In Summer Everything Is Better

Good morning! How is your morning going? More importantly, how is your summer going?

Summer is in full swing! Honestly, I’ve wanted to get back into doing what I love—cooking! I made spicy broccoli pasta last week and took a couple of pictures. I loved it! It was so yummy, and it brought my love back by being able to create something that is accessible and tastes good.

Although I don’t do it as much because I work more now… I am looking forward to being able to do more of what I love, which is cooking, writing, and connecting with others!

Because of my job, I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the outstanding students of Ypsilanti High, and my favorite part is seeing how I was raised differently than them but how they handle stress, school, and life itself. Things can be so much harder for people depending on where they are and how they choose to handle stress, but I take immense pride in being able to help those regulate and understand their emotions better, as well as assisting them in learning how to read and write.

A couple of silly little things…

1. I got to do an in-home dining event a couple of weeks ago, and I LOVED IT. I witnessed how carefully curated dinner parties were, with a menu that could be put together in minutes.

2. I wish I had picked this up at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago… But it wasn’t the right size… So I think about it a lot now…

1. I started reading a lot more young adult novels because of this book I had to read in my diverse children’s literature class on loss, identity, and sexuality as a minority, and it completely blew my mind because I completely forgot about how I can easily access young adult novels and read them. They have completely evolved over the years. It is also so amazing to witness because people of color are allowed to talk about a lot more now than freedom and cultural context regarding historical figures and identities.

That’s all I have for now! I have been learning more about myself and what I want to do as I continue to tutor this summer, and I love learning more about myself, who I am, and what I like. I plan to give a list of books you should read by the end of this week so you can check them out over the weekend, and I HOPE to continue that as I continue to read more and more!

Cheers!

Ariana :^)