where i've been

hi again

it has been a minute since i sat down and wrote about what i've been up to. so i thought it would be nice to just sit down and talk to you guys like this, no capitalization or grammar or all that professional stuff. just a one on one moment.

what i've been reading

i've been a massive percy jackson fan since i was 13. maybe it's the excitement of the disney+ show coming up, but i've been re-reading all the books. started with the lightning thief and i've made my way up to the son of neptune. it's been such a dope, healing experience. it's like i'm sitting down and hanging out with some old friends.

thank god for the hoopla app — it's been a godsend. for those of you who aren't privy to the holiness that is hoopla, it's literally like a library of ebooks on your phone. i got like six library cards so i could borrow all 10 percy jackson books.

yes. i'm that devoted.

other than that, i've been buying books and then just forgetting to read them. now that i have a job, i don't really have time during the day to sit at a little cafe and read a book like i did when i was unemployed. i now get why people told me to savor those days of freedom.

what i've been listening to

so like, i was going to do another receiptify post, but then i looked at it and realized taylor swift and olivia rodrigo dominated my listening history.

the eras tour movie definitely contributed to that. the religious experiences of hearing "don't blame me" and "tolerate it" and "my tears ricochet" in an amc theater is something i didn't know i needed. so i've been blasting those songs in my car to try and relive the experience.

i think i know now what people mean when they say they had post-eras tour depression. i haven't even gone yet (i am one of the lucky few who will be seeing her next year) and i felt it after simply watching the movie.

also, did anyone else cry while listening to "you're on your own kid?"

don't lie. i know you did.

my little brother has also indoctrinated me into loving lana del rey. she is incredible. her voice makes me melt. "a&w" has made it to the top of my "on repeat" playlist on spotify. i've been listening to her for a week.

who i've been spending time with

my little brother moved to college last month. it's crazy that he's already old enough to be on his own. thank god he has an overbearing sister who will literally drive 5.5 hours to socal just to spend time with him.

he's been my best friend for the last month. seeing him and spending time with him has been incredible. i love him so much and i'm really proud of him for handling the huge move from florida to la with grace and maturity.

my best friend ashley has made the transition of working in berkeley so much easier. she introduced me to all her cool friends in school and has made me feel less alone in such a new place.

it's hard to write about friends like her because words really don't do her justice.

i just like to say that i'm really lucky to have her.

i also went to florida for the high holidays and got to hang out with my ema (which is mom in hebrew). trips home are always so healing. that is partially the reason why i took such a long break from writing, when i'm home i barely open up my laptop because i'm so busy with my family. and if i do open my laptop, it's to watch america's next top model with my sister.

i don't have any pictures with my sister, but i got to spend a lot of time with her. she always grounds me and supports me, even when i feel a little unsteady. i needed that after such a crazy summer and before my fresh start at my new job.

i have the coolest friends in socal. truly. i wish i got more pictures with them when i visited last time, but i had the most incredible time with them.

it's always so insanely bittersweet leaving socal, because i miss my home in norcal, but i always feel so at home there as well.

i'm really lucky to have such an amazing circle of friends and family literally all over the country. all over the world, really. so blame them for me not having time to write; they were distracting me!!

what i've been doing

- eating

- sleeping

- working

- i actually tried to write a song, but no one is ever allowed to read it. it was just not good. genuinely flaming trash.

- listening to taylor swift and scream crying in my car for two hours

- writing poems (i've suddenly felt very inspired again)

i have also gotten really in touch with my judaism. my last year in college really catalyzed my love for being jewish and all the practices and beliefs that come with it. so i've been trying to do little things that keep my faith alive. sometimes you need a little religion in your life to help you feel grateful and grounded.

what's next?

i have no clue. probably more poetry and posts about music and movies.

thanks for reading this whole word dump. talk to you all soon

love always,

maya (writeslotsofstuff)