Illustration of different pins on Pinterest, a lifestyle social media platform. I decided to spend a day living through my Pinterest boards ultimately trying to romanticize my life. Illustration by Alyson Sutherland.
As a high school student trying to figure out my next steps in life, I often find myself struggling to take time to engage in activities that make me feel good. I frequently overstimulate myself and cut out activities that bring me joy. However, this stops now. I want to start romanticizing my life, finding happiness in little things, and eventually finding a good balance between work and life.
I am a Pinterest fiend. I love it. Whenever I am needing to pass time, I will open up my phone and click the little red P icon as if it is muscle memory. I love how there is always something new to see and such a huge variety of pins. I personally have a total of 15 boards ranging from recipes I am wanting to try out to cute clothes I look at for inspiration. Whatever it may be, I often find myself wanting to live the lifestyle those that fill my Pinterest boards do, and what better time than now?
The first step to accomplishing my goal of romanticization was to plan my day out. I knew that I wanted to prioritize being in the moment and planning activities that I normally would push aside. After scrolling through my boards and getting a better idea of what tomorrow would look like before bed, I put my phone down and closed my eyes, dreaming of the amazing day ahead.
9 a.m. came before I knew it and my alarm started to ring. In my opinion, 9 is the perfect time, not too early where I feel annoyed at the fact that I’m up, but not too late where I have missed out on a big chunk of my day. Instead of automatically grabbing my phone and endlessly scrolling, I purposely picked up my current book and read until I felt energized to get up. Once I was out of bed, I made sure to pick an outfit that made me feel confident, which consisted of my favorite pair of jeans and a fun top, but of course since we live in Portland, it was covered up by a big puffy coat as we are still dealing with snowy showers. I then proceeded to put on some light makeup and journeyed over to our local coffee shop, Rain or Shine, where I ordered an iced vanilla latte accompanied by a sesame bagel with cream cheese. I couldn’t come up with a better morning if I tried!
Once I finished my morning coffee, I made my way home where I was greeted by Waldo, my very energized dog. Next on my agenda was a “hot girl walk,” and of course Waldo came along! We ventured up to Mt. Tabor, walking around the upper reservoir and taking in the gorgeous view of the city. Even on a cloudy day, it amazes me how pretty the views can be. Although the walk was refreshing, it didn’t last long as Waldo is a ten year old cancer patient with kidney disease and can’t sustain a lot of movement at once.
Next on my list was flowers. I swear every other Pin on my app consists of flowers. Something about a fresh bouquet always seems to make my day. I headed to Trader Joe’s not only because it’s the superior store, but also because they are proven to have the best flowers. I picked out some tulips (and Trader Joe’s takis because it’s not a Trader Joe’s trip without them) and headed back home to start on my next activity.
A big part of my Pinterest inspiration consists of pictures of aesthetic study sessions, and as a student, I constantly have homework and studying to do, making it a perfect opportunity to get some work done, including this article.
To kick off my evening, I started by putting all of my school work away and somewhat organizing my space in order to feel content. I am someone who feels at peace in neat environments; my perfect day would not be perfect if it did not include some aspect of cleaning. Once I am happy with how my surroundings are looking, it’s time to think about dinner. As I scroll through my food inspiration board, it consists of lots of pasta (pesto pasta to be exact), so that is exactly what I make. As I’m eating my pasta, I turn on one of my comfort shows, Gilmore Girls, and enjoy a few episodes before it is time to wind down for the night. I then get in a hot shower and continue with my night time routine, completing my six step skin care routine before I crawl into bed at 11 p.m., where I end my day just how I started it, reading.
As much as this was a perfect day and it allowed me to prioritize some of the activities I find joy in, I also realized the reality of life not always looking perfect. I think it’s always important to romanticize your life and find little things to incorporate into your day that brings you joy, but it’s also important to be realistic and know that not every day can be like your Pinterest boards. Social media, Pinterest specifically, can set unrealistic standards and ultimately cause toxic lifestyle behaviors when trying too hard to fit a certain aesthetic. It’s important to set boundaries and understand that not everything you see on social media is real. Just because one thing works for someone, doesn’t mean it will work for you, and that’s okay!
