Hello and happy (early) weekend all! I apologize for the gaping chasm between my last post and this one; finals hit me swiftly and completely, and I find myself just now gaining back the time and energy to write anything that isn’t a quick email. As I write to you now, I’m cozy at home, sleeping more than I probably should and languidly stretching into summer sun as much as I can.
I’m incredibly grateful for this month of May, as it presents my summer’s primary time to unpack and rest after a nonstop academic year. By the time I finished my last exam and paper for the spring semester, I was definitively bone tired. Like, I actually discovered what it meant to feel like that. I won’t bore you with the Linkedin version of my accomplishments and achievements over the year, but I will say that I’m endlessly proud of myself and my peers for what we’ve created.
Between my campus newspaper, a state-wide literary magazine and Black student union, I've had the privilege of learning from and working alongside some of the most gifted, driven and incredibly compassionate individuals I’ve had the privilege of knowing. It’s only because of them that I feel capable of moving forward in leadership roles and exploring not only my own potential but the passion I have for each of the aforementioned organizations. I am undoubtedly a better writer, editor, speaker, decision maker and person because of these communities — I can’t imagine my collegiate or personal life without them.
Smiling back on the growth and good times had this year, I’m ultimately renewed. Though it may seem antithetical to the anguish of my last issue — which I’m so so grateful for the positive feedback and response to — this year reminded me of my own competence and my own self-sufficiency, as well as the support and joy I find in my friends and family. I’m young, thriving, still growing and doing my best to excel — a drive that others can’t take away from me and I have a personal responsibility for cultivating. I have a lot to be proud of — and trust that I am proud of it all (and myself for making it happen). I am in the right place at the right time, and I’m determined to make the absolute most of it. Or at least get every last bit of my money’s worth out of the degree anyway.
So! My brief respite continues, until I pack my bags in the beginning of June and head to DC for an incredible opportunity: I’ll be joining the Because Of Her Story Cohort at the Smithsonian Institute this summer as an intern! I am so so so stoked to begin, and also dreaming of exploring a new city in the beauty of summer. If any of you dearly beloved subscribers have DC recs - please send them my way or comment below. In the meantime, I’m curating the perfect linens for my wardrobe and watching more movies than TV, in a shocking turn of events. I’m planning for a summer of great concerts, incredible food, long walks and long skirts.
As this splendid summer pertains to this space, I’ll be back for the odd review or so and little catch up essays throughout my intern experience to document it all! Off the top of my head: my full thoughts on Maisel S5 will drop post series finale, I’m working on a “ultimate period piece enjoyer’s guide” as we speak, and I’m planning a new series in which I rank adaptations of certain beloved-to-me texts (Anne of Green Gables is up first!). I’m also hoping to work through my TBR list and hopefully give y’all some thoughts on that; I feel like I’m hardly living up to the “literate” part of “literateleah” these days, unfortunately.
From piles of Notes app lists and my (comfortable) (not dorm size) bed, much love!
Im so happy for you leah!! Hope the best and laziest summer for you <3