Hawkeyes Take on Kansas City: A Trip to the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Convention

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Hi everyone!

I just returned to Iowa City from one of the most exciting trips I’ve had in a while and I knew when I came back that I had no choice, but to write about it! This past weekend, I attended the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Convention (also known as AWP) and had the opportunity to listen to panels with authors/industry professionals, network with MFA programs, buy plenty of discounted books, and of course, get so much closer to my amazing earthwords magazine team! For this post, I’m going to walk you through the entire trip and some of the cool opportunities I found while wandering the convention.

On Thursday morning, it was an early wakeup for me and the rest of the team as we lugged our bags to the parking lot at 4:oo in the morning. Luckily, the drive proved to be quick, easy, and beautiful as we watched the sunrise on our way to Kansas City, Missouri. We were starstruck by all the Superbowl decorations since this weekend happened to be the weekend where the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the 49ers, so we were a bit overwhelmed with city spirit as we drove up to our hotel and stretched our legs after the long drive. But upon arriving, we wasted no time in booking it to the convention to attend panels and get a feel for the book fair as our official first day as attendees.

I was astounded by how massive the convention center was and the number of people, booths, and paneling rooms available to all the attendees. The possibilities were endless and even though I would have loved to explore more than I was capable of, I created a tight-knit schedule for myself beforehand which started at a panel about the ethics of writing fiction based on fact.

With a couple earthwords friends, we sat in as three authors talked and discussed the challenges of writing about the people we know, whether or not we should give loved ones a heads up before certain pieces come out about them, and the harm/good that can happen when new perspectives take on a story. It was an incredible panel to kick off my AWP experience and as someone who regularly writes about the people I know, I found it really informative to my writing process!

But there was no time to waste because I quickly left for my second panel which featured a handful of literary agents who talked about the dos and don’ts of querying novels, the ins and outs of the publishing industry, and how agents take care of their clients and the work that they do. This panel provided great insight into the first aspect of getting a book traditionally published and how authors can better their odds when querying their debut novels to agencies.

After this panel, it was time for lunch, so my friend, Fareeha, and I, settled on some ramen which ended up being delicious! Afterward, we had some time to kill before our next panel, so we walked around the book fair, took pictures of books we wanted, chatted with small literary magazines/presses, and won fun prizes like stickers, magnets, and pens before heading back to the panels.

This final panel featured a handful of small booksellers who spoke about ways that authors can build better relationships with indie bookstores and the local community. In all honesty, it was a bit on the boring side for me, but I still got some great notes for it if there comes a day that I drop everything and open a quaint bookstore later in my life.

Once the excitement of the first day was over, the rest of the earthwords team got dinner at a bar and grill where we sat at a long table, talked about our experiences, and ate our fill. I’m sure I can speak for everyone that our first day was absolutely exhausting, but overall, it was a great way to kick off such a memorable experience for the rest of the weekend!

The very next day, Friday, is what I considered my “busy day” because of how many panels I ended up going to! I started the morning strong at a 9am panel about social media and how reviewers online play a massive role in book sales today. On this panel, the social media influencers spoke about their roles, their relationships with authors/readers, and the balance between a full-time job and reviewing new titles day-to-day. Even though I’m not much of an influencer, it was really cool to hear about the effects of BookTok through the eyes of the people running it.

Next, I rushed to a panel called, “Draft, Draft, Goose” which was all about revising writing projects. This room was filled to the brim with people, and I felt so engrossed in each author’s presentations as they stood in front of the crowd, displayed their messy first drafts, and then walked us through how they edited/revised them into their final version. Not only was I so impressed by each writer’s process, but also by the fact that they had the guts to show hundreds of people their unedited work! I’m not sure I could ever be convinced to do something like that and I have so much respect for the authors who put themselves in front of the crowd to do something so daunting!

After this panel, a lunch break was very much needed, so Fareeha, Sophia, and I got tacos and chatted for a bit before we split off to go to our afternoon panels.

My third panel of the day was all about literary magazines and how writers can make their submissions stand out in the slush pile. If I’m being honest, this was a bit of a bleak panel since it’s hard to stand out when magazines are getting 10k submissions every season, but something I did learn was that submitting to contests is actually a lot more helpful than I first thought! Because of this panel, I feel a lot differently about the benefits of contests, so maybe I’ll consider submitting to a couple in the near future.

For the fourth panel of the day, Fareeha, I, and a handful of people on the earthwords staff met up to watch a panel run by all female writers who spoke about girlhood and coming-of-age stories including how to get those stories into an industry that is historically male. I was really impressed with the advice that these women were providing us and how honest their conversations were about their writing process, the querying process, and how they went about writing unconventional female characters. It was a great panel to end on and then Fareeha, Amritha, Maia, Kelsey, and I packed up our stuff, left the convention center, and headed to an off-site event in downtown Kansas City called, “Women Who Leave.”

One of the many wonderful things about AWP is that they schedule events around the city alongside events within the convention center! This allows attendees to still have the chance to partake in some literary magic while exploring some of the cool places in Kansas City. For the “Women Who Leave” event, I and everyone else went to Nighthawk (an old speakeasy located at the bottom of a hotel!) where we managed to find a seat at the very front of the stage.

We listened to four incredible female authors talk about their experiences with leaving romantic relationships and how that real-life event shaped their writing. It was such an empowering conversation about topics of love, money, womanhood, and happiness, that me and everyone else at the event were brought to tears multiple times! Afterward, it was pretty obvious that we all wanted to buy their books, and my friends and I were lucky enough to get our copies signed by the authors too! We were geeking out the whole time and it was by far my favorite event of the weekend!

Tired and hungry, I and half of the earthwords staff found a sushi restaurant to eat dinner. It took us a while to get on the waitlist, but luckily, we came across some live music that we got to sit around and listen to as we waited to be called in for a table. At dinner, we got to know one another so much better, and it was a great way to end our second day in Kansas City and prepare for our final day of panels.

The next day, Saturday, marked the last chance to see any panels/roam the book fair which was so sad to come to terms with! I know I wanted to stay at AWP forever, but unfortunately, we had plans to return to Iowa City that night.

I started that final day with a few others on staff as we attended a 9am panel called, if you can believe it, “Writing the Literary Sex Scene!” This panel was so unserious, so funny, and so informative, even though it was early in the morning. After that panel, me and Fareeha wandered the bookfair and spoke to some universities including the University of Baltimore, the University of Belmont, Columbia, Yale, Northwestern, Emerson College, and more! It was really cool to chat and network with some MFA students, alumni, and faculty, and then get their contact information to reach out at a later point. I definitely felt more confident in some of my choices on the off chance that I pursue an MFA someday.

Our book exploration had to take a pause though as me and Fareeha attended our last panel. This panel focused on debut YA authors and their experiences working in publishing. The authors were insanely transparent about the positives and negatives of being a debut author, how they found their agents, the struggle of a work/life balance, and what they would do differently if they could debut again. It was really insightful to see how these authors have handled being published and I definitely need to pick up their books sometime in the future after hearing them all speak!

