Better late than never!
Welcome to another lookback! This past September was full of exciting and new things, so I’m going to dive right in! As always, feel free to comment with your favorites from September as well, and whether or not you agree with mine!
Moment
For me, reconnecting with old friends is probably one of the best things that can ever happen. I keep very close connections to my friends and I feel strongly about maintaining those connections whenever possible. This past month, while I was out work (out of the blue) one of my old college friends (back from 2006-2008 era) messaged me to let me know he was in the area and that we should grab dinner and catch up. It was so exciting to know that after all of these years and across a country, he would still think of me to message and connect with.
The best part? It was like we had been chatting for the past 10 years. We caught up, had dinner, and even squeezed in a few jet lagged and over-worked drinks as late as was feasible (we’re getting old). We talked about old times, new times, and maybe even future times, and reminded ourselves of why back in school we had such a close knit group of friends. It filled my heart to get that moment!
Fashion
My favorite fashion moment would have to be one of my many budget fashion posts with pieces from the Target Style Original Use collection. This fall fashion trend at Target really caught my eye as I was walking by (it doesn’t happen often and I am in Target a LOT), and so I grabbed some pieces from it to try out. Not only do I love the pieces, but Target even took the time to pull one of the looks and put it on the Original Use collection website as an “Insta-Worthy” moment. Very exciting! Here are a couple of my favorites you should run and grab ASAP!
TV
My favorite TV shows have just started up again, but for ending Summer TV, America’s Got Talent has won me over! In this case, it particularly piqued my interest because it did not feature a bunch of white dudes singing (there were some and they were great, but I was impressed with the diversity of acts this season!). I always love to watch people do what they love and get cheered on for it, but I had a lot of favorites this time, including Vicki Barbolak, Shin Lim, Samuel J, Comroe, Brian King Joseph, and Courtney Hadwin. However, I was particularly impressed with Shin Lim and Brian King Joseph, and was ECSTATIC when Shin Lim took the win! Definitely a great season to watch if you need something to binge randomly!
Movie
I didn’t really get a chance to go to the movies this month, but I did have a chance to lay on the couch and watch some I hadn’t had a chance to see yet! I think the one that had the most impact was “Call Me by Your Name” (yes, I know…bad gay). Not just because it was an LGBTQ friendly film, but I really enjoyed watching what I felt was an organic love story, well represented. It hit all of the finer points of navigating a gay relationship, quietly and privately as they had to at the time, but also built in some more mainstream tropes about navigating new feelings in general. It made it feel more like a movie about a complicated relationship, not a movie about how to be gay in the late 70s/early 80s. Definitely worth a watch (for those that haven’t yet already!)
Game
For me, Game is an easy category. “Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Torna: The Golden Country” easily takes the win. Torna is an expansion of XBC2, but was sold as a standalone game as well. It expands on the story of XBC2 but does so in a totally new and vibrant way, creating the look, feel, and gameplay of an entirely new installment. It also helped to shed light on the story from the original game and created a much stronger connection from player to character. While I highly recommend picking up Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I would also recommend insuring you play the expansion Torna: The Golden Country. You will not be disappointed!
Follow
To be honest, a LOT of people inspire me, but sometimes (even if I repeat) I like to call out those that I always can’t wait to see pop up in my feed:
-Chris