The Weekender: No.1

Happy Saturday!

I had hoped that writing my last post would give me the nudge I needed to get back into blogging. That hasn't been the case. Maybe it's because the things I used to write about are either too private and shameful (my anxieties) or have already been shared on some other platform (my adventures). I was almost convinced that this blog no longer served a novel purpose that wasn't being served by my journal or my social media presence. Then I realized that there was still one thing I could do with this blog --  a weekly, curated collection of my picks from the internet.

This is something that I don't get to do justice in my journaling. I might be really inspired by a piece of art I saw on Instagram or some music I've been listening to on repeat, but I can't really capture it in my journal because of the difference in medium. The Weekender will be my attempt to do so. Let's see how it goes!

October

If there was any doubt before, summer is gone for good and October is here. This song - cheekily released on October 1st - beautifully expresses that carefree feeling that somehow only summer brings. I especially love the bridge:

Paint a picture in my brain, encapsulate the fleetin' feelin'
It ricochets, replace my pain 'til every trace is leavin'
The nerve of autumn time, days flyin' by, every sunrise healin' me
And we're okay, we'll live this way 'til it's done

Hatecopy

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A post shared by Maria (@hatecopy) on Jul 26, 2019 at 9:14am PDT

I'm a huge fan of the artist Hatecopy and this piece really captures a pivotal moment in my life this year. Sometimes the answer is NO!

Blair Eadie

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A post shared by Blair Eadie / Atlantic-Pacific (@blaireadiebee) on Oct 3, 2019 at 10:14am PDT

Speaking of October, fall is officially here and I could not be more excited! One of my favorite things about fall is the fashion. Being able to layer up and wear moody colors is all I really want to do. Blair Eadie's new fall collection with Halogen seems to do just that! I might be biased because I'm a huge fan of Blair Eadie, but it's not difficult to be insired by her bold maximalism. Her style makes me feel ready to do my own thing.

Internal Struggles

https://aphraditi.tumblr.com/post/185192843333

I haven't found a better (or cuter!) representation of how I feel most of the time -- caught in the middle. Luckily "destroy myself" is not quite so literal in my case, but it is making choices that I know are bad for me. Or even just abstaining from making choices that are good for me.

Comic Relief



Regardless of whether you're a TSwift fan or not, it's always funny watching people acting loopy. Being a fan just makes this clip even better.

Guilty Pleasures


 
I think it was the summer between seventh and eigth grade when a friend I met at camp introduced me to Fan Fiction. We're still friends, but I don't know if she realizes what she did for me in that moment. For every time I had read a book and got to the end and wished that there was more, there was suddenly a solution! A miraculous database of works that were written by fans of whatever it was you were looking for - books, movies, tv shows! Since then, I have become somewhat of a fan fiction junkie. It might be months later, but I always eventually return to AO3 or Tumblr to find a story that satisfies my need to devour more Harry Potter or more Mulder and Scully. For years I've felt guilty about this habit, but then I saw this post and felt just slightly better. I think the need to repair the damage becomes apparent when TV shows drag on for no clear reason and introduce unecessary developments to ensure their longevity. So I think I'll forgive myself a little bit for reading fan fiction.

Well, that's all for now. Maybe I'll continue this next weekend!

Once Upon A Time

Hi! Welcome back to my public diary!

Alas! It is I, your long-lost cruise director!

Once upon a time, I used to write posts on this blog semi-regularly, as a method of self-reflection. Since then, I've oscillated between completely deleting any trace of this blog and returning to pouring my heart out on here. But, if you know me and have heard me talk about cleaning my room, you know I'm an emotional pack-rat, so deleting this blog was never a real option. Pouring my heart out, it is!

Just one little problem: I don't remember how to do that in an articulate manner anymore. The landscape of my mind looks something like this:

So I figured I would ease myself in by writing about something that's always on my mind -- movies! I'll admit that it feels a little mediocre to be writing about movies for my "grand return", but whatever works, right? Right.

Recently, I have been taking full advantage of my sister's Amazon Prime account and came across Mystic Pizza. I decided to watch it mainly because I figured I couldn't go wrong by choosing a movie starring Julia Roberts and featuring pizza. While I generally like Julia Roberts' movies, I didn't anticipate just how good Mystic Pizza would be, especially for an 80s movie about three girls and their adventures with love. What I appreciated most was the development of each character and the authenticity of their relationships. Most notably, Daisy's (Julia Roberts) relationship with her mother and her sister Kat felt genuine and true to my personal experiences. I also did not expect to sob along with Kat as she goes through heartbreak.

It is also worth noting that I want to be Kat's best friend. She's an endearing busy bee who loves astronomy, works at a pizza shop and the planetarium AND babysits, and has the cutest smile. This is what I mean about the quality of characters. She can still be an intellectual (She loves astronomy! She listens to Mozart!) while indulging her romantic feelings. And yes, flirting with the married boss is dangerous territory, but you know what I mean. We are often subjected to rather poorly developed female characters on screen, especially in older movies. 

Plus, Annabeth Gish does a delightful job of portraying her. In case you're not aware of Annabeth Gish, she went on to play the eldest of President Bartlett's daughters on The West Wing, but more importantly, Agent Reyes on The X-Files. I know, she's amazing.

I could definitely write more about Mystic Pizza, but I think the best way to appreciate it is to watch it! 

On my next post, I might write about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or I might write about something else. Check back, I guess!

Growing Up

Wow. It's been a while.

A friend recently reminded me that I have a blog, and that it wouldn't be a bad idea to update it. Crazy concept, I know. So here goes.

