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Author: Madeline Beard (page 3 of 3)

Words to Live By

While listening to one of my favorite songs last week, an idea popped into my head. We all have words that inspire us, motivate us, or define some part of us; whether it be lyrics, a poem, a fortune cookie reading, or a quote, there’s a reason they resonate and carry meaning. So why not start collecting and sharing them? I asked friends and friends of friends to help me with this project; below is the preliminary result.

Have your own words you would like to share? Email me via the contact section or reply in the comments below. Thank you to everyone who participated this time around and stay tuned — we can always use a few more words to live by.

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Coast to Coast: Summer Bucket List

With two good months left of our favorite season, we want to do everything we can to make the most of our first real, post-grad summers in LA and NYC! We’ve compiled a bucket list of our must-do activities — feel free to copy our ideas and share some of your own:

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The Great Escape

Summer is the best and worst time to be a 20-something living in the city.

THE BEST:
  • spirits are generally higher during the summer (I dare you to find me a New Yorker who prefers the winter to the summer — I still have PTSD from my first gray, frigid, snow-laden winter in the city)
  • there is so much to do! Parks, BBQs, festivals, rooftops, beer gardens, you name it!
  • plenty of work holidays (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc)
  • AND THE WORST:
  • it can be a money suck (a pattern I’ve noticed: happier friends = more alcohol consumption = more money spent)
  • sweaty bodies on the subway and the smell of hot garbage on the streets
  • plenty of work holidays… when your co-workers are vacationing to their summer homes, and you are vacationing to… your tiny apartment
  • While there are a lot of amazing things about New York City in the summertime, I’ve come to realize how important it is to leave every once in a while. Without these mini mental health breaks, I become stressed and strung out; I didn’t know how restorative it could be until I was in the middle of some woods, smelling fresh air again. The challenge? Finding a way to “vacation” without the cost of airfare, hotels, or house rentals.

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    Vetted

    Picture this: you are sitting at dinner with a guy you met on Tinder a couple days prior. On the app he introduced himself as Matt, gave you his number to text him, and his profile links out to his Instagram page. In the few days spent texting and making plans to meet up, you have also done a little bit of background research. It first started with a brief scroll through his recent Insta photos, then a quick Google search (just to make sure he’s not an escaped convict). Before you know it, you’ve got Matt figured out: you know he likes a good IPA from his photos (caption: “Grabbing a beer at Brooklyn Brewery!”), that he has questionable political leanings from his Twitter (RT @ScottWalker: “The founders did not declare their independence from one big government only to create another” http://sw.gop/z -STAFF #FourthofJuly”) and that he has decent (but not entirely groundbreaking) taste in music from his Spotify (Mumford & Sons new album most recently played, really!?). Now, you’re sitting across from him; it’s at this point you’re supposed to start getting to know Matt, but your perception is clouded.

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    Coast to Coast: Fourth of July

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    Love at First Listen: Leon Bridges, Kacey Musgraves & OITNB Season 3

    This past week was a good one for music. I am always on my own personal quest for “the next big thing” — the artist with personality, talent and staying power. I look forward to “New Music Tuesdays” on Spotify, sorting through all of the latest releases, hoping I’ll strike gold amidst the generic pop and folk. It is rare for me to discover a new artist that is “love at first listen”; lucky for me, last week I found two.

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    To Build a Home

    Home: it’s a word that means something a little different to everyone. Sometimes it can be linked to a smell or a taste. Maybe it’s where your family resides. Maybe you have multiple places you call home. There are dozens of songs written about it. Even if our own definitions are slightly different, we can probably agree: home is familiar, home is comfort, home is something we are all searching for if we don’t already have it.

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