Shalalala

And how the time flies!

I'm feeling a bit list-y/finally feel like writing a bit (as I relive my childhood by watching Mrs. Doubtfire).

It's been about a month since my last post, a week since I've graduated... and a whole slew of things have occurred.

Spring Quarter was crafted around two of my passions- writing poetry and learning about pastoral literature. Not only do I feel like I learned the most i have in all my quarters at UCI from the most brilliant professors, but I spent time with my best friends... Honestly, the most wonderful, beautiful people in the world. Our days were filled with reading books, poems, discussing life over coffee and amazing food, musical excursions, and nights of "cuddles" (aka hangout time). Everything around me just had this sort of... calm that I haven't experienced in some time. I realized I made the right decision in... so many things.

Even with going into the summer, I thought I needed to work myself to the bone again-- to save for grad school, get myself into a form of financial stability to pay loans off, afford the trip to Britain I want to make by the end of this year... But after talking to a few friends and family members, I realized that I don't need to do that. I'm only 22, and this needs to be a time of relaxing, of figuring out life slowly and not having to push myself into an extreme work-mode.

Relaxation has found its way slowly to me. I'm working on creating a "writing blog" for bits and bobs of the poetry I will write from now until grad school. I'm also immersing myself in Seamus Heaney's work, possibly some theory as well... Besides that, I've been doing the barista thing still and preparing my move from one apartment to the next to the final destination of grad school come August.

And, just because, here are a few lists!

The Books I've Been Reading
~ Matthew Dickman's All-American Poem
~ Ilya Kaminsky's Dancing in Odessa
~ Louise Gluck's A Village Life
~ Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles

The Music I've Been Hearing (/a lot of these I will be getting soon... I hope I hope!)
~ Arctic Monkeys (new album is on repeat)
~ Fleet Foxes (ditto about new album)
~ James Blake (gahhhhhh <3)
~ Childish Gambino (yesyesyes)
~ Bon Iver (hopefully seeing in September!)
~ EMA (oh yes)
~ Deerhunter
~ The Antlers
~ The Horrors (need to look into all three of these bands!)

The Food I've Been Consuming (moreso, favorite spots!)
~ Chapter One (obsessed- $5 mimosas. enough said)
~ Shin Sen Gumi (ramen omnom!)
~ Thai Gulf (an endless feast!)
~ Taco Mesa (oms)
~ Lola Gaspar (nom)
~ Gypsy Den (went for my grad luncheon- deeelicious)

The Memories I'm Holding Dearest
~ Emphasis Dinner
~ The Drive Home from LA (fireworks, talks, Chinese Feast, video games, music)
~ Aldrich Park/Pub Days
~ "Family Dinners" with the apartment mates <3
~ The Mags excursions...
~ Seeing Listen!

Thanks for giving me so much to look back on, and so much to look forward to (such as a roast my friend is hosting, where I'll be a featured poet!). Here's looking to the memories that are to come <3

[The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala- Arctic Monkeys]