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Anyone who knows me is aware that if I’m not in the comforts of my mouse-infested DeWolfe dorm or encompassed by the deafening silence of my thoughts in Lamont, I can be found cycling through Taylor Swift’s entire discography. To pay homage to Taylor being my #1 artist on Spotify Wrapped for the thousandth year in a row, I present a series of each month of my year: Taylor Swift edition.
1. January: “Fearless”
After at least five years of refusing to go skiing because of my fear of getting injured, I finally felt the power of the mantra “new year, new me”… simply put, I was “fearless!” Diving ski-first on the slopes at Deer Valley, I glided down as fast as I could, feeling the breeze of the cold air whoosh past my face.
2. February: “Enchanted”
Most people associate February with Valentine’s Day. Donned in pink, I spent this day in part with my girlfriends, but mostly with my boyfriend. Whether single or taken, everyone is sure to have felt the “enchanted” feeling of meeting someone who makes your heart skip a beat.
3. March: “Wildest Dreams”
March marks one of the most momentous times of freshman year: River Run and Housing Day. The days leading up to those events were full of extreme anticipation as my blockmates and I prayed to the housing gods not to be quadded. On the night of River Run, I inadvertently set off a fire alarm at Mather House. Despite this, never in my “wildest dreams” would I have imagined getting Mather the next day.
4. April: “Forever & Always”
This month was brimming with coping mechanisms as I realized that my first year of college was coming to a close and that I would soon be back home for the summer. I also had to come to terms with the fact that I would be a Matherite “forever & always,” while my linkmates could live in the luxury of the newly-renovated Dunster House.
5. May: “Bejeweled”
In freshman fall, I — an eager-eyed student — only dreamed of partaking in the irony of formal season during reading period. Finally, I had my chance! I was certainly “bejeweled” as I bounced from dance to dance.
6. June: “the last great american dynasty”
While home, I was no longer surrounded by the laughter of my roommates and had no obligation to complete any course work. As a result, I finally gave in to the hot, cultural phenomenon: Wordle. This unfortunately marks my fall from grace… or “the last great american dynasty.”
7. July: “Cruel Summer”
Summer is my favorite season, but July was a “cruel” moment of “summer.” While driving on the 405 freeway in my brother’s car, I ended up rear-ending another car — not one of my proudest moments. Now, my brother is stuck with his dented Tesla since it takes eternity for new parts to be delivered.
8. August: “august”
After spending my summer rekindling the spark with many of my high school friends and reminiscing about our childhoods, I realized I would soon be off on another adventure: sophomore year! “august” certainly “slipped away” before my eyes.
9. September: “Mean”
While I was excited to be back on campus, sophomore slump was a genuine feeling. Perhaps it was the fact that I was without obligations for three months prior or my heavy courseload that was typical of most sophomores, but I definitely felt “mean” vibes coming from school.
10. October: “I Knew You Were Trouble”
October brought in high tensions with my fifth roommate: Mr. Mouse. Experiencing my first mouse sighting, I screamed in terror — worse than any horror movie I had ever seen. My room became adorned with mouse traps as decorations and, soon enough, I stood above a mouse caught in a trap mouthing “I knew you were trouble.”
11. November: “Bad Blood:
The shot heard round the world, or should I say, Taylor Swift’s tweet about The Eras Tour. Absolutely nobody was going to get in my way as I frantically waited for hours in the virtual Ticketmaster line FOUR TIMES to sign up for her fan presale. Luckily, on Nov. 15, any “bad blood” I had with other Swifties who were trying to steal my seat in the SoFi stadium in LA dissipated as I was rewarded with my golden ticket!
12. December: “Snow on the Beach”
As soon as I left Science Center Hall D, marking the end of my journey in the infamous Stat 110 course, I packed my bags and departed to sunny California. However, the day after I left, Cambridge experienced its first snow of the semester, so now, I am only left dreaming of seeing such a miracle: “snow on the beach.”
—Incoming Campus Exec Allison S. Park will obviously be found musing about Taylor Swift all throughout her winter break and can be reached at allison.park@thecrimson.com.
