End of an era
pre grad anxiety, excitement, terror, comic tragedy, indecision, etc.
Welcome to my new newsletter! I was convinced by friends1 that starting this newsletter full of stray thoughts, life updates, embarrassments, and shenanigans would be a good idea, and since so many things in my life are about to change I’m inclined to agree. That’s right folks! You no longer have to wait for my journals to be posthumously published2 or meet me for dinner to enjoy my comedic stylings and oversharing. It’s now available to you at home or wherever you savor spying on your friends and more removed acquaintances.
So what can you expect from this publication?
Me attempting to be funny. I’m sorry. (see above and below)
Alliteration.
Outfits I like - I usually forget to photograph them but maybe this will help hold me accountable.
Existential crises, of course.
General life updates - Have I mentioned I’m graduating?
Book, movie, and extremely niche recommendations that may or may not have any wide appeal.
And all that jazz (you’ll probably get your fair share of Broadway references too because I’m a closet musical theater queen).
I’m not totally sure what this will be yet. The funny thing is that I can fill a whole journal (more like five years worth of journals) with thoughts and anecdotes but when it comes to sharing things about myself outside a screenplay format in a somewhat public forum I’ve suddenly got nothing. It’d help if I was sure you knew me extremely well or didn’t know me at all. But you might only know me sort of well, and if that’s the case it’s your opinion I’m slightly terrified of. I usually consider myself an open book, but there’s something to be said for withholding. How much do I want to tell you when I have no idea who you are? If you’re still reading (which wow thank you) then what are YOU hoping to get out of it? Am I able to provide it? Yes, it’s my newsletter, but please know you are at the forefront of my mind as I write.
Do you want to hear how I impulsively jumped in a pool two weeks ago and threw a party as a police manhunt raged outside? Are you here for snappy headlines and exciting early 20s stories? Are you drawn to late-night party sagas? Can I interest you in my failure to jump over fences, hosting exploits in knee-high forest green boots, and projectile vomiting experience in the middle of a New York crosswalk3?
No? Maybe you want a more wholesome, laid-back lifestyle blog. I can tell you about my adventures at Disneyland (truly the happiest place on earth), whatever I’m reading lately (the recent deep dive into The Heroes of Olympus series), or my 50s housewife-level baking adventures in bundt cakes. Reading, cooking, sewing, and foster cat care are all among my many respectable hobbies. There’s something for everyone (unless you have an interest in leaving the house).
Or maybe you want some deeper reflections about what’s happening in my life. How I feel about leaving behind the school, city, and people I’ve spent the last four years with. How terrifying it is to not know what I’m going to do next and how excited I am for a new start. How it truly feels like everything’s ending. Classes, finals, wrap parties. I even had to say goodbye to the foster cat I plucked from our back alley. A certain sadness hangs in the air around all of it, but I’m fighting to make the most of every meal with friends, every walk through campus, and every single ending.
As my title suggests, the beginning of the end of an era.
I have no idea what this newsletter will be, but my hope is that like my post-grad life, I’m able to grow into it. I hope to entertain you and make reading this worth the five minutes you’ve devoted of your time. As everything changes and I prepare to move across the country (again), I want to remember what I did, how I felt, and stay in touch with you my dear reader as best I can.4
Outfit of this era:
This Era’s Recommendations:
The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook bundt cake recipes
Creating a recipe archive for yourself
The First Wives Club (always!)
Fostering an alley cat
Taking leather boot cleaning and care into your own hands
Admiring SJP’s met gala look and then watching And Just Like That… The Documentary starting minute 1:03 when the drama around hats takes center stage
“Like I Used To” by Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen - for when you’ve listened to “As It Was” too many times
The Heroes of Olympus (obviously)
That’s all folks! See you after the 13th5
Real talk Bebe and Bebe alone is to blame for this. Love ya, babe!
I’ve never discussed this with anyone but fully expect and am planning for it to happen. I’ll be dead. What do I have to lose?
I’m neither confirming nor denying this happened.
I haven’t quite gotten a handle on footnotes yet, but I like the concept of them. Should I continue it?
Yes, that’s the date of my graduation. Again, have you heard I’m graduating?