summer diaries #2: travel diary — italy

16th May 202316th May 2023 maya rajesh16 Comments

This summer, we travelled to Italy. It was around 19 days of pure bliss: pizzas and gelatos, museums and sculptures and rich, rich culture. It’s unreal how many different people and places this world is home to; we seem to only know ours. Anyway, I write this the day after we landed back home (knowing life’s tendency to cascade into chaos) in the hopes that it’s coherent and does the trip justice.

Europe—with its lush green pastures, quaint towns and magnificent panoramic views—has always been one of those places you could spend ages in. Just taking it all in. Italy is the epitome of Europe’s fascinating beauty.

Italy just so happens to be one of those places where the place looks exactly like the pictures. No filter. It’s like someone copy-pasted their Pinterest board onto it. It is simply unbelievable—almost as though words aren’t quite enough to describe the place (but then again, they never quite suffice.) And that’s coming from someone who practically worships good literature.

We visited five gorgeous places + Vatican City and that’s how this post is divided. So before I digress: here’s Italy, through my eyes.

summer diaries #1: and yet, we march on || new beginnings & change 🌱

17th Apr 202317th Apr 2023 maya rajesh18 Comments

2023.

In all honesty, I’m still taking it in.

I kid you not, two weeks ago, at around 11 in the morning, I was updating my Goodreads and needed to change the ‘read’ date and on the dropdown menu, it read “April 1” and I went berserk. There is no way it’s already April. We’re already more than three months in.

Time never ceases to amaze me (as I’m sure anyone who knows me knows.) My friends and I have been in awe – freshman year of high school is already over. It seems like yesterday we were all nervous in that giddy-excited way, making our way through the gates, and seeing each other after summer break…

And we’re here. It’s summer again. Except I’m going to be a year older soon. And I feel myself trying to hold on to the memories, relish the moment but it’s like grasping for water: you have it for a moment, you feel the coolness on your skin, and just like that; it’s gone.

I write this a couple weeks after a terrorizing set of finals (you wouldn’t believe the relief) and my life just has all this empty space in it – it’s the perfect time for me to pick up a new project, or write some songs, or finish editing my draft… but I find myself unwilling to do something “productive.”

Because, after all, we all need a break sometimes don’t we? (aka, me trying to justify the fact that I haven’t posted since last year. Yes, I’m aware.)

summer diaries #1: and at last i see the light 🌄

26th Apr 202228th Apr 2022 maya rajesh37 Comments

When things are at the worst they can possibly get, there’s always this notion that washes over me, saying, “it can only get better from here,” and gosh… it has. The last few months have got me reminiscing, almost reliving early 2020 and I think we’re finally at the end of the tunnel (NOT jinxing anything! 🤞) But, regardless, I’ve been doing so much better especially since in my little corner of the world we welcomed summer a few days ago.

Also, I did manage to watch most of the Grammys as it was streamed and I am a little underwhelmed because I was actually rooting SOUR to with AOTY. It didn’t, though, even though it practically dominated the entirety of ’21 🤷. But I loved the Happier Than Ever performance (literal goosebumps) and Liv’s outfit paralleled Taylor’s from 2010 + she dropped her Grammy which was so funny. And that moment with the guy from BTS.

Anyway, this post is a welcome to summer, a recap of my year (so far) and a life update in general. To me, this spring/early summertime of the year has always represented hope 🌼. Biking down the streets of my town and seeing it come to life with the prettiest pink trumpet trees, and the pool opening up again (the swimming season is here,) it just feels a little bit like light. A much-needed life update:

summer diaries #4: a day in the life of a quaran-teen

23rd May 202117th Apr 2023 maya rajesh77 Comments

Hey everyone! This is the last Summer Diaries post this year, so I thought I’d do something special: A Day In My Life, but quarantined!! Every single picture you see in this post is mine (yes, I’m so proud of myself for that) so don’t use them (ask me and you most definitely can 😉

If you’re in the WordPress Reader, click here for the full experience!!

This isn’t something I usually do but since Pretty Little Scribbles is a lifestyle and review blog, I thought I’d expand my comfort zones and do a day in the life, but quarantine edition! The title idea goes to the lovely Lilly K on YouTube!

summer diaries #3: never have i ever…

9th May 202117th Apr 2023 maya rajesh50 Comments

Hey everyone! First off, I just wanted to thank you all because I just reached 100 followers on Pretty Little Scribbles! The past two weeks have been amazing, and I’ve discovered so many new bloggers, and I’m loving it!

Summer Diaries is a series I’m doing in my holidays and will chronicle my life over the next two months—what I’ve been reading, what I think about the second wave of the pandemic, and will include with some of my favourite literary analyses.

Today, we’re doing a character case study, and the Never Have I Ever Tag: book edition! Before we start, I would like to do something special for my first-ever milestone so, inspired by Poorwa’s blog I’m going to do a ‘reacting to assumptions’ round.