September favorites
I thought about publishing monthly posts about my favorites ā when I was younger, I used to watch my favorite beauty and lifestyle youtubersĀ“ monthly videos where they showed their products and things they currently viewed as their favorite ā with the intention of selling stuff to their viewers - and as a 15-year-old viewer myself, I often felt influenced and the urge to purchase specific things because I āhad to have themā.
Since yĀ“all know I donĀ“t promote overconsumption, my favorite posts will look a little different: my favorite meals IĀ“ve eaten, favorite movie I watched, favorite book IĀ“ve read, favorite album IĀ“ve listened to, new skill IĀ“ve learned, the list goes on. Maybe as an inspiration for you to listen to more whole albums, to go to the movies more often, read more, or try new things instead of doomscrolling.
I donĀ“t know if itĀ“ll be a monthly thing - I think it would be nice, but donĀ“t know if itĀ“s realistic. But whenever I feel like I have things I wanna share, I will.
Album:
When I went to London in the beginning of September, I bought this acoustic live album by band of horses in a secondhand record store, and IĀ“ve been listening to it on repeat all month long (and wonĀ“t stop listening to it anytime soon). My favorite band of horses song is no ones gonna love you, which was also on that album, and the reason for me to buy the album (and it was only 2Ā£ and the money went to charity).
For me, itās the perfect album to listen to in my room in the evening cuddled up on my couch with cozy lighting, maybe even candles, having dinner or reading a book. The nights slowly get longer and longer, it does get dark way earlier so spending cozy evenings at home has been my top activity this month, and the album was the perfect soundtrack for that.
Activity:
I rediscovered Ecstatic Dance, a hobby I started in the beginning of the year, and for some reason stopped doing. Ecstatic Dance is a form of free dance movement centered on spontaneous, unchoreographed dancing as a form of personal expression and emotional release. Which means, you can dance and move the way it feels right to you and your body while dancing in community. As someone who loves dancing and struggles with dance in its classical form and sticking to a choreography, this is a true blessing, and I can only recommend it. It has a spiritual / esoteric side to it which I love, it feels like such a safe space, itĀ“s a great sport to go to alone (most people come alone), and I literally feel the positive impact on my body and life the following days. Dancing it out (like Cristina and Meredith in Greys Anatomy always did) works wonders to get everything out of my system - if thereĀ“s one thing I can recommend, itĀ“s Ecstatic Dance.
Project/New Skill learned:
This month I started brewing Kombucha, which is a fermented beverage made from tea, sugar, and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Basically, it tastes like soda but is really healthy, full of probiotic bacteria that are good for gut health. This summer I started obsessing over store bought Kombucha which one of my hometown friends introduced me to when she visited me in Berlin.
Since the store bought one is kinda expensive, I fell down a rabbit hole of watching many many videos on how to brew Kombucha at home, and all the science behind it. I got said friend who introduced me to Kombucha equally obsessed about the idea of brewing Kombucha at home, so we started this little project at home, giving each other updates on the brewing and fermenting process over the phone due to our long-distance friendship. The whole process took over two weeks since the drink had to ferment for 10-14 days. The whole project was lots of fun, it was a lot of try and error, and since IĀ“ll continue brewing Kombucha, I think there will be lots of room for improvement, and IĀ“m curious to see how my second batch of Kombucha will turn out.
Movie:
Usually, I go to the movies quite often, at least once a week. I love movies and have a subscription to my local cinema instead of streaming services, so I can go to the movies as many times as I want without paying extra. This month I only went once, I donĀ“t really know why, maybe because of lack of time, or because I wasnĀ“t in Berlin that much (I went to London and also spent over a week in my hometown visiting my family and hometown friends).
I watched a movie called Hollywoodgate, a documentary about the current situation in Afghanistan, with the T*liban taking over the country when American soldiers drew back from the country in 2020. Since it was the only movie I watched, IĀ“ll count it in as my favorite movie of the month ā I did like it, even tho as someone who only had brief knowledge about the takeover of the T*liban in Afghanistan, sometimes I wished for more context given, and I was left with many questions the movie didnĀ“t answer. IĀ“d still recommend it, but looking back, I think itĀ“s a movie that requires a bit of research before.
These were a few of my favorites this month - do you wanna share anything you obsessed over this month?
