An interlude of sorts

+ a happiness 401(k), emotional colds, unmeasured crepes, and Cambodian rock

Hi there,

I intentionally took the last week off so I could have a true break between jobs and didn’t realize how much of a gift it would end up being. It was the energetic reset I hoped for, but it also created space for me to be present for the death of my grandma and to begin the grief process.

I’m going to be writing about what that experience of death triggered for me and the concept of nostos, or returning home in next week’s essay. The topic landed in my brain earlier this week, but when I sat down to write I realized that it needs a little more time to form itself.

nature therapy

So for this interlude of sorts, I’ve linked some interesting things below and have a fun announcement to share: I’ve joined a startup called Flow Club to lead their marketing and community building efforts! And today is my first day 🙃

You’ll certainly be hearing more from me about Flow Club, but I’ve got a few guest passes if you want to check it out in the meantime (just reply to this email if you want one!).

Until next time,

Hannah

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🎵 Song of the Week

Heard this song on KEXP a few months ago and quickly became obsessed with Cambodian rock and this band + their backstory. The Spotify radio is excellent as well.

📚 Things to Read

• Want to know the seven habits that lead to happiness in old age? As with most “secrets” to well-being, they’re pretty simple and straightforward. But I do like the concept of investing in a “Happiness 401(k)” (The Atlantic)

• A term for something I’ve certainly experienced but haven’t had words for: the case of an emotional cold (Repeller)

• I am a sucker for articles with click-bait titles like “how to make the most of your 24 hours.” And most of them are lame, but I loved the recommendation of “creating moments of transcendence” to elevate your day and make specific moments more meaningful (Zen Habits)

• The ethics of diet culture (hint: it’s both unethical and immoral) (NYT)

• I ate my first fresh off the branch fig last summer and now I might never eat one again (Nautilus)

🍴 Things to Cook

• Matzo Ball Soup — Simple, cozy, and Jewish-boyfriend approved (Brocc Your Body)

• Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale — It’s a soup week. I haven’t tried this one yet, but it’s on the menu for this week and comes very highly recommended (The Modern Proper)

• Slow-Roasted Chicken With Garlicky Green Beans and Sage — This was the easiest gourmet-ish meal I’ve made in a while. It’s very straightforward, but you’ll need to set aside 1.5 hours for it (NYT)

• Unmeasured Crepes — Made these for a lazy morning and they were perfect. One of the comments shares that the proportions per person are basically 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup flour, a splash of oil or butter and a pinch of salt. Customize to your heart’s content! (NYT)

💪 Things to Try

• Patiently waiting for the Mind Body Spirit Collective to open up its next cohort. I have a complicated relationship with yoga + yoga studios, but would love to be part of some kind of virtual collective experience for accountability and community vibes. This comes highly recommended from Lilia K., founder of Luv Collective (and one of my besties).

• As a tween, I had an obsession with paint chips and the names of paint colors. I would collect the chips, write down my favorite names, and create all kinds of things with them. So I was beyond excited to find this site where you can NAME COLORS. A tween dream come true.

• These mini photo books would make for great gifts. You can connect directly from your Instagram to make it easy.

Have a recommendation of your own to share? Drop it in the comments!