The loves of my life
Very small things I love in a very big way
When my dog is in the middle of a particularly intense nap and her paws twitch like she’s playing piano in her dreams. Or when she’s just woken up and she looks at me with crooked whiskers. Or when she lets out little baby snores from her spot on the sofa. Maybe just my dog in general, actually.
Northeastern beaches. Specifically, northeastern beaches on cold and blustery days. The sea is the same shade of grey as the sky, waves crash against the rocks like white noise, and you can walk for miles and see just one or two other people. They’re always chilly and moody and dramatic, but they’re some of my favourite places in the world.
Diet Coke. Don’t feel I need to elaborate on this one.
How genuinely my mum believes anybody who isn’t my biggest fan is jealous. I could literally tell this woman that Beyoncé has a problem with me, and she’d tell me she’s probably just jealous. It is hilarious and earnest and adorable, and I do not take this for granted. There’s nothing in the world I’m more grateful for than her support.
Really massive (but thin) wine glasses.
Sleepovers as an adult. A while ago my friends and I realised that at some point we had our last sleepover without even noticing. Because we all have cars/money for Ubers/our own places to go back to, there isn’t really a need to sleep over anymore. But lying in the same bed as your bestie, wine drunk, talking absolute nonsense at 1am? Better than therapy. So, we’ve started an annual Christmas sleepover, and I think you should, too.
Chilli cheese bites. Disgustingly gooey, ultra-processed, spicy chilli cheese bites. Ideally from Burger King, but realistically, any kind is fine as long as they’re cheap and eaten with the tiniest amount of shame.
The SkyTonight app. I’ve gone hard on deleting as many apps as possible from my phone this year, but SkyTonight has earned a permanent place on my home screen and in my heart. It puts me in mind of the early days of iPhone apps — the ones that were interesting and pointless and fun. Basically, it’s an interactive map of the night sky. So if you happen to see a really bright star and think “I wonder if that’s a planet”, you just point your camera at it and SkyTonight will be like “yeah it’s Mars”. Revolutionary.
The sound of someone reading a physical book in a quiet room. That little scrape of paper as the page turns.
Leaving my phone in another room and taking an obscenely long, hot bath with a book. Actually, leaving my phone in another room and doing anything.
The moment after a long train journey when the train crosses the Tyne — just before it pulls into Newcastle station. More specifically, the moment all the bridges come into view across The Quayside. Bonus points if it’s kind of dusky/sunset vibes. Extra bonus points if I’m on the way back from London at the time.
About The Content Girl
Opinions, insights, and the occasional marketing musing from a professional Content Writer giving writing in her own voice a go. You can expect:
Commentary on pop-culture/regular culture and the like
Insights/tips/information around professional Content Writing/Marketing and Digital Marketing
Personal essays (I’ll try to make these not insufferable, I swear)
Book reviews, recommendations, and roundups
The odd piece of flash fiction
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Why does trying feel inherently cringe?
Here’s a confession. Typing it makes me feel sick, but you’ll probably not really have any strong feelings about it either way: I have been quiet on Substack recently because I’ve been working on a novel.
Mum's being delusionally supportive of us >>>
Loved this, super heart-warming!!!
Loved everything about this! I'm from the US but my BFs family is from Newcastle and we have visited a lot. I know exactly that feeling :)