Dear Readers,

Settling into this fall semester—which just so happens to be my last at Brown—has me feeling both eager to barrel forward, and longing to stop and look back. It’s among the busiest times I’ve experienced here, not only in sheer schoolwork, but in my ongoing and all-consuming attempts to prepare for what happens after I go into the dreaded Real World. But between my grinding sessions at the Rock, and my panic sessions about how I’m not grinding enough, I sometimes feel a different kind of pressure. It feels more important now than ever to commit to memory where I am and who I’ve been here. Call me overly sentimental, but taking a break to just walk around campus, look at the vast collection of pictures I’ve taken with friends here, or visit my favorite Providence haunts is as big a part of my life this fall as completing my readings and researching graduate schools. This also means giving myself time to just be in this place where I’ve spent the past few years. I’m trying to appreciate the things I love doing here, down to the trivial hobbies and predilections, so I can be the fullest version of myself wherever I go next.

In this issue of post-, many of our writers also ponder ways to remember and remain themselves even while contending with external pressures. In this week’s Feature piece, Michelle grapples with the limited time we have, and how vital it is to be present with the people and things we love amidst a culture of bustling workaholism. In Narrative, Ana reflects on “filling your cup” in the face of productivity pressure, and Coco stops to look back (through her father’s eyes) on an unforgettable night in New York City. In Arts and Culture, Alyssa also remembers—in this case, growing up listening to Lorde’s coming-of-age album Pure Heroine—and Eleanor engages in careful self-reflection, inspired by Robert Lester Folsom’s “Situations.” Indigo urges research and respect for your study abroad country of choice in this week’s Lifestyle section, while Maria tells us how daily planner methods should organize and give, instead of drain, the time you spend in the present. Ina gives us both a comic that appreciates the sunlight in post-pourri, and a crossword that honors our furry/furries friends.

I’m struck by the mindfulness that the pieces in this week’s issue illustrate, whether it’s finding time to check in with yourself, or your surroundings, or your memories, or all of the above. As this semester continues to ramp up, I’m going to keep looking for moments to take my foot off the gas and look around. I hope this week’s issue of post- inspires you, dear reader, to do the same!

Stopping and Smelling the Roses (or whatever grows during fall),
Daniella Coyle
Lifestyle Managing Editor