27 Thoughts for Turning 27

My birthday was a few days ago, but the blog is out now. Just like I've done the last couple of years, here's what you missed and what you might miss in the future if you don't pay attention:

1. The song I listened to most over the last year was "Bring Back My Dog" by This Is Lorelei. I listened to it 523 times. They were all this year. That's kind of boring since I've talked about it a bunch recently. Honestly, I've had kind of a hard time connecting with new (truly new or new to me) music, but Eric told me to listen to one of the new This Is Lorelei songs– expertly sold to me as having Bellows vibes– and I fell in love. Second place goes to "Waitress" by Hop Along. Just a good song.
2. My favorite show I went to in the last year was any of the times I saw Advance Base play. It might be the best thing about living in Chicago.
3. I lived alone this last year. It sucks and made me hate my job so much.
4. The best thing I ate in the last year was, once again, going 2 for 2, was popcorn in a movie theater.
5. The best thing I drank in the last year was a lemon lavender espresso tonic from Long Room.
6. My favorite episode of Endless Scroll, the podcast I co-host, was the one about the Dismemberment Plan.
7. I got a cat this year. She's biting my feet right now. Her name is Eleanor. She's named after "Hey Eleanor" by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.
8. I learned how to replace brake lights in my car.
9. I've lived in Chicago again for the last year and I feel like I can breathe again.
10. I walk to the hair salon I go to now. In Philly I used to have to take a trolley and a train or two trains to get to the salon I went to and I hated it.
11. I got a new couch and a bunch of other new furniture. I like it all very much.
12. I've got photos of my friends on my walls and notes from kind people I know from the internet on my fridge and I love to remember everybody when I look around.
13. My bedroom is entirely undecorated and I think it might be hurting my mental health.
14. I watched one of my childhood best friends get married last fall. Many more of the people I grew up with will be married soon. I think a lot about how much a younger version of myself would be resentful of that and of them. So often I'm my own worst enemy. Sad, really.
15. I realize I might be hard to be friends with because I am so slow to consider someone my friend and it makes it hard for me to feel comfortable initiating more friendship. Something to work on in my new year, I guess.
16. I watched my sister's boyfriend deep fry a turkey at Thanksgiving. It was the first time one of my sisters ever hosted. I'd never seen that before. I thought about what my future will look like. I wore my sister's clothes when we went out just the two of us.
17. I saw Joyce Manor play on new year's eve. I got upset that night, but I took photos I'd use in my blog posts and zines. A wash.
18. I went to Montrose Beach on new year's day. I felt calm. I took photos I'd use in my blog posts and zines. A positive.
19. I made the first issue of a magazine that I'm very proud of. I named it after a Joan of Arc album. Last month a publicist tried to introduce me to Tim Kinsella. I ran away to get a beer. Sorry.
20. I decided to like hockey in February and I went to a game with friends. The Avs beat the Chicago team. Obviously.
21. Shit got very weird with my internet social sphere. I hope that never happens again.
22. Houses got torn down next to my apartment and it made me desperately sad to see the half destroyed buildings with wallpaper and countertops and closets ripped in half for the world to see. Four histories gaping open like jagged wounds and then replaced by untamed overgrowth.
23. It's been nice to live near my family again. I went to Wisconsin with them and I'm going to my sister's birthday in the Ozarks and I'm going to the UP. I love the midwest.
24. I want to leave the country within the next year. Not sure where I want to go, but that's my goal.
25. The first song I heard as a 27 year old was "Tastes Just Like It Cost" by MJ Lenderman.
26. I'm single. I think I'd like to be for a while.
27. 26 was tough, but not all bad. Another year. It's fine.

12 photos for 12 months of the year.

Miranda Reinert is a music adjacent writer, zine maker, podcaster and law school drop out based in Chicago. Follow me on Twitter or Instagram for more waxing poetic about self publishing: @mirandareinert.  This blog does have a paid option and I would so appreciate any money you would be willing to throw me! You may also send me small bits of money at @miranda-reinert on venmo/on Paypal if you want. As always, thanks for reading!