Hannah With A Camera -

january 2025 | life update vol. 11

February 3, 2025 No Comments

Hi!

I’ve missed writing, and just general updating on my life – more for my personal benefit to look back on than anything else. I thought it might be fun to start doing a post monthly on everything I’d consumed for the months – books, movies, TV shows, music, new foods, etc. In the age of nearly everyone starting a Substack – I figured I already have my outlet, so why not return to my roots?

Life Update:

Things have changed a lot since I last posted in April – or consistently, so in 2020 – but I’ll keep it simple. I started a new job last week that I’m very excited about. When I left my old job in July, I started doing Rover around the same time and it was a total game changer for my mental health. I was walking every single day (in September I was averaging 20k steps – I’m glad I’m not that active anymore), I was able to foster another dog, I felt like I had time to take care of myself. I got into cooking a lot more too – no crazy recipes here, but I feel like I have a few go-to recipes under my belt and am looking forward to adding more in the new year.

Now that I’m in this new role, staying active is a huge priority for me. I had a good habit going and really don’t want to let that slide. The weather may be a bit prohibitive, as it always tends to be for me in the winters, but as long as I find a decent schedule for myself I think it’ll be okay. I’ve also started ballet class – random, but I’ve really come to like it. It’s not super physical right now as we’re just learning the very basics, but I’m interested to see how it progresses.

Reading

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry: 3.5/5

I’m not a huge fan of Henry’s overall genre, but I really enjoyed this one! As one of her earlier books, I don’t think it follows her traditional formula that she seems to have fallen into. I’m excited to see the movie adaptation and hoping Taylor Swift’s The Bolter makes its way onto the soundtrack.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: 1/5 ?

I have a tendency of downloading a book to have on my phone on Libby for the plane – even though I fall asleep for nearly every plane ride ever. For some reason, once I’m home, I really struggle to read books on my phone (hence why I haven’t taken the step of getting a Kindle yet). This was disturbing – and maybe a bit too far for my taste. I’m here for a thriller but this just felt downright creepy. I don’t want to watch the TV adaptation and kind of want to forget I even read half of this story. Couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

I’m also currently reading Good Material by Dolly Alderton and The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. Very early into both so I feel it’d be unfair to rate either!

Watching

The Rookie: Season seven is back and I am totally sucked into this show. It’s goofy, has just the right amount of suspense and random showmances thrown in, and has a strong continuous storyline with all the classic villains. I wouldn’t recommend it to people as ‘the best show ever’ – but if you want a show to just watch casually, this is for you.

Abbott Elementary: I think this show is so funny – rarely do I find myself laughing out loud when I’m watching anything else. The storylines always remind me of some random story my mom tells about her kindergarten experiences.

Notting Hill: I have a tendency to latch onto an actor after watching one of their films. After I watched Erin Brockovitch the day before, I needed to find more Julia Roberts movies. Since Pretty Woman isn’t available on any streaming service without renting, this was the second choice. I loved this movie and it did have me thinking wow, they just don’t make movies like this anymore even though I was literally 1 and a half when the movie came out. It did remind me a lot of the Disney Channel classic Starstruck – which, of course, is another favorite! And I did watch Starstruck after this, but no one needs a review of that.

Firefly Lane: I’d heard about this show and randomly got hooked a couple weeks ago. I was so invested in Kate and Tully’s friendship and the actresses, both the young and older versions, did a fantastic job of representing the characters. I won’t spoil it for you but the end truly wrecked me. Absolutely worth a watch.

One of Them Days: I saw this in theaters and was laughing out loud throughout the whole movie. It’s funny, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and SZA shines in her first movie role. Keke Palmer is hilarious as always and the soundtrack was stellar too.

Listening

I’ve had Maggie Rogers on repeat. Her music has been a steady favorite of mine all the way back to 2019 – as evidenced here in this blog – and she just keeps getting better. I love listening to her albums all the way through, and I think Surrender ranks as the most complete album for me as a whole. Heard It In A Past Life still remains my top favorite, but the experience of Surrender is genuinely unlike any other. It requires a specific kind of listening experience – either in the car, or at home cooking, but no other distractions.

Doechii is a new random listen of mine! Nissan Altima off her album Alligator Bites Never Heal is my favorite track, but I’ve found myself jamming along to the others too. Her Tiny Desk concert is unreal and fascinating to watch/listen to – and any rap track with trumpets is always my favorite. (I wrote this pre-Grammys – so stoked to see her take Best Rap Album!)

’til next post –

Hannah

music

the tortured poets department album review

April 19, 2024 No Comments

Review? Deep dive? Who knows. Leave it to Taylor Swift dropping another musical masterpiece to bring me out of blogging retirement.

When it comes to Taylor’s lyrics, I love doing a deep dive into the lyrics and possible hidden meanings and allusions within the songs to feel like I fully understand. Just one listen won’t cut it! We’ll start with my early album ranking, after round 5 of a full listen-through. Of course, Taylor dropped an entirely new set of songs around 2am, fully completing the anthology, and it’s difficult to decisively rank 31 songs all at once – but I’ve done my best.

