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I read on one of my favorite Influencer's Instagram that she misses old school blogs. She misses the vulnerability and the storytelling and the realness that comes with blogs. She dislikes how repetitive and dull Instagram is becoming. She said that she just scrolls and scrolls and doesn’t gain anything from it. And you know what? I agree.

People’s captions are boring, their lives aren’t as perfect as they look, and it’s just the same thing over and over again. Yeah, I’m guilty as charged, too. My life looks pretty great and fun on Instagram. And while I still think I’m having a great and fun time, I don’t post about anything too negative. I’m not saying we should all have a blog and talk about everything terrible in our lives, but I do think that we could make our Instagram’s a little more interesting and real. I try, I really do. But I also have this blog where I get real.

So I guess I’ll update you on what’s up with me right now. I’m living in Alabama with my grandfather and his dog. My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago so it’s been so nice to spend time with my grandpa and other family that lives here. I think I really truly needed this time to re-center after college. I just needed a break to breathe and just be. Plus, his dog is my new best friend so that’s great. Zach and I broke up. I’m not going to tell the story because half of it is his story to tell and I don’t want to take that away from him. I’m job searching diligently. Job searching has, in fact, become my full-time job. I’ve been interviewing but so far I’m not sure what’s going to happen. It could be this one thing, it could be this other thing, or it could be nothing at all. Stay tuned. Hopefully, that chapter will start soon, but I’m not trying to rush into anything at this point in my life.

Honestly, despite being unemployed, I’m happy. I didn’t realize how much I needed this break, but it’s been very very refreshing. I challenge you to think about what you’re posting everywhere. Whether it’s on your Instagram or your blog or whatever, just think about whether or not it’s meaningful or holds purpose. Does it bring you joy? Who cares if it brings other’s joy, but think, really think, if it brings you joy or not to see it on your feed or on your blog.

Thanks for reading!
Chloe

Caroline Calloway Opinion

Caroline Calloway is an Instagram-er. A long caption format Instagram-er. 

Is she an influencer? Well, she’s influenced me to try Birch Coffee next time I’m in New York. So I’d say so. 

Is she a fashion instagram-er? She’s inspired me to only purchase clothes so soft that you can nap in them. Not actually, but I do keep that mindset while shopping now, so maybe she is. 

Is she a hot topic? Yes. 

I started following Caroline back in January when I was recovering from a Kidney infection. I was in a bad place physically and mentally drained. She inspired me to be more independent. To do what I wanted with my life (and on Instagram) for myself instead of for others. She inspired me to care less about the likes and more about how my content made people feel. Revolutionary if you ask me. 

But then, later this year, she was the focus of every controversial article you could ever think of. She wanted to inspire others to write and get to know other writers and dreams and do-ers. So she came up with this idea to create a workshop. I’m not going to get into the details, but people talked and the press wrote about it. 

And then, later this summer, her old “ghost writer,” Natalie, published an article that “exposed” Caroline for who she really was. In my humble opinion, Caroline might have mistreated her ghost writer, but Natalie also put herself in situations that she could have easily talked to Caroline about instead of bottling them in. 

So, also in my humble opinion, I love Caroline Calloway. She’s an amazing writer. She’s brave, bold, and willing to share pieces of her life that others really really aren’t. She knows how to elegantly move through life as if it were a fairytale, and even when it’s not, she somehow picks herself back up and keeps moving with her head held high. 

So yeah, she’s probably made some mistakes, but haven’t you? If you’re bored at work or procrastinating, I inspire you to scroll to the very last picture on her account and start reading her captions from there. Her life is very fun to read about. 

Thanks for reading!
chloe

Where the Crawdads Sing

When I was in elementary school, my mom had a rule for my brother and me that truly shaped my life, my interests, how I consume media. 

For every thirty minutes of TV time, we had to spend an hour outside. A ratio, when I was younger, that I absolutely despised. Of course I loved being outside. But I grew up in the deep south of Alabama. Which means mosquitos, devilish heat, and constantly dripping in sweat. It was fine, but spending more than an hour outside on certain days was brutal. 

So how did I stay entertained if I couldn’t watch TV like a “normal” kid? 

Remember, this is back before the days of YouTube and only right when Webkinz and Club Penguin were taking over youth culture. 

So essentially, there was nothing to do except read a good ‘ole book. And when I say I read, I mean I read a lot. Every day, every night before bed. I was the student in class that looked forward to the time in the school day where we had designated reading time. The trips to the library were like if I was Charlie visiting Wonka’s chocolate factory. 

I stopped reading when I got to college because by the time I finished my assigned readings of textbooks and unrelated articles assigned to keep us busy, I didn’t want to read for enjoyment. Not to mention, I was living with my best friends so there was never downtime to just chill and read. 