I recently finished up my third year of undergrad. I am still holding on - for dear life! haha - to my pursuit of medical school. It's been a rocky journey, but I have learned a thing or two about resilience in the last two years. Here's to hoping that life doesn't have more major lessons planned for me any time soon! Yeah, right.

This summer, I'm splitting time between Minneapolis and Cleveland!  I spent the first couple weeks of the summer at home. In the short time I was there, I had the chance to watch my sister go to prom, celebrate Memorial Day weekend with family, try a vegan doughnut, and reconnect with friends. It's always a nice feeling when you can go months (or a year!) without seeing or talking to someone and then pick up right where you left off. Sometimes I want to pat my high-school-self on the back for making good friends. Would that be lame? Probably.

While I was home, a friend and I celebrated National Doughnut Day at Glam Doll Donuts! If you're a Minneapolis native and haven't visited the bakery, I would highly recommend it - especially if you're vegan. The shop is outfitted in a fun, retro vibe complete with a photo booth and the variety of flavors won't disappoint. While we were enjoying our donuts, the line to order was pushing its way out the door.

Now, I'm back in Cleveland. I've been here for around a month and will be for another month or so. I'm starting to hammer down the whole fending-for-myself thing. My weekends consist of cooking lessons on the phone with my mom and I just updated my personal expenses spreadsheet on Excel. Is this what being an adult is like?

Other than growing up, I'm doing research for my capstone, and it's been a positive learning experience. Last week, I was having a conversation with someone about whether I'm more interested in the research side of medicine or the clinical side. Until recently, I would have easily said the clinical side because I really enjoy the doctor-patient interaction, but also because I hadn't had extensive research experience. However, after spending a month doing research on something I'm really passionate about and with the guidance of an invested mentor, it's dawning on me that I also really like research.

Luckily, research hasn't been the only thing Cleveland's good for. Watching the city come alive for the NBA championship and then celebrate the Cavs winning has been unlike anything I've ever seen before. I had never watched an NBA game before this year's championship series, and I found myself getting swept up in cheering the Cavs on. My friends and I watched each game religiously and I felt like my heart would break if Cleveland didn't win the championship. At present, the city is gearing up again. This time, for the Republican National Convention. This is my second time being in the same city as the RNC, but I haven't been this close to the action before. Case Western is renting out housing to the Riot Police and the various medical institutions that litter University Circle are preparing for the worst.

As I reflect on my summer so far, it's hard to ignore the turbulence that has been rocking the world around me. Lately, it seems like the news has nothing to offer other than tragedies, frustrating politics, and further evidence that we are slowly losing our humanity. However, it's also a time when I find myself counting my blessings and trying to be the best person I can be. I have to believe that if enough of us pour out compassion and embrace each other's differences rather than snub them, it might be enough to swallow the hate. Maybe that's all I can do right now.

Sayonara Summer

It's strange to think that 1 year ago, I was beginning my college career. I can remember almost every detail of move-in, hugging my mother as she leaked a few tears, reassuring my sister that I was only a phone call or FaceTime away. It's strange to think that was 1 whole year ago.

It's Saturday today. I'm done with my first week of classes, and I have been living in Cleveland for 2 weeks now. I'm living in a house this year, with 23 other girls. It's an experience that's turning out to be a pleasant change from dorm living. I enjoy having a full kitchen at my disposal and the cozy feel that this house has. I'm also looking forward to bonding with the girls, which is already taking place!

But as excited and optimistic as I am, it's time for me to say goodbye to summer. Of course, the weather we love is still here, but it's time to exchange my summer mindset for a different one. I had a wonderful time this summer. I had fun reconnecting with friends in my favorite city (I <3 you Minneapolis), eating foods that I missed while I was chained to my meal plan. I spent, collectively, a week in Chicago where I reunited with family, attended an inspiring conference on spirituality for the young adult, and pigged out at Veggie Fest. And to top it all off, I also went Kayaking for the first time.

Sayonara summer, until next year.

My Long-Term, On-Again-Off-Again Boyfriend

"Pizza: The long-term, on-again-off-again boyfriend who is objectively bad for you but with whom you have face-melting sex. Even though you almost always regret it right after, something about him tells you that you're going to end up together, if only because, when you want him, nothing else will do."

I found this gem about pizza on Thought Catalog and it couldn't be more true. Even BuzzFeed agreed and told me that my soul mate was pizza.

For me, late nights at college equal two things: pizza and coffee. While I've been home, my mom's extra-organic-no-junk kitchen has had me craving. So last weekend, my family and I made homemade pizza! And the bonus? It was healthier than my late night lover.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

It's officially summer break for me!! I realize that I haven't posted in quite a while. Since last spring? I think so. But I've had a lot to keep me busy, namely this thing called college. I can't believe how fast freshman year flew by. From an exhuasting, but fun-filled orientation week to the extra biology class I took in May Term, my first year was an adventure. It was the first time I'd been far away from home for such a long period of time with nobody that I knew from before. But I survived!

Just Keep Swimming

It's that time of year. College decisions are being released, and I don't know about most of you, but I can't help but feel discouraged sometimes. I remember when I was a plucky freshman, motivated and fearless. Where did that Aditi go? I don't know. Part of me feels that she slowly disintegrated as high school got harder and harder. Some of these college decisions seem to squash that Aditi completely out of existence.

I'm one of those people that gets sick easily when I'm feeling especially blue. It's a terrible combination. On Thursday night, after getting another rejection, I came down with a fever. I spent my Friday eating Cream of Mushroom soup and watching Finding Nemo. It was definitely well-timed, because it reminded me: 

Maybe it's childish, but remembering this made me feel slightly better.