Album Ranking

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
So Long, London
I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
But Daddy I Love Him
Clara Bow
The Albatross
Florida!!!
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
loml
The Black Dog
thanK you aIMee
The Bolter
The Prophecy
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
I Hate It Here
The Tortured Poet’s Department
The Manuscript
The Alchemy
Peter
Guilty as Sin?
So High School
How Did It End?
Cassandra
i’mgonnagetyouback
I Look In People’s Windows
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
Robin
Fresh Out The Slammer
Fortnight
Down Bad

Fortnight: The opening single isn’t my favorite, but more because the rest of the album ends up overshadowing it so much that it was hard to remember the melody by the end of the album. Part one, that is. I’m excited for the music video release earlier tonight. I think the trailer, as well as the first two lines of the song – I was supposed to be sent away / but they forgot to come and get me are a clear callback to Hits Different – is that your key in the door? is it okay? is it you? or have they come to take me away? The idea of being locked away not of one’s accord seems to be a recurring theme throughout the album, akin to being held captive – perhaps in a back-and-forth, will-he-won’t-he relationship.

The Tortured Poets Department: The album’s titular track was a clear clue tying back to her relationship with Matty Healy. If you were on tumblr around 2014, you know – if you weren’t, I still think many women can relate to being in love with the idea of someone rather than the actual relationship. But who am I to say – we only see as much as Taylor allows us to, and I’m a firm believer she loves embellishing prose in her songs. I love the slight mockery in this song, with I laughed in your face and said “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith / this ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots. Patti Smith has spoken up for Taylor before, and I’d be curious to know her thoughts on this song.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys: Welcome back, Tennis Court by Lorde’s beat! My favorite part here is the bridge – once I fix me / he’s gonna miss me. Even Taylor Swift dreams of the ‘I won the breakup’ satisfaction – girl, you’re Taylor Swift, don’t you know that already?

Down Bad: It’s at the bottom of my list for a reason! Not to say that I hate it – this album truly has no skips for me. She calls back to New Romantics here – Please take me dancing / Please leave me stranded / it’s so romantic with the bridge – How dare you think it’s romantic / leaving me safe and stranded. No longer cool to be left alone!

So Long, London: This track blew me away. Of course it’s track 5! The intro reminds me a lot of Call It What You Want fromthe reputation album. Her voice is reminiscent of Lana Del Rey here, and the fast pace and consistent drum beat reminded me of You’re Losing Me from the Midnights Til Dawn album. I stopped CPR, after all it’s no use had my jaw drop when I first heard it, an obvious callback to You’re Losing Me’s Stop, you’re losing me / I can’t find a pulse / my heart won’t start anymore for you. Her own heartbeat is credited on You’re Losing Me as well as the song being the exact BPM you’d use for CPR. The drama in this track, referencing an ex-lover ruining her favorite place they had together, has tones of anger and resignment all at once.

But Daddy I Love Him: We’ll get the important part out of the way – she said my name! Not in the best context, but a win is a win! The storytelling in this song reminds me of Love Story – and now that I think about it, there’s a lot of songs on the first part of the anthology that reminds me of Fearless. My favorite lyric – sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see so perfectly sums up celebrity culture in that everyone holds their opinion and loves to share, but she’ll never see it, so bless their heart (God save the most judgmental creeps). This is a song that points to multiple relationships, but I do think it comes full circle to Travis Kelce at the end – welcome to the Taylor Swift discography, Trav!

Fresh Out The Slammer: One of the verses – my friends tried, but I wouldn’t hear it – is again, another relatable lyric that made me laugh. Wearing imaginary rings feels like a callback to Lover’s Paper Rings to me as well.

Florida!!!: I love Florence + the Machine, so I was very excited for this collaboration – and it was everything I could have wanted. In an iHeartRadio interview, Taylor talks about Florida being a place to escape and skip town – a theme you could definitely see in the song, but she obviously didn’t mention the rumors of her relationship with Joe supposedly ending while on tour in Florida. In the line Little did you know your home’s really only / a town you’re just a guest in, I feel like she describes the feeling of returning home to a place that doesn’t feel like yours anymore – especially if the person there is detached as well.

Guilty as Sin?: This song feels like she’s trying to convince herself the relationship really was all that she had it chalked up to be in her mind – or was it? Am I allowed to cry? Is she allowed to mourn something that wasn’t truly good for her in the first place? When she makes the Jesus comparison in the bridge, ultimately ending with I choose you and me religiously, I feel like it’s a callback to False God from Lover.

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?: Immediately I felt a connection to the song Willow off of evermore, from the opening line, the muted guitar plucking, the building chords, etc. I love the yell in the choruses, and the bridge takes the cake for me in this song. That I’m fearsome and wretched and I’m wrong / put narcotics into all my songs / and that’s why you’re still singing along ?! You’re kidding me! The rise of her fame was exponential this past year, with the Eras Tour, the movie, the multiple re-records, her introduction to the NFL crowd – and I love her message within this song. You can say what you want, but at the end of the day, you still know and sing along to my hits.

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can): Let him go girl! I really like the sound within this song, reminding me of an old Western soundtrack especially with the overlapping reverb. Ultimately it didn’t stand out to me – but again – no skips on the album, so I’ll happily listen.

loml: Another Fearless-esque track, the cadence of the chorus called me back to White Horse immediately. The lyrics in this track tell me a complete story, but instead of taking a folkore-style spin (allegedly fictional), this album feels very clear it’s about all her own experiences within the heartbreak of a relationship. We get hit with a total sucker punch at the end, expecting loml to be ‘love of my life’ – but instead, loss of my life.

