Enchantment and Power Struggles: My Top Five Fantasy Series

As summer begins to draw to a (not quite quick enough) close, I find myself gravitating towards heavier fantasy reads. There is something deeply autumnal about the rich complexity of fantasy novels, something that invites one to pull on a heavy knit sweater and wrap one’s hands around a favorite mug, 1000 page book propped open… something heavy-lidded and drowsy that allows for the deep spiraling downwards into intricate tales of adventure and enchantment. 

Perhaps the chill autumn air carries with it a touch of magic.

Self-Care: A Daily Negotiation

Hello darling,

I used to think that self-care exclusively meant taking bubble baths and putting on face masks while wearing fuzzy pink robes. 

            Now I know that that is simply not true.

            Self-care is as diverse and multi-faceted as we are. Each person has unique ways in which to take care of their precious self. 

Perhaps more importantly though, I have come to realize that self-care looks differently for the same person on different days.

Lessons from Twenty-Three Trips Around the Sun

Hello darling,

            Today is my birthday! On this Wednesday, August 15^th, I am turning twenty-three, which means that I have officially lived through twenty-three years on this glorious planet and am launching into my twenty-fourth go-around. It also means that “22” by Taylor Swift no longer applies to me, which is sad; I felt the same way when I turned sixteen and “Fifteen” was pushed into the archives of nostalgia. 

Travel to Thailand Part 3: 15 Tips for Safety through Preparedness

Hey darling,

            As a semi-veteran traveler of Thailand, I have a few hard-learned lessons and practical tips for making it through your trip with your health intact. Please know that even though these tips make it sound as though Thailand is a scary, medically unsound place, this is not necessarily the case. I had many beautiful experiences in this country (read about them here: http://thegirlbecoming.blogspot.com/2018/07/travel-to-thailand-part-1-lessons-on_12.html). 

24 Hour Readathon Vlog (BTAT Day 1)

Grab a cup of cocoa (or if, like me, you are sweltering in this summer heat, grab a cup of lemonade with extra ice) and sit down with my day long readathon vlog! 

One (Mostly) Healed Girl’s Guide to Grief

Hello dear one,

You might be feeling numb right now.

You might be feeling like a jagged crack has broken you in two. 

                        Or you might be feeling as though your entire being is so thoroughly shattered that there is no use picking up the pieces.

I’m not going to tell you that I understand, because I know that I was always infuriated when people told me that.