Seeing Stone Harbor

 When you think of New York City, what is it that you think of? The Statue of Liberty? The Upper East Side? For my mom, she thinks of the rich and diverse communities of bird watches who flock to Central Park every day. My mom is the bird-equivalent of a crazy cat lady. Every morning around 5 a.m, she wakes up and travels to different destinations to see what birds she can spot. I used to think this to be a crazy thing, but upon hearing about her trip to NYC, I was almost brought to tears. My mom woke up at 4:30 am that day in order to catch the subway from the Lower East Side up to central Manhattan to go birding in Central Park. She said that the day started like any other, with plenty of finches, pigeons, and cardinals. But slowly, rarer and rarer birds began to appear on the horizon, and so did the people. My mom claims she's never seen anything like it. Because of Central Park's accessibility, it drew in the most diverse crown of birdwatchers she had ever seen. People of a

  Friendship is one of the most valued form of relationships that people can have. I know that I love and value my friends as much as I love and value my family, and I treat them accordingly. My friends have taught me so much about myself and the world, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. As a white, cisgendered woman, I was definitely born with privileges that many people are not fortunate enough to have. Because of my privilege, it's important to be able to put myself in a position where I am able to help speak up for people in certain spaces in which they might not otherwise have a voice. I was always aware of my privilege, but that is not to say that having friends of diverse racial, religious, political, and sexual backgrounds didn't help me discover how to use my privilege for good. Learning about how to be a good ally to minority groups can best be done in a space in which you can listen to those minority groups. It is easiest to learn from people who have experi

 Ever since I was little, I've wanted nothing more than to travel the world. Now that I'm older, i'm realizing that it might be more possible than I thought. I am going into my senior year at Loyola Maryland as a political science major. Now, this may be annoyingly cliche, but my main area of interest is international relations and international conflict. It would seem almost non-sensical of me to not take the opportunity to apply to postgraduate school abroad.  One of my closest friends is a philosophy major at St. Andrew's University in Scotland. Recently, he was telling me the benefits of university abroad. One of the main benefits is the cost. In the UK, graduate programs are nearly a quarter of the cost compared to in the US, where you could be paying upward of $75k in tuition alone per year. In the UK, however, most programs do not exceed $20k in tuition per year, as well as the cost of living being significantly cheaper in most UK cities (excluding London). In ad

Go for a run. Exercise releases so many endorphins in your brain and it is so much better than doom scrolling. Try a new recipe. If any of you are like me and love cooking, then get off your phone and try that new recipe you saw. Play a card game. If you're going to get unnecessarily angry, it no much more fun to do so during a game of UNO than because you saw a video you disliked. Read a book. If you need constant engagement, then pick up a new book. So many good releases have come out this past year that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Draw. Let your creative juices flow. It doesn't have to be perfect, just put pencil to paper and let your brain do the rest. Clean your room. Having a clean room means having a clean mind, and who doesn't like it wen their room is freshly tidied? Go for a drive. Personally, I find nothing more peaceful than a solo drive on some backroads while playing some good music. Theres no better way to clear your head. Clean out your closet. O

After its wild success at the box office, Barbie has become a topic of conversation nearly everywhere. What I didn't realize is how much controversy that would soon follow as a result. Barbie hits on various topic, the most obvious being uplifting women and showing that we can accomplish anything. However, I think a few of its messages have gotten lost due to people believing it to be "anti-men". Barbie is not anti-men. Barbie is a feminist film, and because the message of feminism has been wildly misconstrued, people believe that this movie was an excuse to emasculate men in our society. What people fail to remember is that feminism is not a concept that only benefits women and puts down men, but is a way of thought that is supposed to uplift both. Feminism, in short, is the belief that men and women should be equal, not that women should be above men. Feminism, in fact, can also benefit men in so many ways. Feminism has to do with the idea that traditional gender roles

1. Margaret (feat. Bleachers)- Lana Del Rey For those who enjoy melodic ballads, this is the song for you. Del Rey's sultry vocals over a dreamy synth orchestral track blend together to create a simply stunning song. Jack Antanoff, one of the producers, revealed that this song was written as an ode to his now wife, Margaret Qualley. This song portrays the complex emotion of being in love with the most simple of phrases: "When you know, you know." 2. How Much Is Weed? - Dominic Fike Fike is a breakout star in recent years. How Much Is Weed? is his leading track off of his new album, Sunburn, which came out in July of this year. How Much Is Weed? is a guitar heavy indie pop masterpiece, with a heavy focus on imagery. The bridge is the standout part of this song, with an undeniably catchy tune. 3. Never Learned To Dance - Medium Build There is not much to say about this song aside from how intensely it resonates with my soul. Melancholy musicality and heavy lyricism will nev