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: Everyone (understandably) calls this back to Bejeweled, and I think thematically it certainly aligns – but the beat is so sonically Mastermind to me. Of course it’s track 13, all about how she can pull off the magnitude of a tour like the Eras Tour – even when her world is seemingly breaking down. I loved the humor in this one, how she doesn’t take herself so seriously. The laughing with Try and come for my job at the end is the perfect endcap to the song.

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: Maybe one of Taylor’s angriest songs yet? The barrage of point-blank questions littered throughout the song, heightened by the bridge and the building strings, emphasize her frustration with the subject in question. And I’ll forget you / but I’ll never forgive – if there’s one thing Taylor loves, it’s holding a grudge, and I love her for that.

The Alchemy: I did not expect an entire Travis Kelce love song on this album – but here it is! As a Kansas Citian, the idea of her dating a Chiefs player in KC is still the funniest thing to me and I still can’t wrap my head around it sometimes. The random football references littered through – while still eloquent, as only she can do – are too good. Where’s the trophy / he just comes running over to me – thank you, Kansas City 2024 Super Bowl Champs!

Clara Bow: Long Live, but make it a cautionary tale? She starts by referencing a singer looking like Clara Bow, an old Hollywood starlet who eventually suffered from mental illness, influenced from scrutiny from the media and overexposure. Stevie Nicks wrote a poem for the front of the album, and she’s referenced in the middle of the song here. Taylor was often compared to Stevie around the Speak Now/Red era on the rise of her career. The ending of the song – You look like Taylor Swift / in this light we’re loving it feels like a comforting ode to the next generation of stars, a reminder from Nothing New.

Overall, this album stood out to me from the first listen and I need to listen to part two of the anthology and dissect it more in order to do a full review justice. Can’t wait to listen to this 30000 more times!

music

evermore album review

December 15, 2020 No Comments

When I first listened to Taylor Swift’s newest album, evermore, I knew I had to write an (entirely unsolicited) review of it to truly experience the album as a whole. Evermore is meant to be the fall/winter to folklore‘s spring/summer and the two contrast each other nicely. I listened to it twice the night it came out and at least six times through the day after, and now that it’s five days later I truly feel like I have a grasp on the album. I’m organizing this review song by song, including my favorite lyrics from each.

Ever since I was 13, I’ve been excited about turning 31 because it’s my lucky number backwards, which is why I wanted to surprise you with this now. You’ve all been so caring, supportive and thoughtful on my birthdays and so this time I thought I...

willow: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The flow of the song was really strong, the continuing riff was a good upbeat opener and I really liked the music video. It’s a great first impression to the album (though I knew I’d love it already as the sister album to folklore)!

favorite lyric: like you were a trophy or a champion ring / and there was one prize I’d cheat to win

champagne problems: SO good! Another example of immaculate storytelling from Ms. Swift. This song is about two college sweethearts and one unexpectedly turning down a proposal just before Christmas. This is another classic recurring chord progression of Taylor’s too, so it’s easy to transition with other songs of hers (hello, All Too Well, Cornelia Street and Out Of The Woods).

favorite lyrics: this dorm was once a madhouse / I made a joke, “well, it’s meant for me”

gold rush: The intro instantly reminded me of mirrorball from folklore. It ended somewhat abruptly, with no fade from the lyrics, which was a little jarring. I saw a theory that this was written from Joe Alwyn (her boyfriend’s) perspective about dating Taylor, about how it’s difficult to adapt to being in the spotlight, and I like that theory!

favorite lyric: call you out on your contrarian shit

’tis the damn season: This song is about getting out of your hometown and returning for the holidays, and returning to old relationships out of familiarity as well. I couldn’t quite relate to this one personally, but I like how transparent the story is here. The guitar is really strong and I love the recurring theme throughout the album how this is part of Dorothea’s story.

favorite lyric: to leave the warmest bed I’ve ever known

tolerate it: This one is about trying to prove something and trying your hardest just for someone who doesn’t pay attention to your efforts. I really love the piano backing here, it feels like a piece by Phillip Glass. The lyrics here are some of my favorites throughout the whole album.

favorite lyric: use my best colors for your portrait

no body, no crime (feat. Haim): The storytelling in this one is incredible!! My friend Hannah summed it up perfectly as a ‘chill Goodbye Earl,’ and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Taylor was influenced by the Dixie Chicks for this track. I loved the twist at the end here about covering up the crime. My one complaint with this song – I wish it featured more vocals from Haim. It would have been really interesting to make this a two-perspective song, with verses from Taylor and verses from Este.

favorite lyric: I’ve cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene

happiness: This one is one of those songs that you wish you’d been through a deep breakup just to experience Taylor’s album fully (which sounds crazy, but you’d understand as a Taylor Swift fan!). It acknowledges how two people can hurt each other but even with a rough breakup, there was still happy moments – something not often touched on in breakup songs. The crescendo through the middle here and the strings build up really nicely through simple repetition.

