For the next week and a half, I will be back and forth gathering everything I need to move across the world. I’m quite seasoned at airplanes and travelling alone, I’ve been doing that for the past three years; attending university in a different country sets you up for that kind of thing. But I’ve also been thinking practically; what do I want to get out of this upcoming experience? What do I want to get out of the next year of my early twenties?
As previously discussed in this Substack, I want to have more hobbies - things that brighten the week and allow creative expression! I’m especially eager to try new things, regardless of whether I am good at them or not. I think the ability to enjoy pursuits despite perhaps not excelling at them is such an important quality to grow within oneself in adulthood - and I want to take advantage of the extra free time I have in my twenties to try as many “side quests” as possible.
The first thing on my list is learning how to use a pottery wheel - I always see videos of the coolest girls online making all kinds of ceramic pieces while wearing clay-stained overalls and their hair in loose Dutch braids, some low and atmospheric guitar riff playing gently in the background. I also want to hear more live music - not just big venues and known names, but also independent artists playing small rooms with low ceilings and a talkative crowd.
I want to make new friends, really take advantage of a city filled with people I haven’t met before. I want to find people to travel with, to go to completely new places without a plan and explore as we go; from my limited travels thus far I have learnt that the most fun is had when experiencing the unexpected. I’m excited specifically because for the first time in my life, I feel completely confident in putting myself out there to meet new people and create new connections (possible product of my frontal lobe developing? who knows).
I’m also anticipating that I will have so much to write about. New experiences are always perfect catalysts for introspection and creative expression, so I’m considering starting a monthly piece where I illustrate a light-hearted glimpse into my life - a scrapbook, if you will. Of course including anecdotes, coffee shop orders, spur-of-the-moment photography, my latest playlists, etc. I know that I want to chronicle this next trip so I can look back on it for years to come, and this seems like a good way to start. Provided I can, of course, learn to read my own work from years past without cringing (it’s a work in progress). That’s actually why I never really got into journaling to the daily extent that seems so popular these days, as I always read passages from even as recent a month or two before and can’t help but think “what was I even talking about?”
I suppose I’ve also unknowingly shifted into what TikTok-manifesting-angelnumbers-influencers have entitled an “abundance mindset”. Yes, I must admit I do laugh at those kinds of terms with my friends on occasion, claiming we are in our abundance mindset one moment and scarcity mindset the next. But on a genuine note, I tentatively planned my next foray into the wide world because why not - and I actually went through with it. So here I am, collecting all the things I’ll need, making check-lists for packing my suitcase, having last brunches with friends before I depart, the list goes on. I really have committed to making the most out of the coming year in every way possible, and for the first time I am truly determined to honour that commitment. I suppose you could title my current state of mind a “say yes to every opportunity” mindset.
Before I set foot into this next stage of my life, however, I’d like to fill you in on what I’ve been reading, listening to and watching recently.
Music:
I’ve been craving a change in my music recently, or perhaps more accurately, a return to my older, abandoned playlists; my recent days have been soundtracked by a Clairo-Suki Waterhouse-Beabadoobee adjacent music rotation. You know, the classic mainstream indie-pop fan’s dream 2024 song collection. Of course I love these artists, and have listened to their recent releases from beginning to end over and over in the past month or two, but I’m finding myself drift back to my previous self’s music taste. Think a lot of Nina Simone, Luiz Bonfa, Labi Siffre, Bobby Womack, etc. I’m listening to a lot of songs that I have always loved, but perhaps left to the side over the past couple of years so I could have a bit of a switch for a while. My nights have been spent delving into Mazzy Star and Bon Iver discography, which I’m less eager to change; I reckon these artists will always remain relatively close to the top of my favourites list. Of course, I’m still throwing the odd HAIM or Lorde song in my queue these days, and probably will continue to do so until the end of time. Even when the sun dies and Earth either freezes over or is oblitered in a final explosion, and our universe collapses in on itself entirely, you will still find Leaning On You or The Man With The Axe playing through my Marshall headphones, probably floating around in the vastness of our starry space somewhere, ownerless.
Watching:
I recently watched Kaos on Netflix, and I did love it; it reimagines a lot of the most famous greek myths in present day, and adds some fun twists, so I recommend. I also watched Isle of Dogs for the first time recently - I had never gotten round to it before, but I adored the film. The slightly absurd storyline, the vast cast of voice actors, the colour and texture and overall design on screen; it’s truly a beautiful, incredibly original film, and may have entered into my top Wes Anderson spot (overtaking The Royal Tenenbaums? Maybe).
Reading:
I’ve been reaching into my ever-expanding Salinger short story collection to reread certain pieces (one story is the namesake of this substack, actually!). What a gift it is to find literature that you love and connect with so much. I’ve also picked up some of my Greek Mythology-adjacent novels that I have yet to read, inspired by the recent Netflix show Kaos (as previously mentioned), which has reignited the fire of interest in mythology that has existed in my mind since I was ten years old. On my tbr list and the books I plan to purchase for my upcoming long haul flight is the Outline trilogy, by Rachel Cusk. From the descriptions I have heard of Cusk’s writing online and in various social media reviews, I believe Outline is a piece of literary fiction that I will connect with. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I’ve started it!
As always, I’ve been reading a bit of substack here and there, perhaps not as frequently as I would like, but I’ve found these pieces that spoke to me:
Anyways, this was a simple look into my life for the moment. If anyone has any airplane movie suggestions, forgotten seventies soul music playlists, or Rachel Cusk-esk substack pieces, send them my way! They will be greatly appreciated.
L.
Ps. I had to publish this from my phone as Substack has decided to curse my laptop, in case any of the links don’t work and it looks a bit weird. Oh well!