Afterglow photographer Olivia Cagle crafted a visual representation, as well as a soundtrack, to a formative year in her life: her first in a new state for college.
Photos by Olivia Cagle
“To the Mountains” by Lizzy McAlpine: “I’m headed to the mountains, don’t wait up for me.” This song represents where I was at the end of my senior year of high school. I had begun focusing on myself, my future, and my well-being, and I saw myself morphing into who I wanted to become.
“Where the Skies are Blue” by The Lumineers: “You can always find me where the skies are blue.” This song marked the end of a summer as a camp counselor alongside great friends. I grew and changed, but one thing that stayed the same was the contents of my person: a backpack, my Chacos, a journal, a watch, and some coffee.
“Nothing New” by Taylor Swift (feat. Phoebe Bridgers): “I know someday I’m gonna meet her / It’s a fever dream / The kind of radiance you only have at seventeen / She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the map from me.” This song described how I felt at the start of this fall semester. It was my first birthday away from home, and I felt torn between my younger self and a more mature version of myself.
“Joanne” by Lady Gaga: “Girl, where do you think you’re goin’?” After the first few months of college passed, I found myself listening to “Joanne,” partially because the song is wonderful, and partially because I was experiencing some good old-fashioned homesickness. My mom missed me, I missed her, and the growing pains were deep.
“Matilda” by Harry Styles: “You’re just in time, make your tea and your toast / Framed all your posters and dyed your clothes / You don’t have to go / You don’t have to go home.” This intimate song is a mirror to how I feel nowadays. I am finding my independence and I have friends who make me feel loved like family. I feel connected to my past, but in a way that makes me want to be delicate with myself in the future.