favorite lyric: all you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness

dorothea: No Taylor album is complete without prime storytelling! This tells the story from a different perspective, from an old lover, but I also like listening to it from the perspective of friends that have grown apart.

favorite lyric: you got shiny friends since you left town

coney island (feat. The National): Another one about a loss of a relationship, told from both perspectives as The National chimes in on this track. Her voice combines so well with Matt Berninger and the back and forth exchange here works so well, especially once they blend together. This bridge builds so nicely and while I wouldn’t classify as one of Taylor’s most iconic bridges, it shows off her true talent as a musician.

favorite lyric: did I paint your bluest skies the darkest gray

ivy: One of my top three! This is another one I can’t personally relate to (about an affair) but tells a great story and the imagery in this song is really vivid. The chorus resonates really strongly and it’s a little reminiscent of Betty for me. This stuck out to me immediately on my first listen of the album, both musically and lyrically.

favorite lyric: I don’t just sit here and wait / grieving for the living

cowboy like me: This is my least favorite song from the album (maybe even from evermore and folklore combined). It’s reminiscent of her early work, which I appreciate, but overall reads more like a slow ballad.

favorite lyric: forever is the sweetest con

long story short: This song grew on me! This one feels like it’s about her critics and the past drama that people had tried to put blame on her for, like she’s talking to her past self and saying she’ll come out stronger through it. It’s one of the more upbeat tracks and the pacing is really nice, kind of reminds me of the last great american dynasty!

favorite lyric: our nemeses will defeat themselves before they get the chance to swing

marjorie: This made me cry on the first listen – and the second, and the third. I am not a crier in general, especially with songs, (peace made me cry at a first listen with folklore, for entirely different reasons) but going in with the perspective of this being about her grandmother really made me take a second. It perfectly describes what it’s like to lose a grandparent and is written so well. ‘What died didn’t stay dead’ felt like a somewhat simplistic lyric that I originally wasn’t a huge fan of, but nothing else feels right in its place. This bridge is so well done and the crescendoes here really hit hard. Every single lyric here is so on the nose to the situation.

favorite lyric: ’cause every scrap of you would be taken from me

closure: If there’s a song I absolutely did not like on first impressions alone, it’s this. It felt jarring compared to the rest of the album and the synth sounds almost hurt my brain, and it felt as if she was singing too quickly. It seemed rushed and didn’t flow with the rest of the tracks. On second listen, I really love the lyrics and I think it’d be great as an acoustic version. It’s a strong song about how the narrator doesn’t need the closure from an ex that they’re trying to give, as if they’ve already moved on. I understand the choice behind the chaotic background track, but it makes me want to grit my teeth while listening.

favorite lyric: I know I’m just a wrinkle in your new life / staying friends would iron it out so nice

evermore: My favorite of the two Bon Iver collaborations! This song feels like redemption – from being in a dark place to slowly seeing the light and feeling hope again. Some could see it as being about a relationship, or about mental health. Once Bon Iver comes in and the piano picks up, it feels like the part in a struggle with mental health pulling yourself out of a hole, and then it clears up again, symbolizing hope again.

favorite lyric: I rewind the tape but all it does is pause

RANKINGS

Marjorie
Ivy
Coney Island
Champagne Problems
Willow
Long Story Short
’Tis The Damn Season
No Body No Crime
Evermore
Happiness
Gold Rush
Tolerate it
Closure
Dorothea
Cowboy Like Me

This was INCREDIBLY difficult to rank and it might change a bit over time. I truly can’t pick one or the other over folklore – the best way to listen to this album, in my opinion, is back and forth with folklore as they pair so well together. Overall, I’m continually impressed by Taylor’s work and think she has a song for everyone. Even if you’ve never listened intentionally to her songs before, this is 100% worth a listen.

Also worth noting: I’m sure some of this was written on her trip to Utah in September, which makes it extra special! (Only slightly painful knowing she was 20 minutes away from me at a point in time and I had no idea…)

life update

july moodboard

July 1, 2020 No Comments

Sharing my July moodboard real quick! I’ve been super into Pinterest lately and was inspired by @franacciardo to pull together moodboard of photos I’ve been loving. Will I be wearing any of these outfits anytime soon? Definitely not – thanks quarantine – but a girl can dream. Summer is my favorite time of year and my birthday being at the end of July certainly helps! Here’s to 23!

life update

may 2020 | life update vol. 10

May 28, 2020 No Comments

NOTE: this is a republished post because I had some link issues with the other one – bear with me!

As I write this, it’s the second month of my quarantine. I visited my cousin in Paris in March over my work spring break, had the best time, then returned to America just in time. If I had come back a day later, I’m sure I would have been in those photos with all the crazy lines at the major airports!

I quarantined for two weeks at my apartment, then flew home to Kansas. I only packed three week’s worth of clothing, thinking that would be enough…little did I know!

Loving Lately

Watching

Outer Banks: I’ve literally watched this three times already, if that doesn’t tell you enough about how I feel about it. I love the show, the plot really kicks off around the fifth episode and you won’t believe the ending. I could go on and on about OBX so if you’ve seen it, please DM me and we can chat!! It’s about a group of four best friends that go on a treasure hunt after the main character’s father disappears.