Before finishing our day, Fareeha, Kelsey, Madeline, Lily, and I all got pizza for lunch before we toured the rest of the book fair and bought some last-minute books. By the end of the trip, I had seven books in tow which ranged from literary magazines to chapbooks, and to full-fledged novels. Currently, I’m reading one of the chapbooks I bought called, “Notes on Shapeshifting” by Gabi Abrao which I’m absolutely in love with!

Exhausted and in much need of coffee, me and Fareeha left the convention center for the very last time and trekked to a Cuban coffee shop where we got coffee, read, and waited for the rest of the team to join us before we all packed our things and made for the long drive back to Iowa City. The drive was filled with laughter, smiles, and shared experiences of all the things this incredible trip has taught us. I can say confidently that not a single person regretted the experience and every single one of us returned to Iowa City with fresh eyes and a whole new appreciation for the literary community.

That’s the breakdown of my trip! I appreciate you guys sticking around to listen to my experience and if any of you are interested in attending AWP next year, the convention will be held in Los Angeles, California. If you try it out, I can assure you that you won’t regret it!

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A Hawkeye’s Guide to Cooking: From Someone Who Doesn’t Know How to Cook

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Hey everyone!

For those of you who have been reading my blogs for a while now, you know that I recently moved into my very first apartment and it’s been a whirlwind of getting used to this whole new side of adulting. For me, a big adjustment of that was learning how to cook for myself since I’d become so accustomed to eating in the dining halls for the past two years (a perk of dorm life that I really miss these days!)

But over the past few months, I’ve curated a handful of recipes that are quick, simple, and easy for anyone who’s nervous about cooking and needs some ideas on where to start. Below is a list of my favorite dishes with a few tips to get you started on your cooking journey!

Pesto Pasta

An all-time favorite!

A year ago, I never would have touched a plate of pesto pasta, but now, it’s become one of my favorite dishes to create! For this dish, all you need to do is boil some water, put in your pasta, strain the water, and then add the pesto! It takes fifteen minutes and I like to add a little bit of shredded parmesan cheese to the top to add some flavor.

Not only is this meal easy and delicious, but you’ll usually have leftovers that’ll last you a couple of days!

Chicken Cutlets

Another favorite recipe of mine that’s a bit longer, but totally worth it.

I adopted my mom’s recipe in which you take a cutlet, roll it in breadcrumbs, soak it in egg, and then roll it in breadcrumbs one more time. From there, you’ll add the cutlet to the pan with some olive oil at medium heat. After it’s cooked on one side, remember to flip it until the inside is white! As I said earlier, this recipe takes closer to an hour (even longer if you have a lot of chicken), but it tastes amazing which makes the whole thing worth it!

My roommate and I always end up eating most of the chicken in one sitting because it’s just so good!

Chicken Fajitas

In the same realm, I’ll also buy a bunch of chicken to make fajitas!

For this, I buy some onions and red peppers (depending on what you like in your fajita, you can get any vegetables you want) and I cut them up to a preferred size. Then, I’ll take the chicken and roll it into fajita seasoning (Note: you can make your own seasoning, but I typically buy the pre-made seasoning at Hy-Vee!) and then I add the chicken to a pan at medium heat. Be sure to flip the chicken when necessary, and when it’s all done, add the onions and red peppers to the same pan.

If you want a little extra flavor, take a lime and sprinkle it over the whole dish. From there, you’re ready for your wraps! This is one of my favorite dishes to make and my boyfriend has begged me multiple times to make it for him as a result!

Beef Teriyaki

This is a new recipe I discovered and it’s amazing!

For this dish, you’ll boil your rice and then take salt and pepper to grind into the beef. When that’s done, put the beef in a separate pan at high heat and keep grounding it until the inside isn’t raw. When the rice is soft and the beef is cooked, you can add the two together and sprinkle on some teriyaki sauce (I personally like the brand Veri Veri). And that’s it!

It’s a super easy meal and it’s perfect if you’re looking for some protein and grains to rejuvenate after a long and hard day.

Four Cheese Tortellini with Garlic Butter Sauce

My most recent recipe (you can see by the title that I’m getting more deluxe!) that I tried out last night and absolutely loved it!

For this recipe, you’ll need chicken broth, four cheese tortellini, cornstarch, garlic, basil, butter, and parmesan. First, you’ll boil 2 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and add the tortellini until soft. Then, you’ll take 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix them together in a separate bowl. After that, in a separate pan, you’ll add 4 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Then, you’ll pour the broth/cornstarch mixture into the buttered pan at medium heat, let it cook, and then take 2 teaspoons of basil and 2 teaspoons of garlic and add it until the whole mixture is simmering and thick. Then, you’ll strain the tortellini before adding it to the pan. You’ll coat the tortellini and then you’re ready to serve it!

This recipe is definitely more precise in its measurements, but it’s worth the time it takes to get it right! The garlic butter is the perfect coating for the tortellini and I’m excited to dig into the leftovers I have this week!

Those are just a few of my favorite recipes since I’ve started my cooking journey! I’m sure I’ll experiment with my cooking over the next couple of months, but for right now, I’m happy with the baby steps I’ve managed to make.

Tune into my next blog post next month and thanks so much for reading! I hope the recipes helped!

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10 Books to Read During These Arctic Temperatures!!!

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Hello everyone!

For those of you in the Midwest, you’ve definitely felt the record-breaking weather warnings we’ve had outside! With the temperatures getting below -15 degrees, wind chills of -40 degrees, warnings of frostbite, and of course, over a foot of snow, anyone in their right mind is staying inside and cranking the heat up. I know for me, something that’s helped me pass the time each night is sitting by the heater and getting some reading done.

So, for today’s blog post, I thought I’d give you some ideas for what to pick up at your local bookstore/library if you’re snowed in and need a good book to curl up on the couch with. Below are a variety of titles (all of which I read last year!) that I would highly recommend to those of you looking to expand your reading during this new year.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

This is probably the LAST book you thought I’d recommend, and I get it! Dickens is wordy, dense, and hard to read, but if you’re already trapped inside, why not give it a go?

Great Expectations is a timeless and classic tale about a poor boy named Pip who wants to be wealthy to impress the girl he’s in love with, but when he gets his wish, he realizes that being rich isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

Most people probably read this book in high school (or if you’re like me, I actually read it in middle school which is as hard as you can imagine), but I would definitely recommend giving this book a re-read. At the very least, it’s cool to brag to your friends about how you’re reading “one of the classics!”

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

In all honesty, this isn’t my favorite fantasy book of all time, but if you’re new to the fantasy genre, this is a great book to try out for your first time!

Serpent and Dove is a YA romantasy novel that follows a witch and a witch hunter who are forced into marriage and eventually fall in love. The world-building is easy to follow, its dual perspectives, and if you’re into romance tropes, this book is jam-packed with them! It’s also the first book in the trilogy, so if you end up loving it, there’s much more where that came from!

Persuasion by Jane Austen

And!!! We’re back to the classics!

I recently read Pride and Prejudice which is why I ended up picking up another Austen book to see what else Austen has magically concocted. Persuasion follows Anne, who is reunited with her former lover after having rejected his proposal seven years ago. But even after those seven years, she’s still in love with him and she quietly pins for him as he begins the journey of trying to find a wife.

