I can’t believe it’s already the end of another month. Eventually I’ll get over the fact that this year is going by WAY too quickly — but for now let’s just focus on the good things that February has brought us.

February was a good month. It brought me mindfulness, a feeling of self-worth, love, friends, and lots of growth.

Music

Let’s start off this monthly favorites with the best thing that has ever happened to me: Ariana Grande’s new album “Thank u, Next.” Not only am I listening to it as I sit here writing this blog post, but it literally hasn’t left my queue since it dropped on 2/8. Listen to the album on Spotify here.

Is this obsession getting out of hand? Maybe. Has it reaffirmed my self-worth and identity as a strong, badass woman? Absolutely. So honestly, who are you to tell me my obsession is unhealthy. Here are my favorites from her album:

1. needy: the lyrics are v. relatable
2. NASA: the celestial lyrics are dope and it’s super catchy
3. fake smile: this girl is so strong and people need to KNOW this

As always, I made a FEB19 playlist with some of my favorite songs that I discovered throughout the month. I would call the overall vibe of this month’s playlist as “relaxed but happy indie alt-pop feat. the thank u next album.” So I’d say that’s pretty much on brand for me. Again, here are my top 10 favorites:

1. These Days — Wallows
2. Maybe We’re Meant To Be Alone — Bad Suns
3. Eclipse — Inner Wave
4. Here, There And Everywhere — The Beatles
5. Sugarcoat — Kid Bloom
6. Vowels (and the Importance of Being Me) — HUNNY
7. She’s Casual — The Hunna
8. Let it Happen — Tame Impala
9. You Got Me — The Roots, Erykah Badu, ?uestlove, Tariq Trotter
10. (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano — Sampha

Academics

Early this month, I got my letter of acceptance for the Study Abroad program in London for this Summer that I applied to! I have never been outside of the USA and I have built up a bit of wanderlust over the years, so I am totally stoked to travel.

I applied through a third-party program called the American Institute of Foreign Study, or AIFS, which is affiliated with W&M. The institution that I will be studying at is University College London, which is ranked pretty high in the world — right up there with Oxford and Cambridge.

The application process was relatively easy and straightforward, although I am still working out the logistics. I know a lot of people would like to know the ins and outs of studying abroad, so I can write a full blog on my application experience at some point if it seems like people would like to read it! (And don’t worry… there will be many London blogs to come. Stay tuned.)

Also, I made a Pinterest board to prep and get inspired for my trip to London, which you can find here!

Clothes

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of shopping for Spring/Summer 2019… within reason, of course. Since the weather is getting a bit warmer nowadays (thank you, groundhog) and my friends and I are making fun plans, I need a few new staples in my wardrobe. In addition to this, I dropped a bit of weight recently (read about how I did this here) and none of my pants fit me anymore. A good problem to have, I’d say.

I’ve been shopping mostly at PacSun, because their Spring and Summer collections are just so darn cute. Mostly, I’ve been shopping for cropped tank tops and shorts. The PacSun brand shorts fit me perfectly and I think they look so flattering on.

Particularly, I’ve been pretty obsessed with their Raining Daisy Mom Shorts — which I am wearing as I write this. They are so adorable and unique, and I’ve gotten lots of compliments on them already. I bought the Raining Daisy Mom JEANS as well because I love daisies that much. I also bought a high-waisted light wash denim skirt from PacSun which do not have daisies on them, but are still cute.

I also bought some PacSun cropped tanks because they work perfectly with high waisted bottoms. Plus I don’t like to worry about overheating or sweating through my shirts, so I tend to prefer sleeveless shirts during the Summer. I bought two of the PacSun basics line cropped tanks and two John Galt cropped tanks for only $6 each — originally $27 each!!

When I was at the Williamsburg Outlets pretty recently with my mom, I bought a bunch of new jeans at J. Crew. Like I mentioned before, I lost a bit of weight recently and I went down a pants size (from 26 to 25) — so I needed to buy some new pants.

My all-time-favorite pair of jeans are the J. Crew Mercantile high-waisted skinny jeans. They fit me really well and slim me out while still flattering my curves where I want them to. So, I bought four adorable pairs: white, black, light wash, and dark wash.

When I was at Costco last weekend, I bought a pair of black FILA sweatpants for literally $13. Normally, they sell for about 4x that price, so I was pretty proud of myself. I bought them because this pair actually looks relatively put-together, so I could actually wear these to an 8am and feel confident that I don’t look like a mess. 10/10 purchase.

Fitness

As many of you know, I’ve been getting serious with my overall health and wellness in 2019. I am still intermittent fasting, and I’ve even convinced a few of my friends to join me in it.

I still go to the gym as much as I can, depending on my workload that week. Even when I have multiple exams in a week, I make it a point to go to the gym as a study break. I have found that exercising allows me to clear my head and release endorphins, making it easier to focus when I’m studying. Also, the feeling of accomplishing something in one aspect of your life really bleeds into other parts of your life as well, motivating you to keep working.

This month, I have realized that working out isn’t just important for physical health — it’s super helpful for maintaining mental health, concentration, and motivation. It’s a form of meditation for me, because I’m able to focus on just my body’s needs while letting my mind wander. It’s pretty therapeutic and I recommend it for anyone who needs more time for themselves but doesn’t want to feel like they’re wasting time in the process.

Beauty

Normally when I find something that I love, I stick with it. This applies to clothes, beauty, and honestly all aspects of my life. For example, I’m an avid Burt’s Bees lip balm lover. I love to buy and experiment with new flavors every time I go to the drug store.

Normally, I wouldn’t deviate from the norm, but when my mom and I were at a L’Occitane buying hand soap, we only needed $5 more to get a free gift… so she bought me a lip balm. Long story short, I became obsessed with it. Don’t get me wrong, I will still use Burt’s Bees lip balm religiously. But, I am seriously loving the L’Occitane one. It’s super hydrating, makes your lips soft, and it smells a bit like sunscreen (in the best way possible).

Food

I recently went to a small smoothie cafe in Williamsburg called LoKal with my boyfriend for lunch. We each got different smoothies with added protein powder (he gave it to us for free because it was our first time), and they were so yummy! The protein powder definitely filled us up a bit more, so that was a great idea. I got the nut berry smoothie — sweet and nutty all at the same time. I definitely recommend grabbing a LoKal smoothie or smoothie bowl in between classes if you have the chance!

I’ve also been obsessed with a restaurant that just came to Williamsburg, but I’ve actually been to a few times before in Ohio — First Watch. All of the food is health-minded, fresh, and made with love. Something that I love about this brunch cafe is that you can pick something super healthy or totally pig out — they really have everything.

Overall, February has been very good to me. I held up my new years resolutions, made a lot of personal growth, made plans with my friends for the Summer, and learned a lot. Let me know your favorite part of February 2019 in the comments below!