Little Fires Everywhere: This show is on Hulu and it’s based on the bestseller by Celeste Ng. Set in the 90s in Shaker Heights, Ohio, it follows the ‘ideal suburban family’ of the Richardsons and a mom and her daughter, new to the town. This is another one where I had no idea where it was going to end! I had wanted to read this book for a while, but I’ve been 20th in line on the library holds list for forever so I just decided to watch the show first. It makes me want to read the book now to see how they would lay out the plotline!

Dead To Me: Season one of Dead to Me came out last spring and the second season came out at the beginning of May. I had already seen the first, but I started from the beginning to watch it with my mom. It’s about a woman whose husband dies in a hit-and-run, and her friendship with another woman she meets in a grief support group. I have to admit that I was disappointed by the cliffhanger in the first season, and it didn’t truly resolve itself in the second season – which also ended with another cliffhanger. It’s not my favorite of the bunch, but it’s an easy watch and has a lot of humor mixed in.

Reading

The Selection series by Kiera Cass: After seeing this series all over my Tiktok, I decided to try it as one of my first quarantine reads. I was surprised by how much I loved it! It’s a classic YA novel, kind of like the Bachelor meets the Hunger Games (marriage competition meets caste system). They were a little too drawn out and I wish the third had resolved sooner, but still, a fun read. I wouldn’t recommend reading the fourth and fifth books though.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: This book follows the son of America’s first female president and his rivalry with the Prince of Wales – which then turns into something more. This book was really fun and clearly I was on a royal kick. It’s considered ‘new adult fiction,’ a fairly new genre that follows late high schoolers to recent post-grads. It was published in May of 2019 too, so it’s fairly up to date on pop culture references. I liked it!

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger: I’ve seen this recommended all over blogs and Instagram over the past year. It follows a group of friends and their kids trying to get into a new prestigious school, exclusively for gifted children. It’s a slow burn, but the ending had a big twist that I certainly wasn’t expecting. The beginning was a little tricky to follow with so many characters, but stick with it! It’s worth it. If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll like this too.

Four little things

I’ve been on a consistent workout schedule lately and I think a BIG part of that is not having to sit at a desk all day. Even if I’m not doing a dedicated workout, I’ve still been walking the dogs with my dad at least every day. I want to keep this up and when I get back to work, I definitely want to take advantage of my lunch breaks more!
I’ve been able to see two of my hometown friends more than ever (from a safe distance, of course), and it’s been so special. We’ve all been friends since middle school at least, and it’s nice to get out of the house and hang out.
I swear by these Outdoor Voices shorts for running or general workouts. I just bought my third pair and it’s SO worth the price. I’ve had one pair for over a year and they’ve held up really well. (PS – use my link here for 20% off your purchase! OV rarely has sales so take advantage of this)
If you’re into Outer Banks or just stickers in general, I’ve updated my Redbubble shop recently!

Hope you’re staying safe and healthy!

xo, Hannah

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five things I wish I knew when I graduated college

May 20, 2020 No Comments

I graduated one year ago on May 19th, 2019. As I started getting reminders of college with Snapchat memories and ‘one year ago today’ Facebook notifications, I wanted to reflect on what I’ve learned since then. While I definitely don’t know everything, and I certainly don’t claim to – I’m only 22! I just wish I had someone to tell me this advice when I had just graduated!

5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Graduated College | Hannah With a Camera

Moving to a new city can be the best thing you do for yourself – but also one of the hardest and scariest things

Cecret Lake in Utah – I’m used to a different landscape in Kansas lol

I grew up in Kansas and went to school in Kansas, only a half-hour away from my hometown. I don’t regret this choice for a second, the University of Kansas was my dream school and I love every experience I had there. However, I saw my family often and I didn’t have a huge adjustment to college because I was familiar with the environment. In July of 2019, I moved to Salt Lake City, UT, for my new job. I had only visited once in May for three days only just to find an apartment.

My parents helped move me out there and get settled, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be for me mentally once I was alone. I didn’t know anyone before moving and honestly, I really struggled for a while when I would come home to an empty apartment, or realize I had no friends to hang out with. It took a good amount of time for me to adjust and realize that while making new friends was hard and takes a lot of time, it was worth it for my mental health. I also had to push myself to get out and explore the area on my own and be comfortable with being alone – something I had never really had to do before.

Decorate your new place right away to make it feel like home

My apartment back when my plants weren’t dead haha

This seems so simple but it truly makes a difference! I waited until September to finally hang things up in my apartment and get settled. I had planned on finding a roommate and moving pretty quickly, so that was my justification. However, once I put up pictures of my friends and family and decorated the place to fit more of my style, I was a lot happier when I spent time at home.

Master 5 new recipes

I didn’t cook at all my freshman year through my junior year, because I lived in the dorms, then in my sorority house for two years. Even when I lived in a house during my senior year, I took advantage of free food from work and didn’t cook that often. I wish I had known some simple recipes to be able to whip up when I came home from work! I can’t say I’m a master chef by any means now, but I know a little more about cooking and eat a little healthier because of it.