For me, I absolutely loved reading Anne’s Developing Crush, so if you’re looking for a classic tale that’s quick and romantic, then this novel is for you! And afterward, Netflix made a movie, so you’ll be able to see the characters on the TV screen if you’re still craving more. Personally, I didn’t think it was a great adaption, but you’ll have to judge that for yourself!

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Hands down, this is the BEST book I read in 2023!!! I swear, not a day goes by when I don’t think about it!

Normal People follows Connell and Marianne, two people who knew each other in high school and stay connected in college. It’s an expanded love story about two people who struggle to communicate their insecurities to one another, but still remain in love over many years.

It’s a short novel, easy to read, and there’s a TV show about it that was nominated for a handful of Emmys and Golden Globes! Truly, this is one of the most heartfelt novels I’ve ever read, so please go read it!!!

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

Another one of my favorite books of 2023!

The Farm follows Jane, a Filipino single mother living in the dormitories with her newborn baby, Amalia. To provide for her daughter, Jane takes a job as a surrogate for a rich company that helps the wealthy have children. All at once, Jane is swept into a dystopian-esque compound in the middle of upstate NY where she realizes how ugly the company and its standards really are.

This novel tackles themes of motherhood, class, race, transnational feminism, feminine healthcare, and so much more. It’s a great read and if you’re looking for a novel that handles complex social issues, this is a novel I definitely recommend!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I know, I know, ANOTHER Charles Dickens’s book?!? Especially a Christmas one?!?

I figured I would put this book on the list for two reasons. First, it’s the easiest of Dickens’s books to read, and second, the snowfall and ice outside give more Christmas vibes than how actual Christmas looked or felt. So, if you want to reminisce about the holidays, this might be a good book to help you do that!

This classic tale follows a man named Scrooge who is visited by three ghosts who are meant to show him what the Christmas spirit is all about! If you want to read a classic, but Great Expectations isn’t really your style, why not try this book out and see where it goes?

Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

Dry follows a teenage girl, Alyssa, who lives in California during a massive drought that turns the state into an apocalyptic wasteland. Throughout the novel, she has to make life-altering decisions for her younger brother and their newfound friends as they struggle to survive without water.

Although this novel was a bit slow, I really appreciated the themes of climate change, and the complexity of human nature when our survival instincts kick in. If you’re looking for a YA standalone novel that’s easy to read, but still tackles some environmental issues, this is the book for you!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

My boyfriend gifted me this book for our first anniversary, and I knew I just HAD to read it the moment I had it in my hands. Having seen the movie multiple times and heard all of the astounding acclaim this timeless tale has drawn over the years, I knew this book was going to be amazing and yet, I was still blown away by it!

This novel follows Charlie, a nervous freshman boy, who befriends two seniors, Sam and Patrick. They help him navigate his first year in high school and the novel really hones in on the struggle of your teenage years as you discover who you are as a person.

It’s a really beautiful novel written in letter format, with simple language, and relatable themes that everyone can connect to. This is a book I think everyone should read once, so pick it up if you see it on shelves!!!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

After watching the new Hunger Games prequel movie that just came out, I re-entered my nostalgic middle school dystopian phase, which is how I ended up reading Delirium, one of the best-selling dystopian books that I never got the chance to read in middle school when that genre was popular.

While it isn’t my favorite of the high-ranking YA dystopian books out there, it held my attention and I plan on reading the rest of the series sometime this year! The story follows Lena, a teenage girl who falls in love with a boy in a society where love is something to be cured and prevented. The book is fast-paced, swoon-worthy, and has high stakes on every page.

If you’re looking for a nostalgic dystopian tale and a series to keep you hooked, this might be the novel for you!

The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo

For this last book, I figured I would recommend a curveball!

While this book still falls into the YA fantasy range, this novel is a collection of short fables and folktales in the Grishaverse, a universe that Leigh Bardugo has written multiple series! That being said, you don’t have to read any of Bardugo’s previous works to enjoy this one since it’s separate from the novels (even if there are a few fun stories that are mentioned in her other series!)

If you’re looking for a short novel where you can admire the storytelling and artwork, I would definitely recommend this book! It’s a quick read that you can check off your list any time, so try it out!

Those are all the books I have for you guys!

I hope something on this list has sparked your interest and I hope you’re staying warm in these cold and treacherous times. Thank you so much for reading and see you next time!

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My Top 7 Moments This Semester

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Hi everyone!

There are only a few days left of the semester (oh, how time flies!) and I’m well into my final papers along with getting ready for my final exams. In a week and a half, I’ll be headed back to New York once everything is done, and this is around the time I always feel super reflective about my semester. I tend to find myself looking back on some of my favorite moments before hopping on the plane home, so I figured I’d share those moments with you guys before I go home and tell my friends and family all about them too!

Getting Published

This HAS to be the most exciting part of my semester! This year, I was determined to start being published in magazines outside of the University of Iowa, and I’m proud to say that I’ve officially achieved that goal! This year, I have a piece published in Open Ceilings (a magazine that publishes out of UC Davis), and early next year, I have a fiction piece coming out in Litro magazine and a poem coming out in the upcoming issue of Moonbow magazine.

That being said, I still have so much love for the University of Iowa’s on-campus magazines and I’m happy to announce that I have a piece being published in the next issue of Fools magazine and two pieces being published in Wilder Things sometime in January of 2024. As an aspiring writer, these publications truly mean the world to me, and I’m excited to see where I go next year as I continue my journey to being published in more magazines across the country!

Moving into my First Apartment

Living in an apartment has been a whole new side of adulting that has had its ups and downs, but overall, I absolutely love it. My best friend, Sydney, and I killed it with living together this semester and our apartment has become such a fun place to stay, even if it can be unconventional at times. Whether it’s the time I couldn’t turn off the stoves, the time when the washer and dryer totally broke down on us, and even the time when we had to call the fire department to help us shut off the alarms in our building, living with Sydney has been an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to keep living with her for the next year and a half!

Traveling

This semester has been full to the brim with traveling. From Chicago to Omaha, to Breckenridge, I’ve gotten to see so much of the Midwest in just a couple of months. I’ll never forget watching Billie Eilish perform in front of a crowd of a hundred thousand people, the glowing jellyfish of the Henry Doorly Zoo, or the lush forests and towering mountains of Colorado. Every trip has been unique in its own way, and I hope to continue traveling in 2024 and exploring more places this country has to offer!

Seeing Brittany Broski LIVE

This is a bit niche, but I absolutely LOVED getting to see and hear Brittany Broski talk as one of our guest speakers for the semester. For those of you who don’t know, Brittany is a TikTok influencer, and she’s truly one of the funniest people I’ve ever seen live. Even though I ended up being in the very back of the room, I was belly laughing the entire show, and I know my friends and I had an amazing time seeing her talk.

Swae Lee’s Concert on the Pentacrest

In the same vein as seeing Brittany Broski, homecoming this year consisted of a concert with Swae Lee being the headliner! He absolutely rocked his performance, and me and my roommate were jumping up and down, singing, and laughing the whole show. It was incredible to hear the entire crowd of Hawkeyes singing “Sunflower” and I can honestly say that I’m a Swae Lee fan after seeing him perform in person.

