June Dump
Because we're dumping and reflecting on the first month of summer
Moments & Experiences
Austin: I had never been to Austin before. Initially, we planned on meeting in Dallas to visit my best friend, Sam, but she suggested we road trip to Austin for a long weekend.
Food: I don’t feel we were there long enough to judge the entire food scene adequately, but some of the restaurants TikTok recommended, like TenTen, didn’t live up to the hype. The restaurant was incredibly dark, so it took a minute for your eyes to adjust. The food wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t worth the price point. It was mid at best.
The best places we ate at had to be Taquero Mucho and the restaurants at our hotel, Proper Austin.
Stay: As mentioned above, we stayed at the Proper Hotel in Austin, which was more beautiful than the photos online. Don’t get me wrong, the images and price were why I booked in the first place, but they don’t even begin to depict the experience and ambiance of the hotel. I would describe the design and decor as a mix of Morrocan and Tulum aesthetics. 10/10 recommend staying here.
Reflections
There’s something about exploring a new city that gets you excited about life again, let alone with your best friends, but this trip was a little different.
While exploring Austin was fun, I felt there was this ominous energy we could all agree upon - we were all waiting for our life to get a little more exciting. Part of this energy was supported by the fact that we all felt undervalued in the same area of our lives and were ready for more. Little did I know that we were all manifesting through supportive conversation and tipsy rants because we were seeing angel numbers by the end of the trip. 555 - change is underway.
Change is underway for me. Yes, if you pay attention to astrology, supposedly, this is happening for all cardinal signs right now. But I don’t put stalk into astrology readings; I trust my gut feeling.
When I returned from Austin, I felt something was about to change in my life. I felt a gentle nudge to fast. I didn’t know what I was fasting for, but I obeyed. I felt a calling to journal differently. And change did happen.
Journaling
I haven’t felt compelled to journal more recently. Hell, reflective, interpersonal writing has been challenging for me. Thoughts, words, and stories have been racing through my mind, but they leave just as fast as they come. My brain jumps to things I have to do versus the ideas and stories my soul wants to parse through and reflect on. So I haven’t forced soulful reflective writing (I’m sure you can tell).
Instead of writing vignettes that connect and tell a story, I’ve focused on more bullet-style journaling, a method of journaling to match my brain’s current state.
I sat down one evening and created a list of “What If.” As someone who struggles with anxiety, during anxious periods, my brain naturally jumps to all the “what ifs” to think of all the things that could go wrong so I can mentally prepare myself. I used that natural “what if” thought pattern in journaling. But instead of thinking of everything that could go wrong, I wrote down everything I would love to see as the beginning of things going right. Some of it may have been unrealistic, but hell… WHAT IF?!
I took the piece of paper and slid it into my pillowcase. Getting my brain to slow down for an intentional prayer is hard some nights. I figured for the nights I can’t get through prayer because I fall asleep in the middle of one (like last night), I can say, “God, you know what’s on this paper is a reflection of my heart and mind.”
I highly encourage everyone to try this method of journaling. Thinking of all the things that could work out was fun and calming. It even gave me the boost of creativity and joy I needed to motivate me out of my place of fear.
Favorites
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During my trip to Austin, I finally tried a cream blush! I fought jumping on the bandwagon for months because I didn’t want to add another step to my makeup routine. But during the trip, I saw how my friends used a cream blush for their minimal makeup application, tried it myself, and saw the hype.
Elf Cosmetics Luminous Putty Blush in Isla de Sol is a beautiful coral shade. I loved this formula so much that I came home and ordered Belize for every day.
Glow Recipe Plum Plump Serum: I bought a sample of this serum back during the Sephora sale and recently used it. I loved using this serum before applying makeup and even using it as a primer.
Gold Hoops: The signature accessory instantly helps me feel more assertive and confident. I’ve gone through multiple cheaper pairs that have tarnished or lost shape. I finally decided to invest in a good quality, everyday hoop that would hold up against wear and tear. This pair from LUV AJ is a perfect size. They are a bit heavy, so they take some getting used to.
Koa swallowed a piece of plastic earlier this month. He’s fine and healthy now, THANK GOD. But it took me, my mom, and a family friend some time to get him to pass the plastic and his digestive tract back in order. I learned several things about dog wellness through this process. One is the power of pumpkin puree for a dog's digestive tract.
Weruva Pumpkin Patch Up!: I found this on Amazon, as its only ingredient is pumpkin and water, although I bought the variety pack. Now that he’s back to normal, I like to stick them in the freezer as a frozen treat in his crate.