To take a hard pivot from yesterday’s blog post, I would like to provide you all with a list of some of my favorite things, both tangible and intangible, from November.
Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” album
I figured I’d get this one out of the way. After the past couple of years of releases, I was admittedly a little skeptical about any future new content that Taylor would put out. The two albums preceding Midnights were re-recordings of two of her past albums, and the two albums she released before those were, in my opinion, her best work up until that point. Her last pop studio album, Lover, was a little lackluster. Thankfully, Midnights exceeded all expectations and I had it on rotation for several weeks after its release (I had to give myself a break to make room for Christmas music, obviously). Some of my favorite tracks from Midnights include Anti-Hero, You’re On Your Own Kid, and Maroon. Stay tuned for a full blog post detailing all of my thoughts on this masterpiece.
My Subie
Over the past couple of years that I’ve lived in Utah, I’ve slowly been adapting more and more to the Utahn culture. First it was buying a pair of Tevas, then it was buying my first pair of snow boots, and it has now continued into the car that I drive. Let me preface this by saying that I was not planning on buying a new car anytime soon. I loved my Camry, and legitimately thought that it was going to be the car that I would someday drive my kids to school in. But now that I live in a place with snowy winters where driving can be treacherous, I had to make a change. Long story short, I slid on the ice one too many times in my Camry last winter. Yes, I could’ve bought a set of snow tires, but 1. I had nowhere to store a set of tires at the time and 2. I didn’t want to spend so much money upfront on a new set of tires. So my roundabout way of solving that issue was to just get a brand new car that would keep me safe during the winter while driving on icy roads and in the snow. Now having driven it on a couple of snowy days, I could not be happier with the decision to buy a new car. I also really like that I’m higher off the ground and feeling well-protected by a bigger car. I’m also way more eager to put stuff in my trunk now, even if it is just a couple of bags of groceries.
Prohibition
I was never one for bars or the like, but I can safely say that speakeasys are going to be my new favorite thing. I came to Prohibition for the first time a couple months ago with my cousin, and then again this past weekend with a friend. Their food is great. The vibe is cool. The drinks are fantastic (their Moonshine Mule is my drink of choice). When you first walk in, you’re greeted with a small and unassuming facade in the form of a very small and humble antique store. After telling the hostess you’re there for the bar, she opens one of the bookshelves to reveal a spacious dining room and bar. One major perk is that it is walking distance from my apartment. (I also immediately recognized it from an episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City).
Schitt’s Creek
I know I’m a little late to the party here, but the past several years were packed to the brim with other TV shows, movies, and podcasts that I felt required my attention. Recently, I got really tired of scouring my YouTube subscriptions and Netflix and Hulu suggestions only to just turn off my TV altogether as a result of being overwhelmed by the cornucopia of options. Schitt’s Creek, among other shows, came highly recommended to me by several of my peers. After laughing myself into delirium watching compilations of this show on my TikTok feed, I decided to give this show a try. I was really scared of being disappointed, especially now being at a point in my life where I’ve settled nicely into the shows I do enjoy, but I’m happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. This show is charming, wholesome at its core, and a really great comfort show. I’m sad that it’s over, but I’m glad that it ended on a high note and in such a satisfying way.
My Yeti
Speaking of submitting to Utah culture, my latest purchase to further conform is my Yeti. I’ve held onto my Hydroflask for as long as I could. But the truth is that it was getting so old, and I’ve dropped it so many times that it could no longer stand upright. I also got really tired of dribbling water all over myself whenever I went in to take a sip. Enter: Yeti. These are way more commonplace out here, and I began to realize that Hydroflasks were more of a California thing. I like that my Yeti has two different screw-tops: one with a spout to drink from, and another for refilling. The best part – water doesn’t get all over me when I drink from it, and it doesn’t wobble all over the place when I set it on a flat surface! All in all, another purchase that I am fully satisfied with.
tête-à-tête 