Happy New Year to all our sexy intergalactic besties 💗
In June of 2023, NORTH OF SPACE blasted off into the universe leaving a trail of stardust behind full of intellectual journal entries, passionate rants, and complex analyses. It’s been such a blessing for us to begin this adventure and we have an immense amount of gratitude for all of our members for providing us and our passion project so much love and support.
To return the LOVE, the gals at NofS have a special offer for our monthly membership for the first month of 2024 💋
2023 was full of joy, pain, love, struggle, and mysticism for sej and jay. They put together a little Q&A to reflect on these times and to share their ambitions for 2024.
Please enjoy and share with us your own reflections from this year and what you are looking forward to in the new year :)
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sej & jay <3
FROM J TO SEJ — GIVE ME THAT 2023 / 2024 RUN DOWN!
2023
Fav movie, book, and album
Lost in Translation(not new, just helped me be kinder to myself), I’m Not Going Anywhere by Rumena Bužarovska (bc it just sparked something in me that made me validate the Balkan in me for the first time in a really tangible way), Rodeo Star by Cowgirl Clue.
What era were you in for most of 2023?
I was in my childhood ambition and re-learning who my parents are, transformative era
New local spot you discovered
Not new, but I’m just living walking distance from Copper Star now, and it’s so nice to walk there and grab a lil drink and a bomb bagel!
Lowest of lows from the year lolll (and how u got back up! if u did rip)
Being unemployed for longer than I thought I would be, but I just stayed optimistic and frugal and made sure I utilized my time not only freaking out with applying to places, but also just grounding with who I am outside of a job.
What advice do you wish you had going into 2023
You can’t tell yourself how you are going to feel about anything, anyone or any place. Also, none because I think I was trying to heal and learn a little too hard.
What mistake did you make in 2023 that you would make again (bc sometimes mistakes lead us to interesting things)
Quitting my job and selling my things (and this is not a mistake, but the part of me that could of just chosen a different, more comfortable path with no risk would say so), and I honestly I love that it has given me another platform for rebirth and growth, so I can’t wait to do that again, and it just makes it sweeter for the girl at the end who is ready to be comfortable somewhere. :)
A random pic from your camera roll that captures a highlight from 2023
Meeting Ajna was prolly the best part of 2023 :) Volim Teeee!
Where did you travel to that you would visit again? A place that you wouldn’t dare to go back to??
Barcelona like…duh! It’s literally me as a city! It’s pragmatic yet leaves room for cuteness and creativity. It just flows very nice, it is a nice sense of balance between function and spirit. Perfect weather, great subway system, amazing food, it makes me think of Vicky, Christina Barcelona AND The Cheetah Girls like come on now! And the ham tasting Halal too like fr…o.o
TBH I would never visit Milan again, not dare, but just don’t really care to go again, but I do say I made some of the silliest memories there!
2024
What do u wish for in the new year for yourself, for others, for the world?
In 2024 I wish for peace, like genuine inner peace. And also honing compassion and empathy and stop with the identification and guessing games with who everyone is, like maybe you should figure that out for yourself. Overall, I just need everyone to chill tf out. Hehe
A new food you want to try?
Ethiopian food!
Hobbies, skills, or talents you are working on perfecting?
Sewing, gardening, swimming, curating/ interior decorating and learning Spanish! Also baking more bc lowkey I am p good I just gotta stop being afraid of food haha. And ALWAYS writing and curating especially for this blog that has been so fun and the most vulnerable I have ever been publicly. ::P
Any concerts you are looking forward to?
I need to go to the Tough Luvv Fest ft. Trauma Ray (my faves!), Jesus Piece and MF Three 6 Mafia!!! Just to name some!
What’s your motto for 2024
YOLO :P
What’s a challenge you’d like to face in 2024 (in terms of developing your character…)
I want to wear my heart on my sleeve more confidently. I opened up so much emotionally in 2023 like never before, and I want to utilize and carry that with me this year. Also, I feel like I am refacing it by going back to the service industry and just challenging myself in that setting in terms of having to perform for my money in a different sense, and when I think about my first serving job I realize how much that toughened my skin and brought me out of my social anxiety, so I am actually excited for that challenge again.
2024 is the year of the dragon. In what ways do you wish to feel ignited in 2024?
I want to feel ignited by the things inside me. I felt so inspired in 2023 by all these new places and people and environments, and now I am ready for whatever that did to my insides to ignite from within. I feel like I am in this cycle that resembles my high school years where I was very depressed and isolated, but now I know that isolation and being with myself in a contained setting is an opportunity for an ignition from within!
