On March 20, Princeton officially passed over the threshold and into spring, but it’s only just beginning to show. With warmer temperatures finally arriving, I’ve got a few recommendations to start leaning into the season:
Album: “Fleeting” by Sarah Kinsley
Atmospheric and oscillating between subtly emotional and ecstatic registers, Sarah Kinsley’s 2026 EP embodies a moment of transition. The EP provides a nonlinear journey through feelings of freedom, reckless beginnings, and an intermingling of interpersonal love and primal wonder directed at the world itself. “Fleeting” opens with “Lonely Touch,” a song that fades in with Kinsley’s vocals over a spare drum beat and twinkling keys, reminiscent of the slow waking of the earth in early spring. In “Truth of Pursuit,” Kinsley builds to a cinematic, sometimes overwhelming intensity, blending orchestral and synthetic sounds. But right when the EP could become too overpowering, she retreats back into a more contemplative sound in “Reverie” and “After All,” the third and fourth songs on the album, respectively. These songs provide a moment of quiet amidst all the change, echoing the tenor of a rainy spring day. “Fleeting,” the final song and the EP’s title track, ruminates on change itself as both a positive and negative force, ending on the repetition of the simple phrase: “It’s not forever, it’s just for now.” Not a bad sentiment for Princeton students fighting their way through the spring semester slump!
Drink: Lavender Fog from Small World
In my mind, the flavor of spring is fresh and understated — and luckily, both of these apply to Small World’s seasonal lavender fog. Composed of an earl grey tea and steamed milk flavored with housemade lavender syrup, this drink provides a spring-appropriate flavor profile and a bit of warmth for the still-crisp mornings. While not as caffeinated as your average cup of coffee, an average cup of earl grey tea still has between 40 mg and 70 mg of caffeine. That’s just enough to give you a kick in the morning, but not so much that you have to worry about picking up the drink at 6 p.m. after two cups of coffee. It’s perfectly suited for a walk through Palmer Square or a breezy afternoon studying in Chancellor Green.
Film: “People We Meet on Vacation” (2026)
While this 2026 film takes place mostly during the summer, not spring, there’s nothing better to get you through spring than having something to look forward to. The film follows Alex and Poppy, who meet at Boston College, developing an intimate, complex friendship and committing to vacation together every summer. Alex and Poppy embark on adventure after adventure together, travelling to places like New Orleans, Tuscany, and Barcelona. Their story spans twelve years, inviting the viewer into a world that is funny, romantic, hopeful and a little nostalgic all at the same time. If that weren’t enough, “People We Meet on Vacation” is also lighthearted enough to serve as a brain break when you finally have a moment to pry yourself away from your assignments!
Fashion: Incorporate Bold Splashes of Color
Now that the season of the superpuff has passed, it’s time to get creative! Spring is the most colorful season of the year, and though Princeton spring hasn’t bloomed yet, I’d like to see my peers bring more color and personality into their wardrobes this season. A Vogue article from January 2026 identified royal purples, kelly greens, and several other saturated jewel tones as trending colors for this spring. This is a notable divergence from last spring’s fixation on muted pastel colors like butter yellow. 2026 seems set to trend towards bolder, brighter hues, perfect for an entirely vibrant spring outfit or subtle pop of color for those who are more inclined towards minimalism. But regardless of what’s hitting the runways, I encourage you to adopt colors you enjoy wearing, not just those that are trending.
Book: “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” by Satoshi Yagisawa
It’s safe to say that most Princeton students read hundreds of pages each month, or even each week. Nonetheless, I suspect you’d be hard pressed to find many students on campus who regularly sit down and read a book simply for pleasure. “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop,” however, offers a cozy escape from the chaos of daily life at Princeton for only a quick 160 pages. The book is set during summer, but thematically reminiscent of spring with its focus on new beginnings and embracing change. It follows protagonist Takako, a 25-year-old woman in Tokyo who is faced with rebuilding her life after breaking up with her boyfriend and quitting her job. She ultimately finds herself living and working at her uncle’s used bookshop, rediscovering the beauty of everyday living and discovering the beauty of books for the first time. The story is both playful and at times surprisingly emotive and precise, urging readers to enjoy the process of reading — something many of us may have forgotten amidst reading-heavy courses.
Emma Cinocca is a member of the class of 2027 and a staff writer for The Prospect. She can be reached at ec1078[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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Elisabeth Forrester(Photo: “Floating notes” by oksmith / CC0 1.0 Universal) Settle into spring with this puzzle by Elisabeth Forrester.
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