Spending Quality Time with Friends

There isn’t an exact moment to pinpoint with my friends that I can say is a “top moment” for the semester because every minute with them is truly memorable. Even though they’re some of the busiest people I know, I love how often we prioritize getting together whether it’s just doing homework, celebrating birthdays, Halloween parties, or going to one another’s events, I’m so lucky to have friends that make the University of Iowa feel like home.

We still have a couple more semesters until we all graduate, and I can’t wait to see what we cook up in the next three semesters!

Celebrating my One-Year Anniversary with my Boyfriend

Speaking of meaningful relationships, this semester I officially celebrated my one-year anniversary with my boyfriend, Riley. We got dressed up, exchanged gifts, and got dinner at the Vue where we spent some much-needed quality time together and ate some delicious food! We’ve been through so much and it was a great night to be able to celebrate one another and how far we’ve both come in the past year.

I think those are my top seven moments this semester, and wow! They sure are memorable! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me in 2024 and don’t worry, I’ll be sure to take you all on that journey with me!

Thank you so much for reading my posts this year, and here’s to the new year! See you then!

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Not Going Home? Here’s Seven Things to Do in Iowa City Over Thanksgiving Break

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Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break and are prepared for the last couple weeks of the year! 2023 has flown by and I know I’m in desperate need of some family time before we move into 2024. For me and other far out-of-state students, family time usually happens in the middle of December after the end of the semester because we choose to stay in Iowa City rather than go home for Thanksgiving. Even though it can get a bit lonely, I’ve found that there are a bunch of things you can do to occupy the time, so here’s a quick list of things that I did over break to keep myself entertained!

Working on my Finals

I’m sure this is something that most students go home to avoid, but I for one really enjoy using my free time to work on future projects. With the deadlines a couple weeks away, I get to make a dent in my upcoming workload while also having control over how much I do. I would much rather make a small contribution to my workload during my break if it means that later on, I won’t have to stay up for 24 hours during finals week. Future me will thank me later!

If you’re also like me and don’t like the idea of being stressed out during finals, starting on your projects over Thanksgiving break is a great way to make finals week a little bit easier. Since everyone is gone, you’ll have no distractions and plenty of time to work!

Catching up on TV Shows

During school, I tend to have trouble balancing my schoolwork, social life, and the growing list of shows on my must-watch list. But Thanksgiving break is a perfect time to get back into those binge-watching sessions!

This year, me and my boyfriend have been watching Game of Thrones and we totally plowed through season 5 and half of season 6 over the course of the week. Binge-watching one of my favorite shows has forced me to take some much-needed rest time which I’m super grateful for as I prepare for the last leg of the semester.

Going to the Gym

Again, I know some people would rather sit around and relax, but the lack of students makes the rec center so empty! As someone who struggles to find gym time, I really wanted to prioritize taking care of my body this break and it was worth it! I felt like I had the massive rec center to myself, and I was able to use all the equipment I needed to complete my workouts as quickly as possible.

Even now, I’m still feeling a bit sore, but the ability to exercise is something I find myself taking for granted when I’m swamped with work, so it was nice being able to move around and get my stamina up before everyone came back from break.

Trying Out New Restaurants

If you’re a freshman or sophomore who ends up staying in Iowa City for Thanksgiving break, the dining halls usually close during the week, so you’ll have a great opportunity to try out new eating locations around the city. My boyfriend and I ended up going to Baroncini for his birthday (a pasta and pizza place) where we had the BEST pasta ever! It was truly worth it, even if it was a bit pricey.

At the very least, you’ll have some leftovers to take home, so why not try out some of our amazing local businesses here in the city!

A Trip to the Theater

Every Thanksgiving weekend, new and anticipated movies come out that become blockbuster hits! This year, the new Hunger Games prequel film was released, so, my boyfriend, his roommate, and I, all decided to head to the theaters and see it for ourselves (after we did an entire Hunger Games marathon, of course!)

There are two theaters in the Iowa City area, so if you’re a big movie fan and want to do something different for the night, watching a movie with friends is a great way to relax while on your break.

Prioritizing Hobbies

It can be really difficult while in school to keep up with your hobbies. However, Thanksgiving break is a great excuse to finally find that time to get back into them. For me, my creative writing projects always end up falling on the back burner, but I love being able to finally have time to work on the things I’m passionate about.

Whatever your hobby, Thanksgiving break is the perfect time to prioritize it again!

Black Friday Shopping

Whether you like to do it from the comfort of your bed or you prefer to go out and wait in lines, you can do both in Iowa City. Since the city is mostly local businesses run by Iowa alumni, I love being able to hop between the stores and support our local businesses in person! I’m a big clothing fan, so I love having my pick of clothing stores throughout the city.

If you’re a big Black Friday shopper like me, I’m sure Iowa City has some deals to die for!

Those are all the things that I end up doing over Thanksgiving break! I know it might not seem too eventful, but overall, I like to spend the time prioritizing myself whether it’s getting ahead on work, resting, or letting my creative juices flow. For me, that’s a break well spent, and I hope that this list gives you a couple ideas on how to take care of yourself as we move into the final few weeks of the year.

Thank you for reading and see you guys soon!

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A List of On-Campus Magazines at the University of Iowa

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Hey everyone!

For today’s blog post, I wanted to talk about something very near and dear to my heart: on-campus magazines! For me, being published and having worked on multiple magazines on campus has really influenced my time at the University of Iowa, and it’s helped me connect on a whole other level to the literary community. The magazines here have also given me a taste of the publishing industry (something that I’m interested in going into after graduation!). So, whether you’re interested in being an editor, getting your writing out into the world, or you’re just curious in general about Iowa magazines, I decided to compile a list of all the on-campus magazines at the University of Iowa, so you can see for yourself why Iowa is the best place for future writers and publishers!

Ink Lit Magazine

Ink Lit is considered the “first-year” magazine here on campus because the entire staff consists of first-year students! Their mission is to collect first-year and Ink Lit alum work to compile a magazine each semester. Even though the staff are newbies on campus, they’re given the necessary tools and guidance to guide them through this process, and those skills are retained to help them if they decide to work on other lit mags later in their college career.

During my freshman year, I was the Editor-in-Chief of Ink Lit and not only did it teach me how to support the mark of my staff, lead team meetings, and act as a liaison between editors and publishers, but it has served as a great stepping stone for my publishing journey so far. If you’re a first-year looking to get involved right away, this publication is a great first place to look!

earthwords Magazine

earthwords is the oldest literary magazine here on campus! Every year, they publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and art/photography, and it’s considered one of the most challenging magazines to be published in.

As a former Nonfiction Editor and now Managing Editor, I’ve gotten the opportunity to ascend with earthwords and I’ve loved every second of it! My duties now include assisting the current Editor-in-Chief, helping with events, promotional work, and everything in between. So much of my job is just the enjoyment of being in the literary community, so if you’re looking to work on the coolest magazine on campus, definitely check out earthwords!

Wilder Things

Wilder Things is one of our newest magazines on campus, yet it has truly made a name for itself!

