Over Easter weekend, Swedish House Mafia released a new album for the first time in a decade. Needless to say, I am ecstatic!  

Last year they announced they would be performing at Coachella after the festival posted on their social media channels a photo of three figures in the desert with the famous DJ group’s logo. Previously this year I almost planned to go to Coachella with my friend that attends Southern Cal but I decided against it. However, it would have been incredible to listen to this new album for the first time live. The album is titled Paradise Again, hinting at their return and the contents of the album’s ethereal qualities and references to heaven. 

My favorite songs off the album are “Home,” “Lifetime,” “Don’t Go Mad,” “Heaven Takes You Home,” and “For You.” The return of Swedish House Mafia breaks away from their previous songs like “Greyhound” and “Don’t Worry Child.” A bit more of a calmer style while still maintaining purposeful beats makes for a refined sound with very few lyrics. The group also brought on artists such as Tyga, The Weekend, and ASAP Rocky for the album. The Weeknd even participated in their Coachella performance, singing the song “Moth To A Flame.” While the group maintains the element to dance on their album, the calming qualities of many of the songs are refreshing, together creating a transcendent feeling that makes many of the songs feel as though they are the backing for a movie.  

The final song on the album is appropriately titled, “For You,” an obvious nod to their fans’ influence over their return. In their performance, they acknowledged that after leaving the group a decade ago they were brought back together to make more music for their fans. Even though I couldn’t see them at Coachella, I look forward to seeing them at some point on their tour over the next few months.

Spring break is almost here and vacation has been on my mind, especially the idea of finding a vacation every day. While I wish this meant living in a tropical oasis it does not. I do think living in a getaway destination is an easy solution to this mindset.  However, that is not a reality for me at the moment, maybe one day.

This idea is about taking time to enjoy your surroundings and getting away from the noise of every day. Whether it’s going on a walk, getting some fresh air, or treating your skincare like a spa, these are all moments to breathe and appreciate our surroundings. North Carolina is finally entering spring and warming up, therefore I have fully embraced the vacation mindset by living on my porch and reading. I just finished Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan and am starting The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.  I will be writing a blog post about Dorian Gray, I love seeing if classics are truly worth the hype. 

Reading on my porch was something I did every day in the fall, taking time in the morning to get outside and do something I enjoyed instead of hitting the snooze button 100 times set the tone for my day. I was creating my own little vacation before winter set in and upon learning of what an everyday vacation is I realized how much I missed mine.  I am not going to tell you that this had a profound impact on my life but it was enjoyable and looking back it made my days better. I had all the makings of a great vacation: sun, fresh air, a good book, and people watching.  The disappearance of my daily vacation left me craving time for myself that I was no longer prioritizing. That is really what the notion of a daily vacation is, taking time for yourself to slow down and cherish your surroundings. Now that I have written this I will be getting back to my mini-vacation as I look forward to spring break and I encourage you to start making a mini-vacation for yourself.

Covid slowed down my life majorly, as it did for all of us. My focus and appreciation for the little things around me grew with the slower pace. More time allotted me the ability to hone in on small things that brought me great joy, like reading outside, making charcuterie boards, and treating myself to fresh flowers. These are all simple pleasures in my life.

The greatest simple pleasure is buying flowers for the week – why wait on someone to buy me flowers when I can do it myself? Receiving flowers is lovely when they are from someone else so why not grant myself the same gesture? Posting my flowers each week has become the norm on my Instagram. This simple joy is easily obtainable thanks to my dedication to shopping at Trader Joe’s and their consistent $3.99 mini bouquets that never cease to impress.

They brighten the room and most importantly my mood. During finals in the fall, I splurged beyond the mini bouquet for full size. Writing several papers and studying media law made the joy that flowers bring me a necessity.

Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they are a simple thing I do for myself because I know they make me happy. As life picks back up, I am continuing to try to focus on simple pleasures in my life by continuing to go straight to the flower section when I go to Trader Joe’s.