I’m only here for…

A good deal of my time on the internet in the past three years has been sucked into a timewarp reading articles from Thought Catalog. Some of them are funny, some of them are ridiculous and often dismissive, but others have fleeting moments of wisdom and truth about being a twenty-something. I have a handful of favorite writers that I look for there, and one of them is Chelsea Fagan. She’s actually a year younger than me, but shows a great balance of silliness and poise, she’s obviously intelligent and yet still has a grounded, pragmatic view about things. I love that she expresses her opinions on everything important and trivial more or less unapologetically. It’s encouraging to see someone who has lived, encountering some of the same basic challenges, discouragements and has managed to come away feeling confident about herself and what she wants from life.

When she announced the release of her first book, I ordered it without reading the synopsis. I knew there was a slim chance of regret. I’m only here for the wifi poses as a how-to guide for making the wade into adulthood. While I didn’t necessarily learn from it, it was hilarious, well put, and enormously comforting, easy to relate to.

Here are a few of my favorite moments from Fagan. *(disclaimer in case you care about this sort of thing: not PG language)

On finding hobbies other than drinking:

“If you’re going to pick up something obscure, like Tuvan Throat Singing, I commend you-but as I have no information on the subject, I’ll just assume it’s nothing but upsides. Bitches love a Tuvan Throat Singer.”

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“So where do we go? What are the options that leave us all happy, wealthy, and relatively dry at the end of the evening? Well, we could all take up hobbies that don’t involve drinking but allow us to learn something new while enjoying each other’s company for what it is in its natural state–having real conversations unmarred by inebriation or societal pressure to go home with a sex partner. We could all sign up for activities together, take dance lessons or join a bowling league, or even do some volunteering and then maybe cook for each other afterward. If you think about it, it could probably be pretty fun and easy on the pockets.”

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On expectations for relationships:

“The premium that was once put on a certain amount of maturity and responsibility as we eased into adulthood has been replaced, in many circles, by a strange idolization of whoever appears to give the least amount of fucks.”

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On making friends after graduation:

“Now think about it, you literally have to ask someone out on a friend date. You need to work through an entire process to go from meeting a total stranger in some adult context like work, public transportation or masquerade orgy to making that person someone you could invite to your wedding some day–and the process must be followed fairly strictly so you avoid looking like a giant creeper.”

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“There are people who say that they are totally unaffected by the choices their friends make and the lifestyles they live, but those people are full of shit. Few things have inspired in me greater existential terror than seeing the inside of my friend’s uterus pop up nonchalantly on my news feed.”

a garden tucked away

My fascination with gardens began with books, where they always seem to hold a special place in a quirky character’s heart or a mysterious role in the plot. What follows are images from my aunt’s garden, which she takes special care of and treats her guests to thoughtful strolls through it, coffee (or wine) in hand.

the view from the house

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these accents of blue are in each nook

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the goldfish pond

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the master gardener

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these days (island edition)

This summer, I took a proper vacation. A full 6 days of no work or responsibility.

It was weird. And good.

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First stop was my Aunt June’s place, just south of Atlanta. She has this amazing garden that you can get lost in.

Also, it’s dotted with a variety of items- all robin’s egg blue- and a few friendly, fluffy kitties.

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Next, I headed south to Savannah, where I stayed at a beach house on the sleepy little tourist town of Tybee Island.

I took no one with me. What else didn’t I take?

My day planner, hair product, my laptop, a structured schedule of any sort, or the willpower to check email…

First stop in Savannah was at this old pub on the river in Savannah for some great beer, fish & chips.
Everything very simple, but very good.

(pictured below: that famous Spanish moss, a wandering kite on the beach at twilight)

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After I got things set up at the house on Tybee, I spent most of my days wandering the picturesque, cobbled streets of historic Savannah, browsing through old bookstores and taking up a seat at the local coffeeshops before finding something good to eat.

Afternoons were reserved for a whole lot of nothing on the beach.

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A lot of nothing.

And maybe a little reading.

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I’m not a huge fan of summer, but when you have one of these, it sure helps.

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There was a decent amount of rain while I was there

but the only persistent shower ate up the better part of a day, giving me quality book time.

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Strolls took me past coffee roasteries, street art and vespa stores.

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Also, the old theatre, the chapel where the opening scene of Forrest Gump was filmed, and more of these beautiful, ivy-laden entrances.

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I got sucked into Vinnie Van Go Go, a little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria that uses Vincent Van Gogh’s face in the logo.

There was barely room to sit down, but the staff was friendly, the dough was made in-house, and locals would chat easily with you at the bar.

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It was lovely, not having a schedule, but some things must come to an end.

But not without a little Elvis. (When in Tupelo.)

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Where are your summer travels taking you?

these days

Lately, I’ve been enjoying my last days as an intern and staff assistant in constituent services.

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I dusted off my public speaking to discuss case studies in social media for colleges at the University of Arkansas #WebFirst conference.

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After a couple of years, my time at The City Wire is coming to a close, but I’m going out with a bang.

Sam & I at the Dream Big! Gala

In the past few weeks, I’ve covered the Tyson corporate art collection, a benefit for the KidsClub,

the Dream Big! fundraiser for the Children’s Safety Center and First Thursday Fayetteville.

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Outside of work, I’ve been touching up the home base.

I finally set a coat of avocado-colored paint or two on my book cubes to spruce them up.

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Checked out the authentic Mexican cuisine food at this Taqueria in Springdale

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What have you been up to these days?