This magazine stands out in the crowd because it only publishes speculative fiction pieces. These pieces could be fantasy, sci-fi, romance, comedy, mythos, and more! In the fall semester, they have a print issue magazine, while in the spring, they do a digital magazine where editors get the chance to workshop with the authors.

This publication holds such a special place in my heart since I love speculative fiction and it was also the first magazine to publish my work! As the years go on, the submission process continues to be more competitive, but I’m proud to say that I have two pieces coming out in their print issue this January! If you enjoy speculative work, this magazine is the magazine for you!

Snapshots

On a completely different note, Snapshots specializes in children’s literature. For those of you who enjoy writing stories for kids, or want to work with a staff that’ll be hands-on with local elementary schools and the children’s hospital, this is a fantastic magazine to work with. They’re still pretty new, but they’ve already made a claim for themselves across campus, and it’s a great way to get involved in the larger community as a whole.

Something I personally love about Snapshots is how they take artwork from local kids and use it as their magazine cover art! Such a cool touch that really makes them stand out on shelves, so look out for them and their upcoming issues!

Fools Magazine

Fools Magazine specializes in all things experimental. Whether it’s a short story formatted completely in bullet points, a poem that’s told in a circle, or a piece of art with color all over the place, this magazine will take it and run with it! So much of their focus is the work that goes into designing a magazine, so if you’re interested in working on a magazine where you can explore your own designer flair, this could be a great one to look into!

As of this year, I got my first publication in Fools, and I can’t wait to see what this issue looks like when it comes out sometime this winter.

New Moon

New Moon serves as one of our fastest publications here on campus, because every month, they only publish one page of work! Because they only have the front and back of a single page, they specialize in smaller poems and stories with tight word counts. Personally, I love seeing the vibrant cardstock paper all over Iowa City and being able to read the entire month’s issue front and back while I wait in line for my coffee!

If you’re interested in working on a magazine that’ll keep you busy every month, then New Moon is the magazine for you!

Boundless

Boundless is our translation magazine here on campus! The entire staff specializes in translating undergraduate works from English to Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, German, you name it! In my freshman year, I had a poem of mine published in Italian and it was so cool being connected with the editor and talking throughout the year about the meaning of my poem and how to properly translate it for the magazine.

They only take short pieces, but why not submit something and see where it goes? I know firsthand how cool it is to see your own words translated, so submit, submit, submit to Boundless!

Catharsis

Catharsis is our newest magazine on campus, and it specializes in all things nonfiction! Whether you have an essay, a memoir, or a creative nonfiction piece you want to share with campus, Catharsis will consider it for publication. They also have something called “Confessions” on their website where students can submit anonymous confessions that they’ve never told anyone. Super cool!

Their first print magazine comes out this year and I’m so excited to see all the wonderful student work that’s going to be published in their very first edition.

The Foundationalist

The Foundationalist is an intercollegiate literary journal that is co-run with students at the University of Iowa, Bowdoin College, and Yale University. Together, the entire staff collaborates to spread the word across the country and gather fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays to publish in their yearly journals.

They’re a smaller literary magazine here on campus and a bit harder to get into, but still worth submitting to if you have any extra work lying around!

Horizon Magazine

Horizon is a digital literary magazine on campus that specializes in pieces that center on the theme of joy and happiness! With so much sadness and grief in the world, Horizon is determined to publish pieces of hope and optimism, so if you have any pieces that bring you a lot of happiness, submit them to Horizon!

I was lucky enough to be published in one of their only print magazines and I definitely think they deserve more love, so go check them out!

Cave Writing Magazine

Cave Writing Magazine is another digital magazine that specializes in long-form fiction. For this publication, they’ll take chapters of your novel or work that is over 20+ pages (typically, magazines only want pieces under 15 pages!) and consider it for publication. They’ll take any genre, and it can be the very first chapter, the last chapter, or something plucked straight from the middle of your manuscript. Anything you’re proud of, Cave Writing will take a look!

If you don’t have a novel in the works, Cave Writing also does monthly prompts to help stir your imagination, so take a second to see if any new novel ideas come up from any of those!

Broken Clock

This last magazine on campus is called Broken Clock, and the theme of their publication is pieces about time. Whatever time means to you: lost time, killing time, or just being in the nick of time, as long as it fits the theme, Broken Clock will take a look!

Like most of the other magazines, they take any genre and are completely student-run, so take the leap of faith and see what they’re all about!

At last, we’ve reached the end of all the magazines here at the University of Iowa (for now, at least!). Something I love about this school is how many publishing opportunities and how diverse each magazine on campus is. There is truly something for everyone, so if you’re a writer looking to get published for the first time or an aspiring editor trying to get their foot in the door, the University of Iowa is the BEST place to begin that journey.

Who knows where it could take you!?

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A Trip to Scream Acres: The Haunted House of All Haunted Houses!!!

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Hi everyone!

We’re still well into the Halloween spirit here at the University of Iowa as the holiday is just around the corner! I know personally, I’ve finalized my outfits, and I’m praying that the accessories I ordered will make it in the mail just in the nick of time to celebrate!

While I’ve mentioned before how much I love dressing up, something else I love about Halloween besides the candy and costumes are haunted houses, and even though I don’t do them often, I’m always down to go with a group of friends. So, when one of my best friends, Faith, texted our group chat asking if anyone would be interested in doing one this month, I immediately said yes!

For those of you who don’t know, Scream Acres is in Atkins, Iowa (about a 40-minute drive from Iowa City) and it’s one of the best-known haunted house attractions in the entire state. It consists of four haunted houses, and one is outside in a cornfield maze! It’s 40$ per person, but I promise you, it’s totally worth the money!!!

On Friday the 13th (yes, we literally planned to go on that specific date!), seven of my friends and I piled into two cars and made the trek over to Atkins. This specific night was insanely rainy, and I remember feeling like we wouldn’t make it by how fast the rain was coming down. Luckily, my friend, Nich, is an excellent driver and he plowed us through the interstate until we took a right turn off of it.

From there, the last fifteen minutes of the drive really put us in an eerie mood. To get to Scream Acres, we had to drive past miles of cornfields and abandoned farms. There were no lights or life to be seen. It was just our cars and the darkness for what felt like an eternity until, at last, we turned into a cornfield with a handful of massive lights illuminating something in the center. Literally, in the middle of nowhere, Scream Acres stood.

We quickly parked the car, zipped up our raincoats, and made our way inside. Besides having four haunted houses to explore, Scream Acres also had some pop-up places to eat and a marketplace with sweet treats and souvenirs (before we left, I couldn’t help but buy a couple homemade apple cinnamon donuts which were delicious!) We did that to bide the time until our group was called, and when we were called, we were finally able to get in line for the first haunted house.

During the car ride, we theorized who would be the person to lead our group through the haunted house. A couple of my friends made claims it would be me and I agreed, so long as I didn’t go first into the haunted house called Slaughterhouse. Of course, that’s exactly what happened, and I hauled my friend Faith up to the front with me as we ascended the stairs.

Even though the actors aren’t allowed to touch you, that didn’t stop them from getting pretty close! Very early on in Slaughterhouse, Faith and I took off screaming as an actor with a chainsaw came barreling toward us. It was terrifying! Not to mention that the blood and gore inside looked so realistic, and the twists and turns of the house were really easy to get lost in. Luckily, we all made it out in one piece and headed to the next stop.

