Hey! Hi! Hello! Welcome back to the PIB, I’ve missed you ❤ I took a short hiatus because life was in the drivers seat and I was working overtime trying to take the wheel – do with that metaphor what you will – but I’ve basically been crazy busy working on my coursework, graduate school apps, and managing two jobs. Despite how rough that sounds, it’s been an incredibly sweet and gratifying fall so far.

Rather than talking to you about how I’ve been finding balance and managing my load – which is quite boring – I wanted to talk you all about what has been bringing me joy recently! Of my three and a half years of being college student, this has been the most memorable and enjoyable semester so far. Something about knowing everything is your last time, pushes you to really enjoy every moment and soak it in. That said, there are a lot of little things I’ve been loving and am so grateful for. In the spirit of thanksgiving (which I don’t celebrate, but is a good reminder nonetheless) here are a few of my favorite things!

Music – I am a big fan of music because I find solace in music, especially when I’m feeling things that are better articulated in songs than in my head. I am a sensitive person who feels things very deeply, which is just the way I’ve been my whole life. Does it sometimes get annoying? Absolutely, but it is truly a gift I’ve learned to appreciate as I’ve gotten older. I won’t rant about it for too long, but I am very proud of the grasp I have on my feelings and being able to recognize when things aren’t up to par ~ per se. That said, I am a hugeee playlist person – I have a playlist for every mood I could be in and I can’t quite explain how much I rotate through my different playlists. My new obsession is my playlist called “My Mix” – which is by far the least creative playlist name I have – and its genuinely just a big dumpster fire of all the music I like. My most played artists are a mix of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray, Suki Waterhouse, Phoebe Bridgers, boygenius, Olivia Rodrigo and many other artists. Am I quite basic? yes! but with good reason. SO, I’m going to give you my current favorite song by each artist!

Taylor Swift: Is It Over Now?, Lana Del Ray: Cruel World & Ultraviolence (the song and the whole album at this point), Suki Waterhouse: Moves, Phoebe Bridgers: Moon Song, boygenius: True Blue, Olivia Rodrigo: Making the bed & Love is embarrassing

Coffee – With the recent Starbucks and Dunkin boycott, I have gone local and have not looked back. My friends and I used to have our weekly run to Starbucks since last spring, and to be very honest I used to look so forward to them. While I miss it, and I really want my seasonal drink, nothing will ever get me to go to Starbucks again (and I was never a big Dunkin fan anyways). But anyways, I have been a coffee addict since forever and a half ago – literally ask anyone – and this summer my dad got us a lovely espresso machine which I miss very dearly. All that to say, I can’t make my own coffee anymore because I don’t have an espresso machine and I have standards (for the most part). So, I’ve been a frequent visitor of this little coffee shop across the street from campus called “Thirsty Mind”. If you’re a Mount Holyoke Student, this is a staple because it’s all we have here in little South Hadley. I’ve been going an embarrassing amount and I bet the people there are sick of me, but I just need my caffeine. I’m about to sound so dramatic so bear with me, but getting my coffee gets me through the day. My schedule is horrific and I’m always running around to class, meetings, events, work, and other things that just being able to go get my coffee *almost* everyday is a constant that I need. I kind of now use it as a way to plan my day out where I go and either sit and work until they close, or plan the rest of my day/week out. To Thirsty Mind, you are single-handedly getting me through senior year, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My Planner – I can’t live without my planner and let me tell you why. My planner started as my little book that kept me on track and slowly it manifested into being my planner and diary + sticker collection? I don’t know how that happened, but now I just dump anything and everything that needs to get done and ever since I’ve been on top of my load. I got in the habit of ticking things off which would a) serve as motivation, b) keep me on track, and c) because a physical archive of my life – which I think would be fun to look back at one day. I leave myself little messages and inspiration on each page and focus on 3 big things to get done each day (a tip I got from a therapist sophomore year). I carry my planner everywhere with me and I just grew to prefer a physical planner over digital. If you’re thinking of getting a planner but you’re afraid you’re not going to commit to it, the secret is just try to stay consistent and carry it everywhere with you. My Sundays are my workdays and I usually start by filling my planner out for the week, then as the week progresses, any time I plan on working I make sure to always start by looking and adding to my planner. In all seriousness, it has changed my life not having to mentally track all my deadlines and important dates.

