When I found out my family was going to Hawai’i over Christmas, the first thing I did was open YouTube, go to Steph Bohrer’s channel and rewatch her vlog: “an insane week in my life in HAWAI’I.” As I watched, I made mental notes of the things Steph did to make her trip unforgettable — sunset swims, cliff jumping, adventurous hikes — and tried to see how I could implement them into my own trip. I’d seen the video before (when it was first posted, obviously), but I knew that if there was anyone who could help me make my trip as memorable and picturesque as possible, it was Steph.
This was not a novel occurrence. Since discovering Steph’s YouTube and TikTok in 2020, I’ve sort of begun to — in a totally non-creepy way — base my life off of hers. If Steph, who is first and foremost a BookTuber, recommended a book, it had a funny way of appearing on my shelf within the next few weeks. If Steph used a new makeup product, it would likely end up in my Amazon cart within the following days. If Steph posted a TikTok about a trip she took or a new experience she had, it was bound to end up on my own bucket list. I was, as the title of this article suggests, inspired by Steph, in more ways than one.
Steph’s book content is what initially drew me in. As an avid reader, her unique recommendation videos and reading vlogs were the exact kind of content that spoke to me. However, as her following has grown, her content has expanded, and she’s begun to share more about her life. As a full-time student at Arizona State University, her videos have allowed her to share not only books she loves but also her life at college and everything that comes with it — her friendships, new experiences and more. While I still dutifully watch all of her reading videos, I now see her social media presence as more of a window into all the ups and downs of being a young woman in college.
And there are plenty of downs. To say that college is stressful is the understatement of the century. Packing up and leaving your family and childhood home is a transition that no amount of preparation can make painless. With the increased academic and social pressure, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and isolated. Prior to college, I had never really struggled with spending time alone. However, with the new environment came an unfamiliar type of guilt that was eating me alive: Guilt about spending time alone. During freshman year, I felt as though any spare second not spent studying should have been spent being the social butterfly I was convinced I had to be. I was sure that day-to-day activities like eating in the dining hall alone, studying by myself in the library or even just taking a nap were somehow “taking away” from the social life I had imagined for myself at the University of Michigan.
Over time, Steph became a kind of best friend/big sister hybrid to me, helping me realize just how misguided this mindset was. Through watching her weekly vlogs, her TikToks and her openness about her own search for confidence and independence, I realized that I didn’t need to be embarrassed about spending time alone, or about not having that picture-perfect friend group I’d imagined for myself. She helped me understand the unique kind of happiness that can come from independence. Most of all, she helped me to find joy in the big and little things alike and to romanticize my own life just a little bit more.
In fact — in my very unbiased opinion — Steph may just be the queen of romanticizing just about everything. Whether it’s something as big as a trip across the world or something as small as buying a new book, she has the ability to make it seem magical. Her videos feel less like a meticulously edited montage and more like you’re on FaceTime with a friend. She offers glimpses of the more intimate moments, including the things that don’t quite go as planned, and it makes viewing her videos a much more personal and realistic experience — a far cry from the over-romanticized version of events that influencers often show their followers. She makes you feel like you’re there with her exploring Hawai’i, visiting Paris or just spending a quiet night in. The casual presentation of her videos is a reminder that your day doesn’t have to be life-changing for you to make the best of it. Last winter, she even studied abroad in England, and keeping up with her TikToks and vlogs was more than enough to convince me that I absolutely must study abroad before I graduate. Steph had a way of making even the less glamorous moments — long plane rides, nights spent studying — seem so effortlessly perfect that I now spend more time than I’d care to admit aimlessly scrolling through the University’s study abroad opportunities, searching for one that works for me.
I guess that’s why I’m so intent on basing my life off of hers: Steph can make anything seem like an adventure, and isn’t that what we all want? To wake up every morning and be convinced it’s going to be the best day of our lives, even if that’s wildly unrealistic? I guess to me, Steph is the closest thing to that girl (an outdated concept, I know). She’s a role model because — as the resident introverted, book-loving college student who yearns to romanticize her life — I see myself in her, and it makes the experiences she’s had and the things she’s accomplished seem a little more attainable and a lot less scary.
I’m happy to report that her videos continue to remind me to be kind to myself and to step out of my comfort zone. My trip to Hawai’i was two weeks of pure magic, and I give partial credit to Steph for reminding me to savor every moment and romanticize the little things. I’ve even adopted one of her New Year’s resolutions: to say yes to everything I’m invited to. While this may sound easy, when the social anxiety kicks in it can be very tempting to make up an excuse to stay home. Steph has already begun to implement this in her own life, and I’m…trying, you could say. Either way, I know that as long as Steph continues to make content and share her life, I’ll continue to be inspired to push myself, try new things and romanticize my life — the good days and the bad ones — just a little bit more.
Daily Arts Writer Rebecca Smith can be reached at rebash@umich.edu.