The next house was called Carnival, and for this house, we got special 3D glasses that made the walls of the house waver and pop as you walked through. This was super cool in theory, but it made the experience ten times scarier when real people would pop out of their hiding places to scare you. Luckily, I didn’t go first for this house, but I am ashamed to say that I was scared out of my mind when a couple holograms (yes, holograms) popped up out of nowhere. For me, that was wayyy scarier than any of the actors!!!

The next house was called Cell Block Z which was zombie-themed. I braved going first again for this one which was a big mistake! The zombie actors chased after you, crawled on their hands and knees, and screamed at you from hidden shadows along the jail cells. It was equally as terrifying as the last two and I went running out of the house absolutely terrified, but still grinning from ear to ear.

Because of the rain, the park ended up closing the cornfield (I was sooo disappointed since this was the one I was most excited about!), so instead, we got to go inside another one of the houses we had already gone through. My friends and I decided to go through Slaughterhouse again which was just as scary as the first time, especially because at the very end, a massive guy with a machete came out of nowhere to chase me and my friends. Just the sound of the blade scraping against the ground was enough to send us running!

Overall, though, it was a fitting end to a great night!

Tired, wet, and thirsty, we got some hot cocoa, warmed up inside, and bought some homemade food at the marketplace before going back to our cars. I was exhausted, soaking wet, and mud-slicked, but I hadn’t had so much fun in a long time. I remember turning to my friend, Faith, and telling her that we have to do this again next year which seriously cannot come fast enough!

For those of you who want to do something fun this holiday season with your friends, I would definitely recommend heading over to Scream Acres for a night. It’s scary, fast-paced, and an overall blast, and I hope that you have just as much fun as I did if you decide to make the trip out there!

Good luck and Happy Halloween!!!

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Halloween Costumes I’m Dying to See This Year (2023)

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Hi everyone!

I can’t believe we’re halfway through the semester! While being an English and creative writing major does exempt me from grueling midterms, I do have a few papers and assignments calling my name from the near-distant future that I’m not ready for. That being said, I know something that I’m looking forward to (and I’m sure other students can agree!) is one of my favorite holidays: Halloween!!!

There’s always something to do in Iowa City during Halloween which gives me the chance to wear multiple costumes; literally one for every occasion. I know I might be alone in the sentiment of having too many costume ideas, but overall, figuring out what to wear can be pretty hard (not to mention expensive!). As someone who plans on using things from my closet to assist me this holiday season, here are some ideas that I didn’t go with, but might be the costume for you!

Hopefully, if you’re a UIowa student scrambling for ideas, I see you wearing this costume around campus!

Anything and Everything Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm and with it, she’s given us SO MANY MEMORABLE OUTFITS!!! As a Swiftie myself, I am so excited to see how many people dress up as her. Whether it’s a sparkly dress from her Eras tour, the white T-shirt and pajama pants from the Young Belong With Me music video, that jean dress she was recently photographed wearing at a dinner in NYC, or maybe one of her outfits from the Chiefs Games (bonus point if you make it a couple’s costume and get your boyfriend to be Travis Kelce!!!)

These costumes are not only recognizable but a great talking conversation topic for you and other Swifties hiding in plain sight! There are so many to choose from, so hopefully you’ll have something in your closet that’ll help you hone in on a single idea.

Barbie

I can imagine it now: seeing all the Barbies walking around and yelling out “Hi Barbie” as they pass by. Lots of pink and color and fun for you, your friends, and everyone else around you!

While the outfits from the movie might be expensive, you can always search for the different types of Barbie dolls and fashion your costume after one of those. Since you probably won’t be wearing a pink jumpsuit or a rainbow leotard again, this is a second option that might be more affordable for your bank account and still a lot of fun to play around with.

Bonus points if you get your boyfriend/guy friend to dress up as Ken or even Oppenheimer!!!

Characters from Popular TV Shows

This is always a safe bet if you’re willing to do a little shopping around to add a couple notable pieces to an already classic costume. If you’d like to go for something more recent, some ideas could be buying a floral corset to be a Bridgerton character, or a fur coat to be a member of Daisy Jones and the Six, or a dirty apron for The Bear, or some survival gear to dress up as Pedro Pascal from The Last of Us. 

All of these options are guaranteed to be fun, and they can act as a solo costume or a group costume. While they might take a little extra searching and buying to be perfect, it’ll definitely be worth it to see the full scope of the costume come to life before your eyes!

Never Before Seen Characters (Until Now)

Something else that I think is a massive hit on Halloween is dressing up as a character from a movie/show that hasn’t come out yet. It’s a bit of a gamble but could work sooo well if enough people are also anticipating the film and if that film becomes a hit!

Some notable ones for this Halloween season could be Priscilla and Elvis from the upcoming movie, Priscilla. Or maybe you could go as Lucy Grey or a young President Snow from Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Or maybe you want to do something a bit easier, but just as iconic, like an orange T-shirt to be Percy Jackson from the new TV show coming out!!!

Looking ahead at some upcoming shows and movies could be great for costume ideas and will definitely make you stand out in the crowd if you decide to go with them.

Iconic Celeb Moments

Sort of going off of Taylor Swift, dressing up as celebrities is also a great choice for costumes. Some memorable and recognizable moments from this past year could be a pregnant Rihanna performing at the Superbowl, Olivia Rodrigo’s bloodstained white dress from Vampire, Beyonce’s bee fit from her Renaissance tour (get a friend to be Blue Ivy!), the dancers from the popular music video, Back on 74, and if you want to go the silly route, maybe Hailey and Justin Bieber (specifically the photo of her with the red dress and him in the grey sweatshirt and yellow crocs!)

Personally, I’ve never gone as a celeb for Halloween, but this list is making me think that I should!

Niche Advertisement Characters

This might be a bit strange but hear me out. If you’re going for something unique and easy, why not go as your favorite advertisement character? Some ideas could be Jake from State Farm, Flo from Progressive, the owl from Duolingo, Kool-Aid man, you name it! Just watching some commercials while you wait for your show to come back on could give you some ideas on what to do this holiday season! While it might take a bit of creativity and spending, costumes like this are sure to stand out and be an all-time favorite if you put in the work!

That’s all I have for Halloween costumes! I hope this short list gave you some ideas or places to look in order to come up with the perfect costume this holiday.

Enjoy the spooky season and talk to you guys soon!

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10 Books I Read This Summer

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Hi everyone!

We’re right on the cusp of that cool, crisp weather as fall officially begins. Like many other students, I’m ready to whip out my sweaters, get a seasoned drink at my favorite coffee shop, and curl up on the couch to read a good book (assuming I have a bit of extra time in between my homework and my own creative endeavors!). I know from experience that reading for pleasure can be hard when you’re being swarmed with classes, but for those of you who are looking for some recommendations, you’re in the right place!

Here’s a short list of books with a little bit of everything!

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Starting off strong, here’s a novel I absolutely loved. It’s a standalone and an easy read for those of you who want something that’ll wrap up at the very end. Also, the writer is an Iowa alum! Something to note about this novel is that while it is fiction, it reads like nonfiction because it’s formatted as a father’s letters to his son.

