It's been an enlightening summer. Between working a 9 to 5 job every day and trying to hang out with my high school friends as much as possible, it's been very busy. Summer's flown by, and although I am excited about college, I'm also incredibly nervous to be on my own again. Here are some things I've learned this summer.
1. Thrift shopping is seriously amazing
Many people have probably stressed this before, but I'm just going to come on here and stress it again. I don't have a lot of thrift stores in my area, but I found one gem with an amazing variety of unique clothing. It's cheap, affordable, and you can find a treasure trove of cool pieces. Also, you're not contributing to the fast fashion industry, where children and adults are being paid little to nothing to make your clothing.
2. Vegan food is really, really good
I've tried a lot of cool vegan food and been to some vegan places. I'm a vegetarian, but I've always been into the veganism movement because I care a lot about animals and animal rights, and the vegan lifestyle and diet just seems healthier for me. I know it's not for everyone, and I don't suggest that someone go vegan without proper research. But so far I've almost completely cut out dairy from my diet, so I'm going to go on that path to further cut out animal-derived foods.
3. I can't work a 9 to 5
I honestly don't even know how I did it for a couple weeks, and people do this for a living. I cannot sit in a cubicle looking at a screen for eight hours. I just can't. It sounded torturous before, but after weeks of actually experiencing it, it's just not a reality for me. I'm relieved in the path and major I'm pursuing because I hope to never have that type of job.
4. I love my polaroid camera
I got my polaroid camera for 10 dollars at my local thrift shop (another reason why I love thrift-shopping.) I've been obsessed with it ever since. I love the vintage, faded, flashy look it gives my photos. Yes, the film is expensive, and yes, you have to be really careful when taking photos, but to me, it's worth it when the photo develops and you see an old-looking photo in your hand that's truly precious. Wouldn't recommend this hobby if you're incredibly impatient and don't have a good amount of money to spend on film, but it's really cool to try out.
5. Do your research
This one's kind of vague, but it can be applied to anything. Want to help the environment in small ways? Research how to. Don't know which side of the story to believe? Do your research. Want to know what's in that granola bar you ate and where it came from? Look it up. These days when information is literally at the tip of your finger, there's no excuse to be ignorant. Do your research and look into everything if you want to be sure you're doing the right thing for you and your body.
I could go on and on, but those are the main points I wanted to enunciate. It's been a great summer, and I'm dreading (but also looking forward to) college.
Lumiere figure at the Disney Store at the Ala Moana Shoppi… | Flickr
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10. Extra BlanketsJuwenin Home 100% Cotton Knitted Throw Blanket
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