One Stupid Decision

My Top Five Albums of 2022 (and what's still to come) Why this year in music could be one of the best in a long time Of all the industries that took a hit due to the pandemic, entertainment has been one of the most striking to me. People stopped going to the movies, artist tours were cancelled left and right, most music festivals took a two-year hiatus, and the difficulty of getting in a room with people threw off creative rhythms all around. Seemingly the least-affected entertainment option was television, as at-home entertainment thrived with everyone stuck at home and bored. While the lack of quality new content was felt everywhere, the most glaring discrepancy by far was music. Not only was it more difficult to record material, but because the live show is so intertwined with album rollouts, projects were put on hold until artists were sure they could tour behind them. Of course, some artists trudged along regardless, finding creative solutions. Notably, Dua Lipa had massive su

Life Update: What's New With Me? Fun's over, what's next? Last Sunday around this time I was getting back from a 10-day trip to Nashville and Austin. I was seeing my friend Isaac in Nashville, and then spending some time exploring the University of Texas campus and surrounding area with my sister the following weekend. It was a blast, and really nice to get out of shitty Chicago weather for a bit. But there were some unforeseen expenses while I was away, and checking the bank account upon arriving back came with a rude awakening. Playtime was over; I needed to make some cheddar. I had already started looking for work—I even landed a couple freelance writing jobs—but the past week or so has brought a bit more urgency to figure out my long-term plan. A lot of people have the same question for me when I see them after coming back from my trip. What the hell do I do all day with no job? And what's my plan for the future? Well, I'm still figuring that last part out, but

Keep, Stop, Start: And Some Things I Learned I guess you can call these my New Years' resolutions View from my bedroom I moved into a high-rise on the lake in Chicago summer of 2020, right during the thick of COVID. While this place had its pros—it was right on the lake, had a beautiful view, and a decent-sized bedroom & closet—I didn't consider all the disadvantages. Mainly, I was on the 31st floor, and especially during this stage of my foot pain, I found it incredibly difficult to force myself to go outside. Physically, each time I went out was an added stressor that rarely felt worth it. Not to mention I was working from home, meaning I could realistically go days without venturing from the apartment. Whether I realized it or not, this living situation was doing damage to my physical and mental health. But I have a tendency to put off important decisions, or not think them through fully when they arise. So when the time came to renew the lease in June 2021, it wasn'

National Park Power Rankings Here it is, folks. Here it is, folks. The moment you've all been waiting for. It's time for me to unveil my final rankings for all the national parks I visited.  Now, before I go any further, a few disclaimers: Camping in Dixie National Forest I loved every single one of these parks. They all had something unique and interesting to offer, and I truly enjoyed my time at all of them. These rankings are splitting hairs in a lot of ways; I would recommend visiting as many as you can. Not all of these parks got a full fair shake. I explored some—like Yellowstone & Olympic—in great detail, going to see every nook and cranny I could over the course of 3-5 days. Others—like Mesa Verde—I only saw for half a day. So naturally, it's impossible for me to give an objective ranking of all aspects of these parks. Rather, I am simply giving a perspective of my experience in all these places; what I loved about them, what I didn't love about them, and ho