The novel follows John Ames, a revered in town, as he writes a handful of letters to his young son before he passes away. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and the novel unpacks themes of fatherhood, faith, life, and death in such a gentle way that makes you want to cry by the very end (a good cry, of course!) Even as someone who didn’t grow up religious, I would definitely recommend this novel because of the way it portrays the beauty of religion and the impact it can make on individuals.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

An all-time classic! This is the first Toni Morrison novel I’ve ever read, and it was stunning! The way that Morrison builds the story and pulls it all together at the very end is incredible. This novel really does keep you on your toes, only to hit you with plot twist after plot twist after plot twist! It’s not as easy of a read as Gilead, but it’s a classic story that everyone should pick up once in their life.

The novel follows a black woman named Sethe and her dysfunctional family in the aftermath of the Civil War. Each character grapples with the trauma of slavery alongside an evil spirit that has overtaken their home.

Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear

A complete 180, here’s a young adult novel with a twist on the story of Medusa and her sisters before and after they’re transformed into Gorgons. People who grew up on Percy Jackson or are fans of Circe and Song of Achilles would love this novel! It’s a standalone, character-driven, and emotional rollercoaster that doesn’t let you go from start to finish. It definitely changed my view on Medusa and her sisters and now, I doubt I’ll ever see them the same again.

Those of you still in your Greek mythology phase (or just never left it like me!), go pick this one up!

 Lightlark by Alex Aster

Even though this young adult novel has been on the best-sellers list for many weeks, it was (unfortunately) my least favorite on the list. The plot, characters, and worldbuilding were a bit weak and I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance. But even though it wasn’t for me, maybe it’s the novel for you!

The story follows Isla, a ruler who must compete to save her kingdom, and if she doesn’t win, she risks losing everything, including her life. For those of you curious to know if it’s a hit or a miss, pick this one up and give it a go!

Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway

Switching gears again, here’s a nonfiction memoir that feels like a gut punch.

The story follows a young Natasha and her perspective on her mother’s life as she watches her move through womanhood, being a black woman in the segregated south, and being trapped in an abusive relationship that eventually kills her. It’s a short novel, but every chapter is more emotional than the last. If you’re looking for a novel that really hones in on the struggles of being a black woman and domestic abuse, this is a heavier choice, but a great one, nonetheless.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

I’ve been slowly trudging along with the Throne of Glass series, and I swear, each book keeps getting better and better! This time around, I did something called a tandem read which is where I read two books in the series at the same time and switch books every couple chapters. It honestly made the reading so much faster, and it was so cool seeing the timeline of everything through the perspectives of soooo many different characters.

No spoilers of course, but Empire of Storms is a massive novel with a heart-wrenching ending that had me bawling my eyes out! I guess I have a habit of choosing emotional books!

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

This was the second novel I read in the tandem read. From the Throne of Glass fandom, I know this is often a book that most readers skip since it doesn’t follow the main female character but rather, one of the leading male characters. I agree that the pacing is a bit slow (which is why the tandem read is so helpful!), but I think Maas did some of her best character work in this novel.

Each of the characters’ developments are amazing and reading from their perspectives opened up more depth and understanding. This novel did a great job of examining the trauma of the four previous books and the process of healing. If you’re one of those people who stopped halfway, I would definitely pick this book up again. I promise it’s worth it!

Cake Eater by Allyson Dahlin

One of my top reads of the year! I actually got to work with Allyson and her agents which was so cool and yes, I was geeking out the whole time! This is Allyson’s debut standalone novel and it’s a retelling of Marie Antoinette if it was set 150 years in the future and if she was a social media influencer marrying the crown prince. It’s an adorable read and the romance is to die for! Unsurprisingly, I also cried at the end of this book too!

If you’re looking for a young adult novel that makes its own twists and turns on history, then this novel is for you!

The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One by Amanda Lovelace

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you poetry lovers! Here’s a feminist poetry collection that speaks on female rage, resilience, and everything supernatural. It’s a breeze to get through and each poem is so incredibly powerful. I have so many verses underlined and circled because of the visceral reactions it gave me.

This narrator is angry beyond compare and every page only makes you angrier with her. If this poetry collection sounds like something you’d be interested in, check her out!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Ending with a classic!

Yes, I finally read Pride and Prejudice for the very first time. I’ve only ever seen the story play out on stage, but nothing beats reading Elizabeth and Darcy’s love story on the page. So many more scenes and depth came out of the original text, and I was swooning every other chapter. It’s definitely another novel I’d recommend to romance lovers.

After all, you can’t love romance books without loving the original love story!

Those are some of the recommendations I have for you guys! I hope some of these books made it onto your future reading list and that you’ll be able to enjoy them just as much as I did.

Enjoy the reading and talk to you guys soon.

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Lollapalooza: What Happens When a Hawkeye Takes on the Biggest Music Festival in the Country!

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Hi everyone!

I hope September is treating you well! Over here at the University of Iowa, we’re well into the swing of things and if they haven’t already, classes are starting to steadily pick up as the first month comes to a close. As you can see from the title of this article, I’m still a bit in denial about the end of the summer and need one more time to reminisce about one of the coolest things I’ve ever done… attending Lollapalooza!

For those of you who don’t know what Lollapalooza is, it’s a 4-day music festival that takes place in the heart of Chicago. Decked out with six massive stages, hundreds of food vendors, bedazzled outfits, and yes, lots and lots of music to share, Lollapalooza is Chicago’s event of the summer with hundreds of thousands of participants each year. Considering it’s only a 3-and-a-half-hour drive from Iowa City to Chicago, a lot of Hawkeyes tend to make the trek into the windy city to celebrate their favorite musicians and artists before the school year officially starts.

But before I take you to the actual festival, let me tell you how I bought the tickets on a complete whim!

Back in March, I was sitting with my boyfriend, Riley, in his dorm room and scrolling through Instagram when the official line-up for the festival popped up on my feed. Some of the headliners included Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and Lana Del Rey, and I nudged my boyfriend to show him. Together, we combed through the rest of the artists and gasped in delight at some of the names we saw. After a while, I joked with him and said, “With this lineup, I’d definitely go to Lollapalooza,” and he looked back at me and replied with a smile, “Let’s do it then.”

A couple weeks later, I found myself in Catlett dining hall, eating pancakes, and hovering over my laptop minutes before the ticket portal opened up. Fifteen minutes later, and I left Catlett with two tickets in tow and a smile from ear to ear.

It was official… I was going to see some of my favorite artists perform all in the span of four days.

Over the course of the next couple of months, Riley and I quickly found an Airbnb, reserved parking, and panicked over our outfits (okay, maybe I was the only one panicking about my outfits), and the next thing I knew, I was flying back to Iowa City and two days after that, heading to Chicago. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I did know that it would be the experience of a lifetime!

Thursday

Riley and I knew pretty early on that it was not physically possible to arrive at the festival every day at noon and leave at 10 p.m. for four days straight. That was just too much on our bodies and I’m glad we saw the importance of rest during those long days.

