Good things on the Internet this week!

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Hi and welcome to this thing I do where I give you things to read! Isn't reading fun?

Gay Talese, a fantastic and celebrated New York Times writer, on Selma and race relations in America as of this current year. Read it here.

On a lighter note, The New Yorker strikes again with a collection of assemblage Instagram accounts, those who are photographing gorgeously delicate objects in such a positioned way I want to cry. Read it here, and experience some of the Instagram accounts too! My favorites are graphilately, purveyors of packaging, matchbook diaries and junk type.

This is basically a summary of everything I've learned in "Art school" so far here at college. It's so much simpler than four years and a bachelor of arts degree, but it took me going through that to learn these things. Read it here.

Another small bit of comfort from our friends at Thought Catalog, to all my friends who are graduating (!!) in just two short months. Read it here.

Happy reading and happy weekend!

Good things on the internet this week

This is a photo of my feet in my hammock, which used to reside under my lofted bed but now has come out of hiding and has most recently been hung between two trees outside, of all places. 

Onwards. I'm trying this new thing where I save and remember good things I've seen online lately and share them with the people of the internet. I've read some really intellectual gems lately, and I wanted to share. Click the links, yo.

If you're looking for an explanation for what you feel as a college student in present day "American-Dream" "Productivity-Mode" "Get-your-sh*t-done" USA, read this.

If you're maybe sort of a feminist secretly but don't want anyone to know, or maybe you do and you're really outspoken, or maybe you just want to educate yourself about breast cancer and female such things, read this.

If you (like me) have for some reason been obsessed with journalistic practices to covering illness and disease, and want to read some fascinating stories about people with illnesses, read this and this.

If you're wondering who my inspiration for modern writing is (or one of them) and want to experience a hilarious and honest person who is one of my favorites, read this.

If you want to live in New York so badly and are looking for justification via the writings of a fabulous comedienne, read this and this.

And, additionally, if you love the New Yorker just as much as I do and want to read about writing, read this (and maybe go write something too).

Happy Thursday!

State of the self address - my goals in review so far

This is the part of the year where you start thinking ahead. I know this because it's true. And I know this because I live on a college campus that is just bursting at the seams with people who are worried about who am I going to live with next year? where are we going to live? what am I going to do with my life next year? what classes will I take? what am I doing/what camp am I going to work at this summer? (#christiancollegeprobs) and other such trivial worries. But I can't say I'm not guilty of this too.

Anyway. I tend to forget around this time that I made some goals at the beginning of January that I have been working on, and I need to remember to stop and celebrate my successes before I get worried about my next possible failure.

Without further ado, the state of the "self" address 2015. Thank you, thank you.

My goals/"resolutions" this year were these:

. Cut out Facebook and Instagram (almost completely)
. Use your huge and newly free bit of time to read the news more often and educate yo-self.
. Or also too, call or text friends who you miss. Remind them that you miss them.
. Only spend money when you neeeeed to. Like I'm-hungry-I-have-no-food-for-the-weekend need.
. Find a mentor
. When you workout, it doesn't mean you can "even out your calories" by pigging out on dessert.
. Read a book and don't Netflix (!!)
. Carry around something to write on, and write down thoughts when they come.

I am certainly proud of how I've been doing on these this year. I deleted Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat off my phone and haven't used them since. The only time I go on Facebook is when someone writes on my wall or sends me a message (I get a handy email when this happens). Otherwise, I haven't been on social media since December 31st. (bowing)

I have, indeed, educated myself on current events. Did you know that Harrison Ford drives a vintage plane? and he crash landed it on a golf course today? and that European malls are banning the "selfie stick" because it's horrible? and that a man built a literal man cave in the ground?? and other wonderfully curious things? not me.

I have also been a lot better at eating well and spending well. These are things that were easy to focus on when I wasn't distracted comparing myself to perfect versions of other people on social media, and was instead focused on being a better version of myself. High five for thinking highly of yourself.

The hard part comes here: reading a book instead of Netflix. Because I accidentally started a new show in February, and so help me I WILL finish it the next week or God help us all. Then, this one will become more of a priority.

The writing part. It has inspired me to pick up this blog again. I wanted to be more intentional with writing meaningful things on here, and not just stuff about my life. I want this to be a place where people come to find inspiration, and laugh and cry, and just enjoy themselves. Writing a little bit every day has been the most refreshing thing, and is definitely confirmation that this is what I'm meant to do.

Thank you, thank you very much.
Over and out!