September 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up
September is almost always the best, most full month of the year for me (I have a few theories on why) and this year was no exception. Time and experiences with old friends and new friends, plus lots of consumption + creation of art filled me up to overflowing and made me feel like myself (despite the need for a LOT of naps).
This month I’m…
Reading: House of Sticks, Ly Tran. The Invention of Sophie Carter, Samantha Hastings. Shadow, Kara Swanson. Angel on the Square, Gloria Whelan (reread). Outpost, Dan Richards. Dearest Josephine, Caroline George. The Rose Code, Kate Quinn. The Fire by Night, Teresa Messineo (reread). Love and Other Train Wrecks, Leah Konen. Instant Karma and Heartless, Marissa Meyer. Six Crimson Cranes, Elizabeth Lim. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Dan Gemeinhart (reread). Our Only May Amelia, Jennifer L. Holm (reread). 14 total.
Listening to: Maisie Peters’ new album You Signed Up For This (NO SKIPS, SO FREAKING GOOD). Little Women (2019) soundtrack (for my WIP). Skinny Dipping, Sabrina Carpenter (and all of Sabrina Carpenter’s stuff). My “getting ready dance party” playlist. Alessia Cara’s new album In The Meantime (ALSO NO SKIPS I LOVE HER). 22 Break, Oh Wonder.
Watching: Gilmore Girls (season three). Outer Banks (season two). Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (in theaters). Cherry.
Writing: My current YA contemporary novel! Truly my happiest of happy places; I can’t describe how much joy having the cognitive function to consistently work on a novel (I got down approximately 17k words this month) has brought me. I don’t know if this one just feels extra magical because it’s been so long since I was truly able to write fiction, but I really don’t think I’ve ever had a novel writing experience quite like this one. This book has real potential, and the rest of it is already sitting inside my head–I’m just transcribing it to paper. Outside of my novel (and my paying work, lol), this month I also did volunteer work for Diamonds, People Hope, Chronic Joy, and DSN, and I wrote a few letters to pen pals.
Eating, drinking, and/or cooking: Chocolate chip brownies. Jellie Bellies. Scrambled eggs with red bell pepper and Tostitos (aka my all time favorite meal). Chicken with salad and pita chips. Sparking Ice, Truly’s, White Claws, apple cider, mixed drinks. Pan cookies. Apple cinnamon bread. Iced pumpkin cookies.
Buying: Gilmore Girls stickers. Also black jeans, a new purse, wedge booties, rings, tank tops, and generally way too many clothing and accessory items…
Grateful for: Rediscovering the outgoing, fun-loving parts of my personality. Friends who acknowledge how difficult it is for my body to do things. Top down Jeep rides. The gift of stories to help us make sense of the world. My church family. Being able to wear my rings again (because I’ve gained back the weight I lost). Baking while dancing around my kitchen to the BEST new music in a flannel and with a drink. Finally hanging up new fairy lights in my living room (after two years of meaning to, HA). Being treated by doctors who have the same conditions I do. Interesting conversations with Uber drivers. Being invited to be part of a small mentorship group led by someone I admire. Overall, I’m just so overwhelmingly grateful to be out in the world, and to be able to be in my happiest of happy places writing a novel.
I hope your September was full and magical, friends! What did you do this month? Let me know in the comments!
