February recap
- Cheyenne Slowensky
- Feb 28
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 2
All the books I read, movies I watched, and thoughts I had in February 2025.
Books - 5
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss - ★ ★ ★ ★
Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov - ★ ★ ★ ★
Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher - ★ ★ ★ ★
Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren - ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Films - 14
*rewatches
Three short films directed by Agnès Varda:
Les 3 Boutons (2015) - ★ ★
Ô saisons, ô chateaux (1958) - ★ ★ ★ ★
Along the Coast (1958) - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Nosferatu* (2024) - ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Elevator to the Gallows (1958) - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
find my review in A guide to French film
The Substance (2024) - ★ ★
Asteroid City (2023) - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Persona (1966) - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Grey Gardens (1975) - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Lost in America (1985) - ★ ★ 1/2
A Tale of Springtime (1990) - ★ ★ ★
Naked (1993) - ★ ★ ★ ★
Nickel Boys (2024) - ★ ★
Thoughts
No-buy month
After spending a week-long birthday trip alone in Paris (post on that soon!), I went into February feeling extra broke and decided to try the "no-buy" trend that has been all over the Internet recently. While I don't think I could commit to a whole year (especially after spending so exorbitantly on my trip), I thought just one month would be enough for me to make back the amount I had spent and then some.
I didn't count coffee/food purchases in the no-buy, and the intention was aimed mostly at material non-essentials like clothing and books. I did buy new Ana Luisa earrings and a pair of everyday New Balance sneakers from Nordstrom since I had a birthday gift card, and otherwise spent a total of $13 on material purchases all month. While I did spend money, I consider my no-buy month a success since I made back my Paris spending and overall had a much more strict and intentional mindset around my spending. The few items I bought this month are used every day.
The biggest benefit of the no-buy month was that I actually began to read the books that have been sitting on my shelf for months. I'm sure we all know the feeling, where the grass is always greener in the bookstore and what waits patiently on your shelf is just not as intriguing. February felt like the first time that I have actually taken a look at the small collection of books and found each one of them interesting and worth a read. All of the books I read this month were ones that I have owned for a long time, and I am so happy to have discovered some new favorites.
While I am not strictly going no-buy in March, I am glad to have rewired my brain when it comes to purchasing more intentionally. I learned to think more critically about where my money is going and directing it toward where I actually want it to be going. At this point in my life, there are a wide range of financial incentives from saving up for a home to traveling to grad school, and I was glad to have this month to consider where my priorities lie. I will likely go the low-buy route with clothing and continue reading from my bookshelf before purchasing any new books, maybe after I've read War and Peace.
Being in my 20's
As mentioned above, the financial aspect is one of many daunting decisions we are faced with as young adults. For the first time in my life, I am completely unmoored. I graduated college last May, moved back home, and have been applying for jobs every day for eight months to no avail. My group of college friends faded away with the exception of one, my boyfriend found a 9-5 right out of graduation and moved from 2 minutes away to almost an hour away (two hours in LA traffic), and I have never felt so detached from the world and from my peers. I don't write this to complain; if anything it's been one of the most enlightening times of my life, though it's been a rollercoaster to reach the stable mindset I finally arrived at this month.
February was a necessary period of reflection after my fantastic solo trip to Paris; I was able to set my sights on travel and gaining life experience, especially in this stage of my life where I am not tied down to anyone or anything. I spent a lot of this month working to recover the money I had spent and found myself so drained by my job. I do not wish customer service work on anyone and I cannot put into words how draining it was to work half of this month away and feeling so stuck in my career. When I finally had a few days off, I spent them as a homebody, never changing out of my pajamas or going outside beyond walking my dogs. I knew so many things about my life had to change, but I was too exhausted to take any action.
I started small: listening to a motivational podcast (listed in Favorites below) and started a new journal to put all of my thoughts into words, though I have found nothing captures the feeling of being in your 20's better than this video. I had heart-to-hearts with my best friend and my sister and my boyfriend, and from them I was able to get to the root of my where my natural talents lie and what I feel most motivated to do with my life. A lot of that came to life with this website; I aspire to create an honest and creatively collaborative community where people can discuss whatever inspires them and create their own art because of it.
The biggest discovery of this month is that there is no "meantime" between graduating and getting my first job. There is no "in between," and all that matters is right now. I cannot spend any period of my life waiting for the next one. I began taking those small steps to find happiness everywhere, outside of a full time job, outside of moving to LA, outside of missing my old college friends. Real life does not wait, it's always been real, and the only thing that matters is that I make the most of it. I can find happiness regardless of those major life things that feel out of my control. That's what I'm doing here at Cheyenne on a plate!
Favorites
"The Psychology of your 20s" podcast with Jemma Sbeg
Lauren Louise's vlogs
Jordan Theresa's video essays
Clairo (the only artist I've been listening to this month)
"My design tinder" board
(inspired by this Caroline Winkler video)
Thanks for reading! I would love to hear some of your February favorites in the comments. I share my thoughts here in the hope that someone feels the same way, and I want all of you feeling lost in your 20's to know that I am right here with you. We will figure it out, and as my best friend always says, what is yours will come to you.
In March, I am looking forward to diving deeper into Cheyenne on a plate, spending time in the springtime sun, and being a more conscious consumer of items both digital and material. More to read and more to watch, as always. Thanks for coming on this journey with me!
-Cheyenne
This is so favorites!! I'll throw some down below as I am not as organized as you are and that goes for every aspect of our lives.
Ditto on Ms. Lauren Louise's vlogs, a staple in the Noa Household
Selena Gomez's Another Cinderella Story
Dimmable lamps
Hanging out with Cheyenne!!!