But now that I’m done with college, I’ve been reading like I was a kid again. I recently read a book that I can’t stop telling people about. It’s one of those “can’t put ‘em down, bury your nose, read until your eyes get too heavy” kind of books. Simply put, it was the best book I’ve read in a really long time. 

The essence of the story is simple, a girl against the world, quite literally. I feel like I can’t describe it in too much detail without ruining the ending, but I promise you’ll love it. The topics include those of loneliness, love, family, mystery, confusion regarding the purpose and meaning of life. 

So, in short, read it. It’s called Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. A work of art. 

stay soft

I’ve noticed something.

As people get older and older, it seems they also get harder and harder. They lose sense of their softer selves. They put a guard up. They become rough around the edges and in the middle. And for what reason? Because they’ve been hurt, maybe? Because they think life is out to get them? Or maybe it’s because they’ve seen other people become harder and they thing that they too must become hard. 

I challenge you to become softer. Become full of life instead of letting it leave you. Let inspiration fill you to the brims, and allow your cheeks to hurt and become permanently flushed from so many smiles. 

My mom had my horoscope read when I was born and it said that I will age backwards. And, so far, it is true. I was the most wise ten year old you’ll ever meet. I was a rule follower. A people pleaser. A bookworm. All in the fourth grade. 

I’m not saying I’m none of those things now, as an almost adult, but I don’t think I’ve become harder. I’ve chilled out. I have fun. I enjoy the time I’ve been given. I hope that I continue to. I hope I become even softer. I hope I can give the warmest hugs and the happiest smiles. I hope you don’t barf from the cheesiness of this post. 

Anyways, I hope you accept my challenge. Be a warm human. Be a soft human. 

everything is going to be ok

Life works in funny ways. 

I read this quote today that said, “Life keeps leading us on journeys we would never go on if it were up to us. Don’t be afraid. Have faith. Find the lessons.”

I haven’t posted in a while because, I think, I was in search of the lessons. I wouldn’t say that I was sad the last few weeks and months of my college career, but I was definitely lost and confused. Mostly, I was confused about where I was going and who I was, as hard as that is to admit. 

I was most afraid of the unknown, and because of that, I was shutting down. In hindsight, everything has worked out, and I cry tears of happiness as I’m driving to work in the morning, but I didn’t know that I would be at this point a few weeks ago. 

But I’m here. Full joy for life and all the things in it at the moment. Somehow, someway, I’m interning at my DREAM (literal dream) advertising agency. Just going to work in the morning is the best. Going to sleep truly excited for the next day is the best feeling ever. 

I also have amazing friends in my life that I’m so thankful for. They’re the kind of people that I know I can go to with anything… both the good and the bad and they’ll be there. My boyfriend is one of my closest friends for all of those reasons. You know that feeling when you’re so thankful for the things that someone does for you that you don’t even know how to describe them? Yeah, that’s how I feel about him. 

Idk, life is just really doing good things for me right now. And even though I was afraid of the future before, I think I’ve finally relaxed and have realized that things are going to work out and everything is going to be ok. Truly. 

thanks for reading
chloe

being alone vs. feeling lonely

Being alone versus being lonely. A concept that I haven’t learned to deal with quite yet. It’s one of those things that isn’t taught, it’s most definitely learned. 

Today I was alone and very much lonely. Why? Because it’s summer and I want to be doing exciting things with people who bring me joy and laughter. Instead, I was feeling sorry for myself that I wasn’t doing those things and that I spent the entire day by myself. I read on my porch, I went for a run (although it was mostly a walk because I’m so out of shape), I meal prepped for the week, I called my parents, etc. 

But why do we often feel lonely when we are alone? Am I the only one who feels lonely when they’re alone?  I wish I had the answers. I wish that I was ok with alone time. But to be quite honest, I’d rather be surrounded by people. I guess this makes me an extrovert in that I gain energy from being around people. I feel refreshed and energized and full of life when I’m around other people. Even when I’m just around one other person. 

So while I was lonely today, I learned something about myself. I learned that sometimes it’s ok to be alone. Sometimes it’s ok to feel lonely, but it’s not ok to spiral into this zone of uncomfortableness when the only person I have to talk to is myself.   So from here on out, I’m challenging myself to rethink what being alone means. It’s doesn’t automatically make me a lonely person. It can make me feel independent and allow me to get to know who I truly am more easily. It can be thrilling. It can be fun. It can be fulfilling. Simply being alone doesn’t have to be a negative thing.

Here’s to a summer of looking at previously negatively associated things a little bit more positively. 

thanks for reading
xox
chloe