Life Update #2

10 things happening right now.

1. For the first time in two years, I’m trying harder to expand this blog. I’ve been working on it very sparsely and casually over the past months, and I’m pretty proud of the little bit it is. Well, now I’m finally getting my blog its own Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. These accounts will mostly just be little notifications when I post and maybe the occasional retweet or reblog. We’ll see. I’m not 100% sure where I’m taking this, but I do know I want to blog more and blog harder. You can follow @brooklyngirljournal on Instagram and Tumblr or @brooklyngirljnl on Twitter. Thanks for any and all of your support!

2. I’m heading off to Austin! I’ll just be gone for a week from Saturday to next Friday, but I’m pretty excited. I haven’t really explored the weird (dark) side of Austin yet and I’ve dearly missed Tex Mex. Plus, I’ll get to see some of my best friends down at UT that I haven’t seen since winter break. Have any suggestions for what I should see in ATX, since I’m going to be a clueless tourist?

3. France for Euro Cup 2k16!! Allez, les Bleus!!!

4. I just finished Year Two (that’s Season 2, I suppose, in normal terms) of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast and I’m so hyped. The live show finale sounded amazing and I can not wait to be able to attend my first WTNV live show sometime soon. Unfortunately, I can’t make it this year as I am heading down to Austin when they come to Dallas. But next time, for sure. I can’t stay away from a live showing of Cecil/Carlos love any longer. And if you guys have no idea what I’m saying, do yourself a favor, get on YouTube, and start listening to Welcome to Night Vale. You might regret it, but hey, “Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not. We never are. But that’s not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?”

5. Before this post starts to seem like a shameless plug for each and every one of my social media handles, I just want to say that expanding my reach goes both ways. I would love to hear what you guys are posting. Leave a link below to your latest blog post and I’ll be sure to read/comment/like it. You can even leave a link to your Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, whatever. I’d love to know what you all are up to. Building a community is important.

6. I have to relearn high school calculus in preparation for next semester. Gross. #khanacademyfordays

7. In an attempt to not sit on my lazy bum all summer and put in some level of productive effort, I’ve taken up an internship with New Story Charity. They do the kind of international developmental work that I hope to get into in the future. Basically, they’re a nonprofit that transforms slums in developing countries into sustainable communities. They’re also on a mission to stop chagas in Bolivia, a disease caused by the “kissing bug” that leads to fever, swelling, and heart failure. If you’re interested in interning or helping out, check out their website at www.newstorycharity.org.

8. It’s World Chocolate Day! #treatyoself

9. I’m about to finish a book I’ve been reading for a while, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Here’s my 2 second book review. 4 stars out of 5 since it’s relatable to college freshmen and fangirls and somehow manages to be both a Harry Potter fanfic and an original story at the same time. Fun for a light read, but I’m more of a deep thoughts/annoyingly philosophical kind of girl, so I could’ve enjoyed it more.

10. Dark skin is not a crime. How hard is it to grant somebody the right to not be shot at? Trayvon Martin. Eric Garner. Michael Brown. Sandra Bland. Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. And so many more. Say their names, because they matter. Black lives are human lives; black lives matter.