Take time to travel if you haven’t already

I did a 24-day trip through Europe with EF Ultimate Break in June, right after graduating, and I’m SO glad I did. It’s one of my favorite experiences I’ve had in life so far. I’ve always wanted to travel but the timing never worked out for me to study abroad while in college. If you’re still in college, that is my BIGGEST regret – do it!! Taking this trip helped me realize that travel is a priority in my life, so I budget my salary accordingly and try to take every opportunity I can to travel when I can with my work schedule. I also travel for work (I got to go to seven different cities with work in this last year) and try to explore the area while I’m there!

Keep strong relationships with your friends from home and college

Even while I made new friends in Utah, I made sure to also prioritize my relationships with people from home. I am very close to my family and make the time to talk with them every day (my parents know I call like clockwork when I leave work, haha) and this really helped my mental health. It was also really helpful for me to keep a sense of normalcy in my time of change by being able to talk to my old friends and check in on them. It’s hard being so far away from them, but it makes it even more fun when I’m back home to visit.

I hope this helps anyone post-grad! If you’ve graduated already, what’s one thing you wish you would have known?

xo, Hannah

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my long-winded thoughts on covid-19

March 13, 2020 No Comments

I visited my cousin Rachel this week as she studied abroad in Paris and wrote this on the plane ride back –

There is nothing quite like waking up in Paris at 3am to your cousin telling you that your parents, thousands of miles away, have been calling, and you need to answer and the president has essentially given you 48 hours to get back to the United States.

Of course, this wasn’t actually the case – but it was extraordinarily unclear when us and her roommates gathered in the living room and listened to the 30-second clip on Twitter of Trump’s address. Articles about the travel restrictions in the New York Times or the Washington Post were merely 10 minutes old and extremely vague, not helping our anxiety. (We learned later in the day that this didn’t apply to US citizens, which would have have been helpful to know at the time of announcement.)

Before leaving for this trip, I was not worried. I knew I was healthy, there were minimal cases in France, and I would only be there for a week – how bad could it get? I arrived Sunday, and by Monday afternoon, my cousin and her roommates were questioning when they would get the inevitable email from KU saying they needed to come home (within a week, they anticipated, not in a rush like this). By Tuesday, we were all tracking the numbers in France and comparing them to the numbers in Italy, frequently during the day.

Wednesday was the same, with the girls deciding to make the most of the rest of their time and fit everything in on their bucket list. There was a group dinner with the entire study abroad group, already planned but entirely coincidental that it would be their last night all together.

Thursday morning we got the announcement and one of her roommates was on the next flight out by 10am, with all of us packing the room and figuring out what was truly essential to fit in her suitcase so she could get to the airport in time. I feel like the last two days of my trip were spent in a little bit of shock and a lot of uncertainty. I already had planned to leave on my Norwegian Air flight to LAX Friday afternoon, but not on these terms. I can’t imagine exactly how Rachel and the other study abroad students feel, having their time unexpectedly cut short.

As I said before, I went into this trip thinking it would be totally fine and thinking the whole coronavirus was overhyped a little by the media. Being in France those last couple of days, I was surprised by how everything basically operated as normal. The Louvre and a few other museums limited their entrance to pre-bought tickets or only 1,000 people in the building at a time, but public transit ran as normal and you only saw a few people wearing masks in the city. I feel that France may not be taking it as seriously as it should be; conversely, America is taking the proper precautions – but the people are not.

I’ve seen a lot of jokes about cheap flights abroad and just taking that trip just for fun anyway, because “you’re young and healthy and won’t get sick.” But if you look at Italy, which had the same mentality, they are now being totally overrun in hospitals and their healthcare system is struggling to manage all the patients. I believe the biggest thing to remember here is it’s not about you in this situation. It’s about you potentially bringing back the coronavirus, asymptomatic, and spreading it to the shelves of the grocery store or the workout class where someone is immunocompromised, that doesn’t have the capabilities to properly fight the coronavirus.

I am not saying people should just quit their lives. But if you have the capacity to work from home, and socialize a little less, and not travel into high-risk areas, it would help to be kinder to your community.

I can’t say I haven’t been shocked by the almost immediate impact the virus has seemed to make in the last week on sports – it was jarring to read that the tournament is canceled – but I do think the precautions are necessary. I also think it’s important to note that your feelings are valid about your athletic season ending early, the potential of graduation being canceled, etc – you’re allowed to be upset about the things that matter to you without invalidating the impact of the coronavirus.

I wish I had an answer to the questions we all have right now. All I know is all we can do is have compassion for one another and be conscious of how our actions can affect our neighbors.

Stay safe,

Hannah

travel

travel journal: barcelona

March 5, 2020 No Comments

Barcelona was the last leg of our 24-day trip with EF Ultimate Break. We got up early to leave Rome and were on the bus by 6am. We flew on Vueling to Barcelona and were there by the afternoon. We stayed at the Student Hotel – Marina, which was perfect for us. They’re set up dorm-style and a lot of people use them for study abroad as well! My first thoughts on Barcelona: it was warm and a little humid, but nothing like Rome because we had the ocean breeze.

My friends and I went to La Taverna Gallega for dinner by the ocean. We had seafood and lobster croquettes, sangria, and paella with shrimp and squid and clams. It was SO good and I got to test out my Spanish with the waiter – he was gracious with my mistakes, haha. We all walked along the beach then walked our 20 minute way home. It felt super safe because although it was late, they don’t start to go out until 12 or 1 there so we saw a lot of young people around.

The next day we started at Parc Guell. Antoni Gaudi used broken ceramics to design all the art around the park, and you can see the whole city from the top. We then saw the exterior of the Sagrada Familia and learned a little more about its symbolism. It’s incredibly detailed! After eating, we returned to the Sagrada Familia to tour the inside. This was my FAVORITE building we toured, hands down. Stunning is the only way I can describe it. The block-style sculptures at the back of the church were my favorite. The style was so unique but still portrayed so much emotion.

After, we had tapas at Nuvio with an incredible crispy fried eggplant with honey. Then I walked around the Born district, which is really cool with a lot of handmade jewelry and clothing boutiques. I didn’t see anything I loved enough to buy, but it was all so unique. We then went to see the Magic Fountains, a light show that coordinates to popular music. At the top of the steps, you have the royal family’s residence and a great view of the city.

Barcelona is known for its nightlife, so of course we had to go out! Our entire group went out together. We started at Sonoma sports bar – and they had KU signs in it! It had a lot of American sports paraphernalia. We then went to Razzmatazz because it was a few blocks from our hostel. We got there at midnight and we were literally the first people there – but it was extra fun because we had all gotten to know each other by then, so we danced and hung out til the rest of the crowd showed. We went home at 3:30 am and people were still going to the bars.

On our last day, my friend Lauren and I went to the Gaudi house of Casa Vicens. It was the first house he ever built and had the iconic marigold tiles on the outside. It wasn’t crowded at all and inexpensive to visit as well. We then had lunch at Balmes Rosello, a three-course meal for only 10 euro!

We then ended the night with our whole group dinner at Balthazar. It was really sad to say goodbye to everyone and end the best trip ever – but I’ll admit I was ready to be home.

xo, Hannah

travel

travel journal: cinque terre & rome

February 28, 2020 No Comments

Cinque Terre

After being pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Florence, we were off to what I most looked forward to on the trip: Cinque Terre! It was a 2.5 hour bus ride to the trains. The trains go through all five cities (Cinque Terre translates to “five lands”) so it’s easy to take the train or hike between the cities.

Our first stop was Manarola, where I got these photos of the iconic coast. We were only there for 20 minutes so I could take the photos, then we took the train to Vernazza for lunch. I got fried calamari at Antica Osteria Il Baretto – if you’re eating here, it’s much less expensive to eat further away from the water. You won’t have the view but it’s only a five-minute walk to the water, tops, so nothing is prohibiting you from going down there anyway.

After we ate, we took the train to Monterosso for the beach! The water was stunning – super clear and turquoise. I know my photos seem unreal but I edited it exactly as I saw it with my eyes! The beach is very rocky, but it makes the water clearer because there’s no sand. I swam for about an hour and it felt incredible, it was so beautiful and unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. We were all exhausted on the way home but it was so worth it.

Rome

The next morning, we drove to Orvieto for a few hours. We happened to be there on the day of the Corpus Christi parade – it seemed like the entire town was in the parade! I had some pizza (what else) at Il Dialogo. The Duomo there was beautiful and built in the 1300s, with really pretty mosaics decorating the outside.

After Orvieto, we drove to our hostel in Rome. The majority of the bus ride was filled with Lizzie McGuire references and songs – if you’ve seen the movie, you know haha. We stayed at the Travestere Hostel. I would NOT recommend staying here if you can help it. It was supposed to be a gentrified area, but it was the first (and only) place that I felt unsafe where we stayed and returning to it at night.

We did a short walking tour with our tour director, Kyri, and he bought us gelato for his birthday! We saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. I had my first carbonara of the trip – it was so good – then we went back to the Trevi fountain later at night in hopes of it being less crowded. No luck! It’s in a much smaller square than I had pictured previously. Rome was the first place that I had felt itchy, like I had hives, even though I knew I hadn’t eaten anything wrong. It was also the hottest place of our entire trip, which didn’t help. I took a couple of Benadryl every day I was there but I think it must have been something in the air, because the second we left, I felt fine.

The next day, we went straight to the Colosseum for a three-hour tour. It was WAY too long and they only had cakes and pastries available for breakfast at the hostel, so the majority of us hadn’t eaten. The heat was the worst part and I think everyone was starting to not feel well. We walked around the Roman forum as well, then met our tour director at the Campo di Fiori market. I wandered around the market for a little bit but really hated all the vendors yelling at me to get my attention – can you tell Rome wasn’t my favorite already? It was cool to see the variety of meats, cheeses and produce though. We then went to the pasta making class at In Rome Cooking. I don’t have any photos because it was extremely messy, but it was fun to get a look at homemade pasta! I think I’ll stick to Barilla though 🙂

We then went back to the hostel around 3 and I took a nap and bought some cereal at the market next door. This was the first time during the whole trip that I prioritized sleep and taking a rest – I definitely needed it, seeing as it was day 19! I also brought a tube of Nuun with me (tablets for electrolytes) and this was the thing that helped me the most. We then went to Buddy’s for our “Italian feast” that we signed up for. They were SO great about my allergy. I started with a great bruschetta, then I had my own personal allergy-friendly charcuterie board with apples, prosciutto, salami, cheese and a blackberry-cherry jam. The prosciutto was incredible and I could have just eaten that the entire meal! We finished with pasta – of course. I was kind of burnt out on pasta by then, but I’m pleased to report that didn’t last long 🙂 We ended the night walking around Lungo Il Tevere, a First Fridays-esque market along the river that’s only open at night.

