July 2024

Jul 31, 2024

Welcome to Sending Smiles. I am delighted that you are taking time out of your day to be here.

Happy one year anniversary of Sending Smiles. In June 2023, I felt adrift. I was enjoying my temp job, but knew that it had an expiration date. I loved being surrounded by loved ones, but I did not have any intention settling down. I knew that my next chapter was soon, with no foreshadowing. In July 2023, I joined Substack, which pushed me to write more consistently. One year later, and I have never felt more in tune with my thoughts, feelings, and desires. Writing has helped me reconnect with myself again. My relationships, internally and externally, are strong. I would not be here without my Substack community. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking this journey with me.

Always remember, you are whole and worthy of unconditional love.

Binge Listens

Binge Watch

Television shows and movies that I rated 4-5 stars.

The Parent Trap

Streaming Service: Disney +

Genre: Kids

“You didn’t come after me.”

“I didn’t know you wanted me to.

Identical twins Annie and Hallie, separated at birth and raised on opposite sides of the world coincidentally meet at summer camp and device a plan to reunite their long-lost parents.

Most of the media featured on Sending Smiles are pieces that I consumed for the first time. I was in first grade when I last watched The Parent Trap… so enough time had passed. Young Lindsay Lohan’s adorable British accent is guaranteed to put a smile on anybody’s face. Femme fatal Meredith Blake’s mannerisms are ridiculous enough that I could not help enjoying her villanous character. This movie is a wholesome summer escape!

We Ride at Dawn

Streaming Service: Netflix

Genre: Stand up comedy

“We look like pilgrims with pails [referencing Stanley Cups]. Walking around, it’s like You work from home Stephanie. You’re not walking the Oregon Trail.”

Hannah Berner’s Netflix special We Ride at Dawn humerously explores her life with dating, relationships, and navigating the world as a woman.

I have been listening to best friends Hannah Berner and Paige Desorbo wish for this special on their podcast Giggly Squad for two years. You can only imagine my excitement when I received the Netflix notification announcing the show. I was moved to tears when she walked on stage. She beams! She glows! She was born to make people laugh. I, personally, was laughing so hard that my Mom had to check on me. Hannah normalizes struggles that women face by talking about taboo topics in a witty way. I feel empowered listening to Hannah. Play this at your next girl’s night!

What television shows or movies did you enjoy this July?

Binge Read

Books and essays that I rated 4-5 stars.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

Genre: Fiction

“In that mass extinction, perhaps they recognized their own mortality. Even so, based on personal experience, I can tell you one thing about humans: they will react to the disappearance of a species the way they react to everything else- by putting themselves at the center of the universe.”

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak explores the enduring impact of secrets and the intertwining lives of a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot family amidst the backdrop of Cyprus’ tumultuous history.

I have a rule for myself when it comes to books…if it is written by Elif Shafak, then I have to read it. So, when I stumbled across Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees at Target one fateful evening, I had to put it in my cart. Those are the rules! I felt like I was in Cyprus and London because of Shafak’s rich world building. Admittedly, I did not know much about Cyprus’ history, but that changed after reading this book. This novel switches between past and present, showing the affects of 1970s Cyprus on 2010s Cyprus. One of the narrators is a Fig Tree, personified with wise and loving traits. The Fig Tree is my favorite character. Shafak’s stories always end with a heart warming twist, and The Island of Missing Trees was no exception. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys beautifully-written stories.

What books did you read this July?