Now that May is over, I wanted to reflect on the month and all of the exciting things I did. Because I accomplished a lot, I’m kinda gagged.

First and most importantly, I turned 29 in May! I can’t believe I’ll be 30 next year and I can’t wait to have an existential crisis about that at a later date. I had an amazing time celebrating with my friends and family. I’m not one to care about my birthday, but this was a good one that I’ll remember fondly.

One of the things I did for my birthday was spend the day in NYC with friends. I had three goals for this day: go to the MET to see the costuming exhibit, see Chess the Musical, and eat at Din Tai Fung. I’m happy to report that I completed all of my goals! Slay. The costuming exhibit was amazing. The theme for this year was “Costume Art,” where they paired an article of clothing with a piece of art. A lot of the clothing provided commentary on abortion and female choice, and I thought the entire exhibit was rather profound and powerful. If you haven’t seen the exhibit, I suggest that you do before they take it down!

I’ve been wanting to see Chess the Musical since Lea Michele was cast because I’m a huge Glee stan. You bet I was front row when she was Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Kirk was right when he said, “she may be difficult, but boy, can she sing.” Man, did this show not disappoint. All three leads are incredible in their respective roles, and the show is SO funny. I laughed several times, you’re supposed to I promise. Also, I can confirm that Nicholas Christopher is incredible, and the note he holds is just as iconic as it seems on TikTok. I’m so devastated that Chess is closing on Broadway earlier than expected. If you haven’t seen this show, I highly recommend it. You won’t be disappointed!

Finally, to wrap up this perfect day, I ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Din Tai Fung. This might be a basic take, but I don’t care—the food SLAPS. My favorite food items to order are the spicy wontons and shrimp fried rice. I could eat bowls and bowls of both. Did I have to eat Din Tai Fung at 10:30 a.m. because that’s the only time I could get a reservation? Yes, and what about it? We love eating Din Tai Fung at 10 a.m. in this house!

At the beginning of the month, I got to attend an event for Fonda Lee to celebrate the release of her newest book, The Last Contract of Isako! I have a review of this book on TikTok, Insta, and Goodreads if you’d like to check it out, but long story short, I loved it! Fonda Lee is such an icon and such an intelligent person. I could hear her talk for hours on end. I was able to get my ARC and other books signed, and overall, it was an amazing evening!

I was also lucky enough to attend a ThrillerFest party hosted by Cosmo Reads and Sourcebooks! This was also how I learned that there is a book festival called ThrillerFest that is hosted every year in NYC. I can’t say that I read a lot of thrillers myself, but I’m definitely more intrigued by the genre now, especially with the books that I took home because they all sound like a slay. I shall come back and update you on how these books are in the fall.

As many of you know, I was able to attend a Heated Rivalry event hosted by Spotify. I’ve already written a blog post about this experience, but to sum it up, it was amazing and one of the best events I’ve ever attended!

I saw The Mandalorian and Grogu this month, and I don’t care what people say—this movie slapped. I gave it 4.5/5 stars, and I stand by that rating. It was a great way to wrap up the series and these characters’ arcs. I cried in the theater, and I’m unapologetic about that. Because it was my birthday month, I got a free popcorn and drink, so overall, it was a great movie-watching experience. 10/10 would recommend.

Some other things of note: I won the Ticketmaster war and secured concert tickets to see Gracie Abrams next March! I lost the war for her last tour, and I’m so happy that I’ll get to see her live. The Secret of Us was one of my favorite albums of 2024 and I can’t believe I’m going to hear Close to You with my literal ears. I’m going to pass out.

I also bought tickets to see Evita starring Rachel Zegler! One thing about me is that I love “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” and another thing is that I’m a major Rachel Zegler stan. I saw her during her Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet, and I’m so excited to see her in her next Broadway adventure! Fun fact: I’m seeing both Evita and Gracie within three days of each other, so that’s going to be a VERY busy week for me.

That was my May summed up! I didn’t realize how booked and busy I was, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. I had a wonderful May, and I’m so excited to see where life takes me as we enter June.

This was my experience attending a Heated Rivalry x Spotify event!

The other day, I was extremely fortunate to be invited to a Heated Rivalry event sponsored by Spotify. I know it’s normal to see influencers at these really cool events, and it often seems like you only get a quick glimpse of what actually goes on when they’re there. For my Bindery subscribers, I wanted to go more in depth about the overall experience I had at the event.

This was actually the first event I’ve been invited to that wasn’t specifically put on by a publisher. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Spotify would ever invite me to something, let alone know that I exist.

A fun fact about me is that I don’t technically live in NYC — I’m from Long Island. Because of this, I usually have to be selective about which events I decide to attend because my commute is around two hours each way. Obviously, I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet the icon and legend Rachel Reid.

The day of the event, I arrived at Penn Station and took my Uber (that Spotify paid for, ehhh) to the venue. When I got there, the line to get in was HUGE — like, REALLY long. They had mentioned that the event was going to be packed, but I didn’t realize HOW packed. I got in line and, while standing there, realized that I was probably waiting in the wrong area. They hadn’t mentioned that the event was also going to be open to the public, which, in hindsight, makes a lot of sense. A few moments later, I realized there was a separate line for invited influencers and press. I was able to kiki with other influencers while we waited to be let into the event space.

After checking in, I was handed my Spotify influencer/press lanyard and ushered into the experience. When I first walked in, the first thing I noticed was the Heated Rivalry-themed décor. Against the back wall was a locker room setup with two cubbies on display for our favorite hockey players, Shane and Ilya. The attention to detail was impeccable. They had jerseys, skates, and interactive items in the lockers, including a recipe for tuna melts and a phone-and-headphone combo that let you listen to the Heated Rivalry audiobook! Across the room, there was a station where you could order your own custom hockey jersey and baseball cap. You KNOW I was feral and needed those items in my grubby little hands IMMEDIATELY. I’ve already worn the hat at least five times, and the jersey is so comfortable to sleep in!

Roughly an hour in, we were ushered into a different room where we got to enjoy a Q&A with the one and only Rachel Reid! She told us what it’s been like since the show came out, how her life has changed, how Elton John personally asked for early screeners of the show, and gave us some information about what to expect from Unrivaled! (I have a video of this on my TikTok and Instagram if you’re interested in watching!) Rachel Reid is so personable and funny that I could listen to her talk for hours.

After the talk, we were ushered back into the main room, where we continued to mingle, drink, and eat. Rachel Reid surprised and gagged us all by coming out into the main area, and we were able to meet her and take photos! Honestly, I blacked out during our entire interaction. All I remember is that she said she liked my hat lol. I was wearing a different one btw.

After that, I took another Uber (that Spotify once again paid for, ehhhh) back to Penn Station, and then I went home!

Who else is excited for Unrivaled to be released next year?