better than the notes app

a curated list of every thing, person, moment, food, and feeling i loved in july

note: due to how many things i had to talk about, this post is best viewed on the web, as the email app clips all of the content, and some of it ended up cut off!

i spend a lot of time making lists. groceries, quotes, celebrities i could see myself partying with, ideas for books i’ll someday write, songs that i can’t get out of my head, all coming together in hastily assembled, often-referenced lists. it feels like i’m emptying my brain, pouring a small grouping of my thoughts out and re-shaping them into something i can look back on whenever i feel like. while i was growing up, my mom would make lists for everything, usually on the back of some coloring page or worksheet i would bring home in my elementary school folder. i used to laugh at her for the abundance of lists i would find around the house, but now that i’m older and i’ve accepted the fact that our brains work similarly, i’ve noticed my penchant for list making (maybe vibe curating if we want to get fancy).

recently we’ve all been obsessed with the notes app. i’m always seeing the “you’ll never believe what lives in a girl’s notes app” conversations and videos and finding myself unable to move past them. i think that’s out of familiarity with the content that escapes my brain and makes its way into my notes app. it’s so fascinating, we seem to share that need to document our thoughts or write down whatever pops into our head in the moment. i used to journal a lot when i was little, and sometimes the notes app feels like that, like how i would come home from school and write “i went on the swings at recess today” and then be done with my journal for a week. i love how i can be with a group of girls and we all can go into our notes app and find the most incoherent note next to a list of potential birth controls that could work for us.

a huge part of me has already accepted that substack is my diary. i give you all so many of my inner thoughts and i’ve brought you on my journeys where i unload my thoughts on trends, so rather than post screenshots of my notes app, i’ve decided to provide you with small semi-curated lists full of links and photos that are an unload of obsessions and feelings and moments. i love to read these kinds of posts, maybe it’s the nosy part of me that loves to know what everyone is up to, or perhaps it’s the way i see so much content on the internet and feel a small connection when i get to see glimpses of other people’s favorite things and maybe mine are similar.

i’m starting this monthly series as a way to say thank you to my paid subscribers and to give you a list of content, foods, fun, and moments that have been special in my life over these last few weeks. i apologize for the paywall, i wanted to give my free queens a taste of the full meal my paid baes are eating. please enjoy all of the links, descriptions, and my most unedited thoughts that i curated into this. i’ve been trying to figure out how to balance my weekly content with paid content (it’s a lot harder than i thought because i only ever want to provide writing i am proud of) and this feels like a way to share more little stories and hopefully connect with you all. i’m so grateful for all of you!

enjoy!! meet me in the comments to tell me some of your favorites!

also stay tuned for this friday’s post!! i’m beyond excited for it!

here are some defining moments, feelings, and experiences i loved from my july 💌

• paul coming to stay with me and all of the quality time we got to spend together

  

  he made friends with my dad’s herd of deer

  • in 4.5 years of dating, paul and i have mastered the art of long distance. since i moved back home in december, we haven’t been able to see each other as frequently, but every small moment is that much more cherished. paul came to visit me two weekends ago and it was the most perfect and necessary time. we spent a lot of time swimming and being weird together and then we had dinner with my dad, brunch with my mom, and little brewery moment with my cousin. i love him so much so any time i get to bring him around my hometown is always so nice and special, but this was just a perfect weekend.

• texting with my funny, gorgeous, perfect, wonderful friend

  olivia kozlevcar
  about love island USA.

  

  unfortunately we caught the rob disease

  • as you know from my love island panopticon essay, i always spend a huge chunk of my summer immersing myself in all 6-8 weeks of love island content, but this summer i finally had a friend to chat about it with! some of the biggest laughs i had were in my texts with koz about how foolish, hot, and absurd the islanders of love island USA were. she’s one of my favorite people to talk to because of how similar we are, but our nightly love island chats were a massive source of joy for me.

driving to this playlist i made

• i love feeling like i’m straight out of almost famous and also driving through laurel canyon or something (even though i’m literally in northern new jersey) so i made this playlist a few weeks ago and have been non-stop driving to it. something about rolling the windows down and driving as the sun slowly sets and joni mitchell sings in the background is so peaceful to me, so i’m happy to share this playlist with you all!