So, for the first day, we arrived at the festival at around 4:00 p.m., and from there, the first performance we saw was a K-pop girl group called NewJeans. It happened to be the group’s official USA debut and they absolutely nailed it on stage! It’s been over a month since we’ve gone, and I still catch Riley listening to their songs because of how catchy they are!

Next, me and Riley decided to skip out on some other artists to check out the food vendors. I ended up getting this rice bowl that I devoured in two seconds flat, and after that, we made our way to the stage where Billie Eilish would be performing. We decided to get there two hours early to get good spots to see her and we quickly found ourselves in the heart of the crowd and an estimated 50 rows from the front of the stage. Pretty good if you ask me!

But before I continue, I have to emphasize something so important for any of you who plan to go to Lollapalooza or any festival in the near future. This festival takes place at the beginning of August with 90-degree weather and stuffy crowds, so things get hot very, very quickly, which is why you need to be hydrated! Always have water on hand and make sure you’re eating well. Riley and I knew this going in and ended up being fine the entire festival, but there were so many people who had to leave the crowd because they were getting lightheaded and starting to pass out. It’s super scary, so please be careful and take care of yourself!

Luckily, Billie came out on time and absolutely killed her performance! It was by far one of the best sets I saw all weekend and she even played her new song, “What Was I Made For” from the Barbie movie! I’m not going to lie that I was literally in tears and would definitely see her in concert again someday.

Overall, Thursday was a great kick-off for the rest of the weekend!

Friday

Riley and I got up super early because Friday was jam-packed with artists we wanted to see.

We arrived at the gates at noon to see Hemlocke Springs, a new indie artist who only has a couple songs out. I was ecstatic when we got front-row seats to her performance, and she announced that she had only ever performed two other times in front of a crowd! Even though she was clearly a bit nervous, she had a great show and was super relatable the whole way through.

Next, we grabbed some snacks and then headed to the next stage to wait for a group called Peach Pit. Because we got there so early, we were able to get front-row seats for them as well and they had amazing energy. The lead singer even crowd surfed which was so entertaining and hectic to watch, even though they had more laidback music.

Afterwards, Riley and I kept our spots in the front row to wait for Sabrina Carpenter who would be performing at the same stage in an hour. The wait was long, hot, and sweaty, but totally worth it when she came out and started singing her hit song, “Feather.” I’ve been a fan of Sabrina’s for a long time, so I was having the time of my life singing her songs and jumping around to the music. Even Riley was surprised by how infectious her stage presence was! She finished her performance way too soon and from there, me and Riley was left to go find a good spot to watch Kendrick Lamar’s performance.

Because of Billie’s performance the previous day, we knew that we didn’t want to be on the ground level, so we decided to find a spot up high where we’d be able to see Kendrick’s full performance. Close to his stage was a small hill where we ended up standing with a few other people and held our ground for two hours as we waited for Kendrick to come on.

The crowd was packed, shoulder-to-shoulder, and super-hot which made the wait unbearable. I remember being so exhausted and my contact lenses were killing me, but I pushed through it for his performance. In the end, being able to see one of the greatest rappers of all time was the experience of a lifetime along with singing “Money Trees,” Humble,” and “King Kunta” with a massive crowd of thousands. It was an unforgettable performance, but the best part of the day was getting to go home with McDonald’s and finally going to sleep.

Saturday

For the third day, Riley and I didn’t have any artists we wanted to see until 4:00 p.m., so we decided to get some much-needed rest and relaxation during the morning. But things took a turn for the worse when we got into the car, ready to get there a bit early to try out some more food places, and Riley’s car wouldn’t start.

Immediately, I started to panic.

We were in the middle of Chicago, parked on the side of the road, and we still had to go home in two days. The excitement of the festival vanished, and I’m embarrassed to say that I did start crying. This moment was a nice reminder of why I’m dating my boyfriend though, ever the calm to my storm, who calmed me down and made arrangements for the car to be towed to the closest repair shop which, luckily for us, was only three blocks away. The tow truck came in twenty minutes, and they told us they needed an hour to fix it. Even though there was a chance we’d miss the first performer of the day, Suki Waterhouse, I decided that having the car was more important than seeing one of the artists I was most excited to see, so we opted to wait in a nearby coffee shop. By that point, I was just grateful to sit down and have a nice cup of coffee!

But then, I guess fate was on my side because the repair guys ended up fixing the car in fifteen minutes and before we knew it, we were headed back to the festival! We parked, rushed through security, and raced to Suki with only five minutes before she started her set! Looking back on it now, I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. She played new music, did a Taylor Swift cover, and nailed her hit songs. Seeing her action was totally worth it.

The next artist we went to see was JID and I’ll admit that I was a bit overwhelmed with the large crowd forming. Riley and I had managed to be about five rows from the front of the stage, and this was the first time I had ever been in a moshing crowd waiting for a rapper. It definitely felt different from the crowds I was used to for my own pop and indie artists, and I decided to trust my gut with what I could handle. This was a moment I was really proud of knowing my boundaries and recognizing that it’s okay to not be in the very front of the stage to have a great time. So, I decided to let Riley stay in the crowd and I went to our meeting spot to watch the performance from high up.

JID was an incredible performer and while I know for sure I wouldn’t have liked the moshing; I was in awe of his stage presence and the flow of his songs. I know Riley also had a great time because when we met up, he was smiling from ear to ear and dripping with sweat with how much jumping around he had been doing.

After we met up, Riley and I grabbed dinner and went to see Pusha T. His stage was filled with EDM lights and sound booms which really brought out the hype as he rapped some of his greatest hits. We left his performance a bit early though to return to our Airbnb and prep for the very last day.

Sunday

When we planned out our trip, Riley and I knew that Sunday would definitely be the most grueling day out of the four. Not only did we have to wake up early to be at the gates at noon after three exhausting days, but we also had the most artists we planned to see all on Sunday. I was super excited though because one of my favorite indie-pop artists of all time, Sarah Kinsley, was playing and we got front-row seats to her set! I was literally bawling my eyes out when she sang “The King” and I’m glad Riley had my phone to take all my videos for me because I was such a mess!

After I was done crying my eyes out, we watched Lil Yachty’s performance from afar while we waited for Joey Badass, who is one of Riley’s favorite artists. We managed to get the front row for his set and towards the end of the performance, he brought out Chance the Rapper! The crowd went absolutely crazy and while I was terrified with all the moshing, I survived it!

Immediately afterward, we raced to the next stage and made it just in time for the Backseat Lovers and we got to listen to them play all our favorite songs. And at last, for the final performance of the festival, we headed to Lana Del Rey just in time to hear her play some of her biggest hits like “Summertime Sadness” and “Young and Beautiful.” We left before she ended her performance, but she truly marked a great finale to our four-day trip.

The very next day, Riley and I headed back to Iowa City. We were sore, bone-tired, and a little cranky, but we agreed that Lollapalooza was one of the coolest things either of us had ever done and we also agreed that if the line-up was top-tier again next year, we would definitely be going back!

If you’re debating on spending the money to go to Lolla, I would definitely recommend it to any music lovers out there. Just make sure you’re hydrated, eat well, follow your gut, and have as much fun as possible!

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