Books I’ve Read & Places I’ve Loved: August 2017
Originally published on August 31st, 2017
Well, that was a busy month. It started with house sitting for my Grandparents and ended with a visit back to the place I grew up, with the school year starting in the middle. Somewhere along the way I still read a bit and was luckily able to do some traveling (if you'd call it that!).
BOOKS I'VE READ
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Last month when I was in Seattle I was lucky enough to see the musical that was based on this book, and right afterward my uncle bought me a copy. I read the book and then listened to the soundtrack about four times all the way through, and I loved it more every time. The thing I love about books and musicals is that most of the time the consumer can take something away from it that speaks to them even if the overall story doesn't necessarily connect with them personally. I loved this book, and I've been recommending it all over the place ever since I finished it.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
I recently got a book of Rilke's poetry and have been slowly making my way through it. His poems are able to put words to things I didn't even realize I was thinking, and they're very comforting. While I was in San Luis Obispo at the end of this month I went to the Barnes and Noble I would go to all the time and saw this in the poetry section. I'd heard of it but hadn't been actively seeking it out, but now I can't imagine a life without it. Like his poetry, Rilke's letters give answers to questions, and comfort for confusion. I highly, highly, highly recommend it.
PLACES I'VE LOVED
Granite Bay, CA
The week that school started was fairly insane. Although only two days were spent in classes, a lot of work was spent doing SA stuff. There was something on Friday morning, a vespers on Friday night, and a lock-in Saturday night. This picture was taken at the vespers, which I honestly really enjoyed. It happened on August 18th, which meant it had been a whole year since I'd started at the school I'm at. There was an odd sense of nostalgia with me all day, and that mixed with being extremely tired and honestly kind of irritated had me not really looking forward to the vespers. But once I was there and started talking to people I felt a lot better. One of my best friends from last year's senior class was speaking, and it was so good to see her. All in all, Granite Bay was definitely a place I loved this month.
Literally the Middle of Nowhere, CA
Ah Senior Survival, a longstanding tradition my school has. We hiked seven miles into the wilderness and stayed there for the entire weekend. I came back tired, but also happy. Blistered, bruised, and scratched, but also thankful for the time I was able to spend with my class. I have a seven part series coming shortly where I'll go into detail about this experience. There were many highs, many lows, and the occasional nap on the Rubicon Trail.
Arroyo Grande, CA
The Tuesday after returning from Senior Survival, I took a day off of school and went to Arroyo Grande, CA. This is the place I lived for the longest- 12 years in fact. I walked on the beach, went by my old neighborhood, and went into San Luis Obispo a little bit. It was a very nostalgic trip for me, but definitely one that was necessary to make.
This month was good. It was filled with both nostalgia and the ever pressing existence of the future. It was the end and beginning of many things, and I'm thankful for each day. This month gave me a look into what I want the rest of the year to be like, and I'm very excited to see what it has in store.