Monthly Rewind: September

All the photos in this post were taken by me and you can see even more photos of France on my Instagram.

3 Things About My Life This Month

1. Living in Provence is harder than I expected. I don't want this statement to be taken idly, or out of context--I know exactly how privileged I am to be studying in Aix, a wealthy town in the South of France, and living with a host family who feeds me well and is sharing their large home with me for the next few months. But, despite some of the absolutely wonderful experiences I've had this past month, immersing myself into French language and culture, learning to convey the entirety of my personality in a language I'm not fluent in, has been tough. Adjusting to the slow pace and the disorganization of the school system, watching as my friends in London make friends effortlessly while I struggle to reach out to French students, has been frustrating. I've become very close with the girls in my program and, slowly but steadily, I feel as if my life is getting into a routine, but certainly this past month has been harder in ways I never anticipated.

2. The Mediterranean Sea is my version of paradise. I visited Cassis, Cannes, Marseille, Nice, and Monaco this past month and the beach was the highlight of each of these beautiful towns. I've never swam in the ocean before this trip but it's nearly impossible to drag me out, now. Certainly, my biggest highlight of this past month has been exploring the South of France and enjoying the warm September temperature while doing so.

3. I didn't read a lot this month. At first, it was because I was in Paris, and then Aix, and then visiting different cities in Provence. And then, it was because the honeymoon period had ended and homesickness had set in and all I wanted to do every night was Skype my parents. Now, though, I'm slowly getting back into the groove of reading and I'm excited to knock some books off my TBR.

Best Book I Read This Month

I'm sure you've all at least seen this book around, if not heard of it, but it deserves all the hype it's been getting. Written as a letter from Coates to his son, this is a raw, honest, and revealing piece about black culture and oppression in America. Coates speaks from a position of privilege, as a black man whose voice is far-reaching and who has the means to give his son a good education, but his life has been dominated by police brutality and racism. It's a stark, unflinching story but one that I couldn't put down. I cried. But it's not just a good book, well-written and life-altering, but it demands to be read, especially in the political culture we live in today where a man like Donald Trump has the potential to be the president of America and violence against the black body has risen, too much. Just read it--I can't recommend it enough.

3 Most Popular Posts This Month

Post I Wish Got a Little More Love

My review of Paula Stokes's Girl Against the Universe. I thought this book was brilliant for daring to approach mental illness in such an accessible manner. Stokes makes it easy to understand mental illness, not stigmatize it, and with mental illness becoming all the more prevalent among teens these days, it's so important for teens to be able to find themselves in stories and I'm glad Stokes is writing the books that haven't been written, for the audience that is waiting for them. Obviously, very highly recommended.

Posts I Starred in My Blog Reader This Month

Not Shaving Isn't Always a Choice for Women of Color by Paniz Khosroshahy: This article is so well-written and it really resonated with me, especially since Wellesley is a place where we women boast about not shaving and being liberated from the constraints put upon us by society, but so many of the people I know who don't shave look just the same as if they did shave. Anyhow, give this article a read because it's such a good look at white feminism and how one type of feminism doesn't apply to everyone.

Coming Home: Queer South Asians and the Politics of Family: This article was written by a friend of mine awhile back but the article above made me remember this one and go back and hunt it down to re-read because it's just SO GOOD. It's so hard to explain South Asian culture, in general, to anyone who isn't part of it already not because it's complicated, but because we have so many ideas of what it is in our mind. Repressive. Conservative. Sexist. So to discuss topics of feminism or queerness within the context of South Asian communities is a lot harder than it seems but this article is just perfect. It gets it all right and if you're going to read one article this year, let it be this one.

Obsession of the Month

I'd be lying if I didn't say this, so here goes: my obsession of the month has been the song "Cool Girl" by Tove Lo. I heard it in Nice for the first time and ever since, it's been the song that gets me up and awake every morning. Some of my friends may think I have a slight problem but...I disagree. ;)

3 Things I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

1. Going to Greece! So, this is happening to me right now, as you read this, but as it straddles September and October, I figured I'd post it here--after all, I cannot wait to land in Athens soon!! I have an aunt who lives in Athens and I've never even met her kids (my cousins!) but she's been incredibly sweet and invited me to spend the weekend with them and I'm so, so lucky and excited to be going. It's going to be a wonderful trip, I just know it.

2. Going to Lyon! Our program has organized a trip to Lyon, the third largest city in France, for us the second weekend of October and I'm really looking forward to traveling as a whole group again. I think one thing we all miss the most when living with a host family is the chance to socialize like we do in dorms, so this weekend is going to be a good time to just let loose and explore and enjoy ourselves so I'm very excited.

3. SEEING MY MOM! Okay, so I'm seeing my mom the LAST weekend of October, but it counts, and I am so ready. Living with a host family has made me miss my own family so much more than I thought it would, so I'm really excited that my mom is going to be coming to France to visit me! We have a rather epic trip planned for my fall break, but until all the flights and hotels and trains are booked, I don't want to spoil anything. But, suffice to say that I won't be in France for roughly a week--and I cannot wait.

How was your September? Any exciting plans for October? What books did I miss out on this past month that I need to add to my TBR? I'd love to hear in the comments below! :)