FaceTime – I miss my family and friends from home all the time and a true gift I’ve had living in the age of technology is FaceTime. No matter how far away I am, I always cherish the moments I can call my friends and family from back home and just catch up with them. I can spend hours on the phone with them, even if nothing is being said, just knowing they are there is enough. I miss the Saudi culture and tradition deeply, so those weekly calls really keep me grounded and are a fresh reminder of who I am and who I’m doing everything for. That’s it honestly, I’m just glad I can call my parents from thousands of miles away and talk to my cats over the phone like some crazy cat lady – a reputation I am proud to uphold.

The fall/winter – Although I am a summer gal through and through, the fall/winter are profound reminders to take things slow and let nature take its course. I will complain about being cold till I am blue in the face, but it truly is a time where everything is so cozy and warm. Spending time indoors with friends and warm drinks while watching the leaves fall or the rain cover everything is such a comfy feeling that you don’t get when it is warmer out. Not to mention that bedtime feels a lot more cozy and sleep hits a lot harder. Something about this time of year is so romanticizable and it being my last fall in South Hadley makes it that more enchanting.

Pinterest – I have been an avid Pinner since my youth! I distinctly remember going to Pinterest at age 12 and looking up “curly hairstyles” or something that had to do with hair from a very young age. Since then, I have been using Pinterest on and off for art inspiration, outfit ideas, and just other miscellaneous things. As of last fall, Pinterest has become one of my most used apps and I usually start my days off by opening Pinterest and looking for outfit inspiration then continue pinning a bunch of things. With social media becoming a hub for news, politics, and reports – which I appreciate – it has really taken the fun out of my scrolling. I can’t complain because it is so important for this information to receive universal recognition, but it has been a large source of distress for me. So while it is important for me to stay in the loop, whenever it gets too much, I usually end up on Pinterest. I love that the app is so simple, you see something you like – you pin it. It’s like making different playlists but with photos and videos. I have so many boards on my Pinterest and I just enjoy curating them to reach a specific vibe. I just like Pinterest, that’s all!

My Weighted Pillow – Y’all this sounds so silly, but buying a weighted pillow from Target has been the best purchase I’ve made in a while. I bought a little rainbow one from the kids section and that is my favorite thing to sleep with. It’s just a good supportive pillow and especially because I have hypermobility – which means I usually have a lot of pressure on my back because my spine isn’t strong enough to support me. It sucks and I’m always propping myself up against things, but this pillow has been really helpful in making sleep more comfortable because it is very heavy and helps keep my spine leveled throughout the night 🙂

The color Red – While yellow has been my favorite color forever and ever, a new recent obsession of mine has been red! I’m not sure what about it, but I’ve just been vibing with it recently whether in clothes, nails, shoes, or anything. Red is just Red–ing with me. I believe that colors can mean so many things, for example, the color purple to me is very calming and relaxing. Red has been a color that brings fire, desire, passion, boldness, intensity, and novelty. That was a lot to say about a color, but its just a fun and flexible color that I’ve been really enjoying lately.

Last but certainly not least, my friends. Bear with me as I put my cheesy hat on, but I am always so grateful for the friends I have. Not a day goes by without me thinking about each and every one of them and what joy they bring to my life. Time flies when I’m around them, and I know that there will come a day where the memories I have will be held so close to my heart. I can sit and talk to them talk for hours or just simply be in their presence. Any moment I spend with my people reminds me that I am of the lucky ones that have found a home away from home – a chosen family. In the least corny way possible, they bring light to my life and they’re a constant reminder that everything will be okay because I have people cheering me on. To my biggest supporters, my backbone, the reason I will long to relive my early 20s for years to come – I love you more than words can ever describe, and I thank my lucky stars every day that our paths have crossed.

With that, I hope this gave you an update on me without being generic and boring? I’d love to hear about little or big things that have been bringing you joy lately, so please comment yours!

As always, thank you so much for checking out my little blog and I look forward to word-dumping for you in the next one!

With Love & Gratitude,

Danyah