February has been full on but all in all pretty good.
Favourite part?
One of the biggest things that happened in February was probably becoming President of my university’s Feminist Society! It’s been exciting to plan out events for the next few months and to bring everyone together. Here’s to seeing what the rest of FemSoc 2022 holds!
To show solidarity with the UCU strikes at my university, myself and some other students worked together to organise Teach Out on the Green New Deal. It was so much fun and I’m so proud of how the event went. We discussed what the GND is, why we need it how we make it happen, and how the strikes link to climate justice. The discussions felt really engaging and it was great to have so many young people interested in action.
I had a new article come out this month. It was for One Off Nature, and will be on their upcoming website as well as in a post on their Instagram page. It looked at upcycling and why having joy and sentimentality attached to our clothes is key to sustainability in fashion.
I also got a tattoo! It’s my first one and I was and still am very excited about it. It’s an outline of Leia Organa’s classic hair-do, and I’m glad I finally got it as I’ve been procrastinating booking an appointment for literal years. Fair to say I’m obsessed with her!
I spent a lush evening doing a couple of different painting by numbers images from a set I was given for Christmas, while watching Encanto and eating crumpets. It felt like I was able to properly wind down and I want to find some more sets to do.
The last weekend of February was actually really fun. One of my friends was in a musical with a society at their university and a group of us went to watch opening night. It was lush to see them as we haven’t been able to spend much time together recently. The next day it was my flatmate’s last football match with her team and we went to watch and headed to the chippy afterwards.
All of February I’ve been working on different drafts of the first research assignment for my degree, and last Thursday I finally submitted it. The process was a bit of a learning curve with getting feedback and having lots and LOTS of edits to make in a week, but I feel more confident heading into the next one. But first it’s time for a bit of a rest and then reading lots to figure out what I’m writing about next!
Best read?
I’ve had some pretty fun reads this month. I started off with First Comes Love by Tom Rasmussen which is absolutely brilliant in every way. Tom’s analysis and anecdotes about marriage are so insightful and so funny. I have lots of notes on this book and need one of my friends to read it so we can discuss!
I then read No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood. It took me a while to get into this one, but I found it much more interesting and impactful from the second half onwards.
I then read Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston which was fun and silly and sentimental, and My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwate which was also quite fun despite being very different in tone. I also read Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl as part of my tutoring job.
I am currently working my way through How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm, Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnel and Feminist Theory: from margin to center by bell hooks.
Favourite listen?
I’m extremely late to the party but I’ve been listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s album SOUR on repeat for the past few days. I get the hype now.
Favourite watch?
I finally got around to watching Encanto and yes, it did make me cry. I also watched series 2 of Starstuck in one night and yep I’m still obsessed with that show. It’s so so good. I just absolutely adore the characters.
What did I learn?
I don’t have to be amazing at all creative things to enjoy them.
What’s happening next month?
Trips away, seeing more of my pals, the annual FemSoc conference, and getting started on my next essay! And hopefully resting where I can. For some reason everything has seemed to be happening all at the same time so I’m trying to find pockets of rest where I can and ways to do all these things in a way that is sustainable for me.
What’s been on my mind?
Trying to find joy in things when the world around me is falling apart.
Favourite post?
I only shared one blog post this month and it was my Valentine’s post on 5 Steps To Getting Over Your Break Up with Fast Fashion. I had an absolute blast writing this and was chuckling at my laptop the entire time. I hope it makes you laugh too!
Biggest inspiration?
I’ve been feeling really excited about the research I get to do as part of my degree. It feels very creative and to really be pushing me in the best of senses.
Any other favourites?
I’ve had a few small things that have been giving me a lot of joy. One of those has been my new Jane Austen mug. I got it to keep at uni and it makes me so happy. It’s a great size and is just so pretty. It somehow makes me feel more legitimate as a research student, although I have no idea the psychology behind that.
The next are a few items I received as a late Christmas present (due to having to isolate over the actual Christmas period!) and which come in the form of an insulated food pot, many sachets of miso soup, and a hand knitted scarf. The pot and miso soup have particularly been helping me get through my deadlines. I’ve been roasting tofu and any veg that I have in the morning, shoving them in my new insulated pot and adding a miso soup sachet and hot water when I’m ready for lunch in uni, and it’s just so tasty. I will forever be keeping miso soup sachets in my locker at uni now.
Instagram | Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter
