In order to dispel my insomnia, I had to craft a nightly ritual that fed and soothed my running mind. Predictably, I turned to music, my eternal plane of comfort. Each night, usually around 12am I’d turn my lamp off, allowed my purple string lights to be the sole source of illumination save my lavender candle punctuating the air with calmness. Then, I’d open my laptop and scour the internet for a new album I had not yet heard. The discoveries I made in my nighttime dream world before sleep colored the entire strange summer. I fortuitously met bands such as Animal Collective, Bully, Galaxie 500, DJ Shadow, and Dinosaur Jr, to name a few. Prior to returning home to endure the pandemic in Long Island, I felt dissonant from myself. As someone who has always been individualistic and extremely passionate about music, art, books, and anything creative, living in a sorority house demurred my vibrancy. I suppose summer in my mind began mid-March, so the timeline begins there. I realized how futile it was to care what these girls thought as I didn’t even like them in the first place, so I dove headfirst into the magic of avant-garde music as well as acquainting myself with classics I should have listened to years ago. I finally felt reacquainted with my own inner world, the magic of music propelling every bit of healing. I started writing my own songs and researched fervently each day to expand my breadth of musical knowledge. I continue to indulge in this routine of mine, ensuring creativity in each day. I also started collecting vinyl again, as I often take a hiatus from its financial burden. But the best thing about collecting vinyl is that you can hug your favorite album!