I'm Just Happy to Be Here

Brain Dump Vol. 2

Apr 15, 2025

Hi — Sorry!

Hello! Sorry for being MIA. I recently moved (yes, again) and as a result, my life has been quite chaotic. Moving is hard. On one hand, it’s really exciting to get to experience something new, whether it’s a new city or a new neighborhood. On the other hand, it can feel challenging to adapt to a new space. This has been my experience thus far — trying to balance dealing with both sides of the coin. What I’ve learned is how important being present is. Simply taking things one step at a time has seriously saved me from what would have been a days of meltdowns. Oh, and routine! In the past, I’ve always had a hard time waking up in the mornings. I would hit snooze on each of my three alarms just to rush to get ready throughout the rest of my morning and dash out the door without even eating breakfast. Something about this move helped me realize I wasn’t taking great care of myself.

My current morning routine that I’ve stuck to for the past week (taking a moment to pat myself on the back for this one) consists walks around the block with my dog, five minute meditations and plenty of time to enjoy my morning coffee and a side of breakfast. I make time to do my skincare, five minute makeup routine and jam out to music in the bathroom whilst doing it. This has been a part of my adapting process — trying to create little things to look forward to.

Another large piece of my experience has been my dog. Yes, I am the typical woman in her 20s whose dog is their everything. It’s only been a few weeks, and she’s already acting as though we’ve lived here for years. We’ve been bopping around the city running errands and exploring like partners in crime. It gets her out of the house and lets her gain new experiences, which in turn, knocks her out as soon as we get home.

Since we’ve been attached at the hip, everyone who stops me to pet her tells me I should create a profile on social media for her. So, I finally decided to do it. If she’s going to nap around the apartment as if she owns the place, she can at least help me make a little bit of rent. You can find her here on Instagram.

Angels Are Real

On another note — do you believe in numerology? I need to know because I’ve been seeing angel numbers everywhere, especially since moving. Does this mean God is trying to tell me I’m exactly where I need to be? If so, I receive it.

Unpacking

A real pain point when it comes to moving is having to unpack. Both packing and unpacking annoy me. I can’t stand the clutter. When my space is cluttered, my mind feels cluttered as well. So, to make unpacking a more enjoyable experience, I’ve decided to make it a part of my night routine. Once I’ve made time for myself and my dog, I have dance parties in my living room whilst unpacking, and it’s awesome.

Another small way I’ve been sparking joy in my unpacking journey is by intertwining the experience with little hints of new decor. For example, I ordered this floral comforter from Macy’s and was pumped when I got to finally put them on my bed while also finding a place for my sweater collection in my closet. Better yet, I rediscovered old vintage pairs of denim that had just been sitting in the back for years. It felt like seeing an old friend.

My latest shopping trends consist of a mix of functional necessities, home decor and a bunch of random one-offs on Amazon. It’s funny how we take for granted the little pieces of our everyday routine until the moment it’s gone, and you’re starting from ground zero. The biggest thing I’ve emphasized during my move is comfort. I want to make my space feel as comfortable and safe as possible. I want it to feel like an extension of myself, my personality, who I am at my core. What I’m trying to say is I want it to feel like home. Like the type of home you look forward to coming back to after a long day, for years to come.

In this quest, I’ve focused heavily on privacy and the right to choose when I want to be more open. I got semi-sheer curtains on Amazon and put them on a curtain rod my dad installed for me. I can’t lie — this small home improvement made me feel really proud of myself. I’m not used to being the handyman! Style is obviously another pillar in creating my dream space. The goal is for every room to feel like its own mini experience. For example, I am currently installing peel-and-stick tile to my kitchen floors for a vintage feel (photos to come). The entire process took no more than 20 minutes, granted, I have a small kitchen, but made a huge impact. All of a sudden, I want to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner and maybe even chill in there drinking my coffee while my dog eats her breakfast.

Next on my hit list is my bathroom. I’ve made small tweaks like installing a corner shower caddy and other organizational things, but I haven’t really begun to truly decorate. The bathroom is a really sacred space for me. As a place that starts and ends my day, I need it to feel calming and beautiful to look at. More to come on my plans here.

The Weekly Digest

Watching:

Let’s start with my favorite form of media lately — podcasts. They’re perfect for playing in the background while unpacking or doing chores around the house. I also love watching them while eating dinner on the couch. A Friday night with my dog, laid up on the couch while watching Michelle Obama and Elaine Welteroth on IMO? Yeah, that sounds like my kind of night.

Last night I rewatched an old episode of Call Her Daddy with Monica Lewinsky as the guest. It was a really powerful and informative episode about power dynamics, age dynamics and the infuriating reason why women always seem to get the brunt of the blame for something that was clearly a two-way street.

On a lighter note, I discovered this old episode of Daytime talkshow, The Real, that gave me inspiration and made me feel seen.

And then there were really old funny episodes like this:

Saving the best for last, let me bless you with the Kendrick Lamar x SZA Luther music video.

Reading:

Pre-move, I was avidly reading Long Island Compromise, or re-reading, rather. I initially started reading this book almost a year ago in my old apartment. The book has a really good start, but there’s something that just drops off after the fact that made it hard for me to concentrate. I hate getting a new book and struggling to read it, so I try my best to stick it out through at least halfway through but sometimes it’s hard. Long story short, this is the book I’m hitting resume on this week. It’s a fictional book that involves a kidnapping which is an immediate yes for the true crime junkie in me.

Listening:

I’ve shown lots of love before — we stan SZA in this household.

Ariana Grande’s deluxe album has also been on repeat lately. I am the type of person that continues listening to the same music until I can’t. Playing this album has been a part of my morning routine, walking to the train station.