FROM S TO J — GIVE ME THAT 2023 / 2024 RUN DOWN!
2023
No regrets, but name one
Thinking a hardcore, hopeless romantic, aggressive ass LOVER like me could do casual dating… yea right… LOL
Most rewarding moment
Honestly… I had a pretty slay bday party w a bunch of people I love and adoreeee. Can I share some pics of that night??
Proudest moment
Starting this beautiful and chaotic blog with my boo Sejdina <3 we out hereeee (kinda.. We’re trying, fuck!)
Favorite person (add a rating and explanation and competition if any)
I can’t pin my friends against each other like that on the internet so I’m gonna choose my little brother LJ bc he’s a real one and has suffered through my suffering with me all year long and I would honestly be dead in a ditch rn if it wasn’t for him. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars for my bestie <3
Favorite place you visited
Torrevieja, Spain for sureeeee. Yummy drinks. Charming natives. Beautiful beaches. Lost my Joan Didion virginity there!
Strongest, most consistent emotion(s) felt throughout the year
Like I want to be so real… heart break, disappointment, loss. But also so much joy! And a little bit of delusion… hehehe
Biggest influence/inspiration for you this year (person, place, thing)
Other local creatives, my roomie/wife/business partner, my friends, my community, my family. Music and art has also been a constant fuel of life to me this past year for sure for sure.
Favorite “mistake”
Recently felt like voicing my concerns and vouching for myself and my feelings to someone instead of coming to terms with it on my own and not saying anything at all was a mistake but honestly 2024 and the rest of my life is so full of unapologetically speaking out and being loud about how I’m feeling when I’m experiencing these emotions!
Did you achieve any of your resolutions
Girl I could not tell you. I literally have no idea what my resolutions were but I can say that I do feel somewhat accomplished so I guess my answer is really yes. But if you wanted to know what those resolutions were I do not have an answer for you so sorry.
What previous year did 2023 resemble most for you?
2017 100000%. This year has been so nostalgic for the best and worst reasons, but ultimately it reminded me that these good times will roll back around, and if I encounter familiar challenges I can easily get through them bc if I got through them once before I’m sure I can get over them again.
2024
What fashion/ style are you trying to exude in this year?
Like, western chic in an Enya Umanzor way but also giving ‘I’m a stay at home mother and I go shopping at antique store while I wait for the kids to get out of soccer practice’
Do you think Clairo coming back?
Yes. I think Clairo coming back. And I’m sensing a soft, sensual, indie-western album with a Faye Webster feature.
What emotion are you leading into this year with
Exiting my zodiac season of the archer and going into my Chinese zodiac year of the dragon, I’m feeling alive, passionate, ambitious, seductive, and elusive…
Team no resolutions?
Yes bc wtf am I gonna do starting the year off putting hella pressure on myself for no reason. If I were to make any resolutions at all, it would be to take this shit day by day and be soooooo very gentle and forgiving with myself bc I’m just a young woman and none of this is real <3
Who/what are you taking into 2024 that you found in 2023?
My work besties bc god bless my found family (literally found siblings and parents), my homegirls (you know who you are <3), my desire to live for me, myself, and I, and also my love bc my love is mine all mineeeeeee. Last year. This year. And for every year that follows.
What soundtrack do you want 2024 be?
Hmmm… a little like the High Fidelity (Zoe Kravitz version) sound track or like the soundtrack for the episode of The Bear where Marcus goes to Copenhagen.
What cycle is this for you, what part of your past does the energy of 2024 remind you of?
I like to look at my phases of life like the major arcana cards of a tarot deck, and for the longest time I felt like I was on step one of the fool’s journey. But this new cycle I’m entering feels a lot like something in between the death card and temperance. Things are dying out and I’m feeling anxious for change but in reality I just need to stfu and sit down and practice my patience and just catch a fucking vibe. This cycle reminds me sooo much of when I was living in Texas in high school and was battling psychological affects from a concussion. All I wanted to do was ball out but the universe was like hmm… you don’t really enjoy doing that, also you just need to sit in your room by yourself and figure out who you are as an artist. And honestly that shit was so difficult to go through but I discovered some of the most influential pieces of art, music, and film during that time that made me who I am today so its excited being here sensing I’m about to go through that phase again.
What Phoenix bar are you leaving out in 2024? In?
RIP Gracies… you were fun while it lasted. Def hitting it up one more time on NYE to ignore my opps and look hot and take up space. LONG LIVE LINGER LONGER. YOUR REIGN WILL STAND AGAINST THE LOCALS AND CLOSETED GAYS FOREVER.