The next day, we went back to the Pantheon. This sounds so spoiled, but it didn’t seem all that special to me. After seeing some of the gigantic tiled churches, you would probably think that too! Then we went to Antica Caffe Greco, the oldest coffee shop in Rome (founded in 1760). Hans Christian Andersen and Franz Liszt are known to have had coffee there. Then for lunch…we finally hit our breaking point and had McDonald’s. It was actually SO good though – I had an egg mcmuffin, fries and a chocolate shake. It was the fanciest McDonald’s I’d ever been in and I had no shame!

By this point, it was just my friend Lauren and I trying to explore. We waited for 45 minutes in 95-degree heat for the bus, only for a very nice English man to inform us that the public transit was on strike! We had to figure out how to get a taxi back to the hotel, then went with our group on a bus to the Vatican. It was very hot (again) and packed with tourists, but so pretty and ornate. The Sistine Chapel was much smaller than I thought and photos weren’t allowed, but several people were blatantly taking them anyway. It was hard to see the paintings because they were so small and so high up. I enjoyed Saint Peter’s Basilica a lot more and thought it was much more impressive.

if this doesn’t illustrate the crowds I don’t know what will haha

After the Vatican, we went back to the hotel for a little bit then went back down to the river like the other night. I had a cheeseburger and a Coke – clearly today was my culinary breaking point! We went back to the hostel after dinner and some gelato at Otaleg (not my favorite), I showered and called it a night.

Rome was not my favorite city, but a large part of that had to do with the heat and whatever allergy thing was affecting me the whole time. I’ll link my map below and also added some things on my map that I didn’t get to, but were recommended to me in my research!

https://goo.gl/maps/RfSCv92X5LfQpXsi9

xo, Hannah

life update

february 2020: life update vol. 9

February 26, 2020 No Comments

Hello! I moved into my new apartment about a week ago. I’m excited to be living with a roommate and in a two-bedroom, but it’s a weird adjustment being in a new place! I’m in the same complex but on a different floor. I have to admit, I might have gone to my old apartment a couple of times on accident after moving! The living room space is a little smaller so I’m still figuring out how to move my old decor into the new place, but I’ll have an apartment tour up soon.

One of the very first things I did when moving in was bake chocolate chip cookies. I had some friends from work help me move my couch and a few other things and that was their payment – but I’ve realized that baking my mom’s recipe always helps make a new place feel like home.

Loving Lately

Watching

Modern Love: I watched Modern Love on Amazon Prime while I was moving/unpacking and finished it all in two days! It’s based on some of the stories from the long-running Modern Love column in the New York Times. I’m lucky enough to have a Times subscription from my college still (if you’re seeing this KU, please don’t take it away) and I love reading the little love stories in the weekly newsletter. All the stories were so sweet but the one with the doorman was my favorite. It was such a great piece of storytelling.

Good Girls: I started this series on NBC after my mom recommended it. The first two seasons are on Netflix and the third just came back on and I was SHOCKED by what happened!! I can’t recommend this show enough, it constantly keeps me guessing. Here’s the plot: two sisters and their best friend rob a grocery store, just for some quick money to stay afloat with their own personal financial situations. They get pulled way more into crime than they ever imagined it would go. I can’t say much else without giving it away!

Five little things

I’ve been obsessed with this citrus cucumber candle from Target
I baked a red velvet cake for Valentine’s day and brought it to work just for fun – there is no better feeling than getting compliments on something you’re proud of + sharing baked goods!
This Covergirl lipstick is the perfect nude for me – a little bit darker than my lips and with a great finish
Elena Taber’s Youtube channel. I’ve followed her for a few years now and I am constantly impressed by her content. She’s one of few channels that I can go back and rewatch her old videos and still be entertained
Big plants! I’m going to Home Depot this week to hopefully purchase a silver bay plant (maybe a different one if I see another that I like). Home Depot has a great plant selection for awesome prices – so underrated!

H&M try-on haul

I did a little try-on haul on my Instagram stories the other day (go follow me if you haven’t already) and got a lot of great feedback, so I decided to re-share that content here! H&M has a ton of great basics in lots of color options, I’d recommend if you’re trying to change up your wardrobe for less

Checked pink and black blazer

Red floral chiffon dress (comes in three other colors, the black would be super easy to dress up)

Red boat-neck striped sweater (comes in three other striped variations)

Fine-knit turtleneck – not super flattering on me but the color didn’t help

Fine-knit sweater in beige

Black short-sleeve sweater

Top with dolman sleeves

2-pack hair scarves – H&M has a TON of cute hair accessories and different-patterned scarves too

I also shared two videos of scarves but couldn’t embed them here. The first one is a neutral, super-wide scarf that would be great for travel and the second is a pink and black plaid flannel scarf that totally reminds me of Burberry!

Happy February!

xo, Hannah

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