 In June, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch and former confident of Tzar Vladimir Putin, launched a rebellion against Putin. On August 23rd, his private jet crashed and Prigozhin is now presumed dead. There is currently no confirmation on whether this was a targeted attack, or the true state of Prigozhin as of today, but news investigations are currently being led as to the circumstances of his assumed death. As of now, 10 others are confirmed dead. Former US President Donald Trump is currently en route to Georgia to surrender himself at the Fulton County Jail in connection to his attempts to reverse his loss in Georgia during the 2020 election. He will be the first US president in history to face these criminal charges. Wildfires have devastated Maui, Hawaii, and have now claimed at least 115 lives. There is an estimated $6 Billion in damages as well, the best way to help the people of Maui is to donate directly to its residents. On August 9th, an Ecuadorian presidential candidate

 Yesterday was my 21st birthday, but I didn't spend it in the way that most people would assume.  I started my day off with a five mile run, something I have yet to do this summer, just because I wanted to see if I could (spoiler alert, I nearly passed out). However, I forced myself through it. I felt as though I wanted to start off a new year of my life with better habits, and despite my intense aversion to running, I did it anyways. I went back to my house, showered, and work on some projects for my classes. not exactly the most exciting way to spend the day, but my homework wasn't going to do itself. Once I finished up some speeches for my class, I went over to my grandmothers home. I haven't seen her in a few months and that was something that had been weighing pretty greatly on my mind. I always thought myself to be close with my grandmother, so I decided that I wanted to spend my day with her. When I arrived at her cottage, I instantly felt a relief. There she was, si

 On August 23, I turned 21 years old. Here are 21 things that I learned this year that I will be taking with me for the rest of my life. Nothing is ever that serious. Really. It's important to care about things, of course, and it is important to live a life with intention, but it's so crucial to not get stuck on little details. Things will work out as long as you always try your best. A caveat of not taking anything too seriously is to care deeply. It is always better to get hurt in the process of life than to shelter yourself. We are meant to be hurt in order to grow and learn, so sometimes it's okay to care too much about a relationship or a friendship. Get sleep. Lots of sleep. As much sleep as you can, in fact. Don't think too hard over things you cannot control. If we could control everything that happened in our life then chances are none of us would be where we are now. Do not settle. Don't lower your standards for anyone or for anything. If you feel as thoug

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing one of my closest friends from middle school again for the first time in over a year. He’s a senior at St. Andrews University in Scotland, which doesn’t give me much opportunity to catch up with him as much as I would like. However, he was back home this past weekend and I was able to spend the night at his place, as well as have the pleasure of meeting a few of his friends from school. My friend, Marshall, is a philosophy major, as well as his friends. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for the culture shock I was about to experience. The day started off normal, with a quick drive up to Marshall’s family home in Swarthmore, PA. I was greeted by his mom, dad, and little sister, as well as his Australian Sheppard, Sophie. I was guided out to his backyard, where he and all of his friends were hanging by the pool. We sat and talked for a bit, when Marshall’s mom came out back and asked if we could help out and shuck some of the ears of corn for dinner.

 Looking for a quick beach escape but don't know where to start? Look no further than Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Stone harbor is a relatively quiet and small beach town located in south Jersey, but is the perfect place for a relaxing vacation. There are two places I would recommend to start the day, both of which are very different. If you're looking for a family style, sit down breakfast, the obvious choice would be Uncle Bill's Pancake House. Uncle Bill's is a staple o the south Jersey store, occasionally having wait times of over two hours for a table! If you're coming here, be sure to save to for a week day in order to skip the lines. However, I wouldn't blame you for waiting an hour for their signature chocolate chip pancakes! If you're looking for something a little easier and quieter, try Coffee Talk, a quaint coffee shop just off Main Street. Try their Iced Lattes and warm butter croissant, and enjoy the ambiance of the cozy layout.  Fun Fact: Taylor

 Located just outside of the DC area, just north of the Potomac, is Rockville, a quaint Maryland suburb that is teeming with life. Although small in size, Rockville is full of places to explore. I had the pleasure of being shown around by a friend from the area, and it did not disappoint.  Rockville has a teeming town square full of shops and restaurants to peruse. We started the day by taking a  trip to Attman's Deli for late breakfast. Attman's is a Jewish owned New-York style deli based in the DMV. Here, I decided I would branch out from my typical bagel order and try something new, a Lox Bagel. For those who don't know, a Lox bagel is a Jewish deli staple, and its an open faced bagel (typically your choosing) smothered in cream cheese, red onion, capers, and lox. Lox is a thinly sliced and cured salmon. Some would compare the texture of lox to sushi, however these are two different things entirely. Lox is not raw meat as it is brined and cured, though it is not easy to