a long walk was somewhat of a lifeline in August.
Steam eye masks. A friend put me on, and they’ve helped me, a bad-at-sleep person with an overactive mind, relax and ease into sleep like nothing else has.
The surprisingly helpful Finch self-care app.
The Cantu satin-lined shower cap I randomly picked up at Nordstrom Rack. It actually fits all of my hair without a struggle!
Virginia Highland. Yes, the entire neighborhood. It’s one of my favorites in Atlanta, and I met friends there multiple times in August. If I had millions of dollars, I’d buy a house there.
COACH Brynn sandals. I bought them on sale at the end of summer last year and was afraid I wouldn’t wear them enough because of the color, but they came in clutch during my trip to Panama and were just as comfortable as my best sneakers.
A friend got me the Baggu small crescent Madras bag for my birthday (in May) and fought Urban Outfitters’ backorder shenanigans for months to get it. She gave it to me in August, and I’ve been wearing it a ton because it magically goes with almost everything I own.
Greek yogurt topped with coconut cashew no-sugar-added granola, blueberries, and granola butter for breakfast.
Japanese curry because my household is still obsessed. I tried another chicken recipe and a hamburger steak version, and both turned out delicious.
Nomad Snacks’ ramen-flavored popcorn. I found it at Sprouts and fell in love (and now can’t find it anymore).
This lemon pepper chicken recipe, an unexpected banger (I used thighs instead of breasts and added capers).
Okiboru Tsukemen & Ramen, a Michelin-rated spot. The bowls could be bigger, but the ramen was excellent.
Bar Blanc, finally! Going there had become a running joke among my friends because two of us had made several unsuccessful attempts to eat there previously. We finally did, and had a great time with their steak and unlimited frites. They also make a good dirty martini.
Jolene Jolene, Atlanta’s first bar for women’s sports, which I must mention even though I ended up there on a whim and only had drinks (which were good). But I will be going back because I want to try their food, and because the female-to-male ratio was like 50:1.
I read seven books in August and liked all of them. But I did have favorites:
The Girls Who Grew Big: A novel by an author whose work never misses for me. It’s about a group of teenage mothers living in a small town on the Florida panhandle—their joys, sorrows, and situations. I loved its tender, brutally honest portrayals of sisterhood and motherhood.
Alligator Tears: A memoir in essays (my jam!) and a survival story that is also set primarily in Florida. It shares the author’s wild and winding journey out of poverty and into the person he was always meant to be. I was both entertained and moved by the dark humor.
What Are You Going Through: This beautiful literary fiction novel reads almost like a short story collection. In it, a woman describes her encounters with people throughout her life and in her day-to-day moments. It’s an intensely human and unconventional story that probes the meaning of life, death, companionship, and human connection.
I fell off my goal to watch more movies and TV shows, but I did watch an unhinged number of videos from the Wayback Archives YouTube channel. They have old newscasts and documentaries on so many topics, including the AIDS and crack epidemics.
Freakier Friday in theaters. I was motivated mainly by the MUNA (favorite band) cameo, but I liked it and even cried.
A few mini documentaries and shows about an Atlanta man who failed at day trading and decided to kill people over it in 1999.
Videos from the “Never beating the sheltered Christian kid allegations” social media trend (this one is me).
This Yacht Rock Revival playlist. It’s still summer!!!
Song that made me drop a tear in church.
Balu Brigada’s incredible new indie rock/neo-disco/funk-adjacent album, Portal.
spill tab’s latest fun, genre-bending “hypnotic alt-pop” album, ANGIE.
The Aces and The Beaches, helping satisfy my itch for more female-fronted bands after seeing the Freakier Friday movie.
Sexyy Red, inspired by this icon (not sorry).
How (and why) I write from the messy middle: An extraordinary essay on why there’s value in creating from the void and writing through uncertainty. As someone with multiple essays lined up about everything I’ve been going through the past few months and plans to publish after they’re resolved, it made me consider writing something about why I don’t typically write from the middle but probably should (watch this space, I guess).
Sinners in the Sugar Shack: The history behind Ernie Barnes’ famous painting, The Sugar Shack, including its national reach and cultural influence.
(Almost) Everything I Know About Decluttering: A practical guide to getting rid of clutter—the reasons one might want to do it, how to get it done, etc.
"How Can I Write At A Time Like This?": A thoughtful reflection by
on how it’s possible to write even when the world is experiencing so much horror and pain.J. Crew used A.I. to counterfeit their own vibes: A story about the results of an investigation into J. Crew’s undisclosed A.I. use and what they were using it for (which is, frankly, embarrassing).
My nostalgic love for Yumbii / These Madewell flats that make me reconsider my reluctance to embrace flats being trendy again / Should I try my hand at travel writing? / I need a bike helmet! / Susan Sontag's brand of feminism / The super loud neon Kurt Geiger bags that I may only like because they’re loud / What happened to The Outer Banks, who made some Christian music I can get behind? / The joys and rewards of shopping secondhand / The $200+ Charlotte Stone sandals I got for less than $60 on Poshmark / Getting back into reading poetry
From @poetsorg.
