An August report-out on the mediums and modalities that are helping me grow.

READING

This month I checked out four books from the library, all different genres from what I typically gravitate towards.

1. The Witch’s Heart – this was a spontaneous retrieval that came as an answer to my wanting to connect with my roots and learn more about Norse mythology.

2. Blue Nights – this was a touching and bit depressing memoir on mourning and getting older.

3. Before We Were Innocent – this month’s book club read.

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People – this has been on my ‘want to read’ list for four years now, and the time has finally come that I am ready to receive its knowledge.

EXPERIENCING

A silent initiative I’ve been taking in my life as of late is going out of my way to try something new each weekend whether it’s with friends or solo. The outcomes have included going on a gallery crawl with friends, sitting on the Scioto Mile for hours in the sunshine, volunteering at an art museum, reading at a coffee shop on a Sunday alone, and trying a restaurant that specializes in hot dogs.

ÄTER

With all of the travel I have coming up these next couple of months, I’ve made a conscious effort to eat what’s already in my stocks and keep trips to the grocery store at a minimum. This act hasn’t been glamorous by any means, but it’s honest work. What I’ve come to discover is that it doesn’t take a lot of $$$ or time to properly nourish yourself, just a little creativity and willpower. The two favorite dishes I’ve been making on a dime are quinoa with a fried egg and chili crunch and shakshuka with homemade sourdough.

SMELLING

I found this scent in Roanoke while on a lake trip and have found myself gravitating towards it time and time again to wear to work from its warm undertones. It’s alcohol-free, and because of that, I’ve found this formulation to last longer than most perfumes.

OMITTING

Impulse spending (especially when it comes to clothes).

Any unnecessary exposure to a website that requires multiple authentification sources to access my account.

Plans after work to feel less rushed in my day-to-day.

Mindlessly scrolling on Instagram (I delete the app during weekdays now).

NEED (MORE OF)

75-degree weather days

HUGS! I miss regularly getting to hug the people I love. A podcast episode I recently listened to mentioned that we need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and 12 for growth, and if that’s true, then boy I wonder how I’m still alive.

Chocolate chip sourdough cookies

Pictures of my dog

Really just letting more love into my life

💘 Hanna