Iām back to work after a weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic. I got to put my Spanish classes to good use, watched a ton of the show āBotchedā (which I didnāt even know I liked), went to the beach every day, and spent time with my family. My partner was excited to complete his first two scuba diving trips, and weāre planning to go to Cozumel later this month so he can check out the diving there.
Iāve been saying this will be my āsummer of waterā because every 2-3 weeks, Iāll be near some sort of body of water, whether itās a lake or the ocean. But after last weekendās Full Moon and reflecting more on my intentions for the month, I think my summer of water has revealed itself to be a (non-risquĆ©) double entendre.
When I think about water and the way it feels to be in it, it feels like going with the flow. It feels like surrender, like letting go of the way you wanted things to move. You canāt control the tide; you have to trust it.
This is how I want to feel this month!
Last month, I spent a lot of time creating rhthyms, routine, and structure in my daily life. I worked on my novel daily, I practiced Spanish, I meditated, I tracked my protein intake, I made myself try new things in the city. I pushed myself to adhere to a schedule because I knew it would be good for me.
Now, I want to ease up the reins a little. Yes, I still want to do those things, but I want to do them with a sense of ease, not urgency. I want to go with the flow and let go of a strict to-do list this month as I rediscover the childlike joy I used to have around summer.
In June, that looks like:
Going back to therapy because I miss it
Setting up our backyard pool
My aforementioned trip to Cozumel
Throwing an ice cream social for Daveyās birthday
More stretch Pilates classes
A swimming hole trip in Central Texas
Trying the new Israeli restaurant thatās been on my list
Visiting the Houston Museum of African American Culture
What are your goals for summer 2023? Iād love to hear from you! You can comment on this post or send me a reply. If I get more than a couple of responses, Iāll share next month!
In other news, check out my latest published work:
I interviewed three of my best friends from college about the Sunday scaries and self-care strategies to cope
I wrote about Spainās new digital nomad visa and other countries with similar programs
Interviewed Julie Bensman of BBC fame about why you should always have a personal project going, where people find cool things, and more
And here's what else is on my radar this monthā¦
Watching:
I rented Women Talking last night after reading adrienne maree brownās post (and the comments on it). This movie was so quietly impactful and I canāt stop thinking about it. (PS: Hereās an article about the true story itās based on.)
We finished Succession and I already miss the ānightmare weāve shared.ā Hereās a great article featuring Uncle Ewan, whose activism history is quite impressive.
The latest season of Queer Eye, which was set in New Orleans. Always good for a therapeutic cry.
Closure, a 2013 documentary about adoption. I watched this one to learn more about Angela Tucker, who speaks and writes about her experience as a transracial adoptee.
The new Super Mario Bros movie (the ennui-afflicted star shape is my favorite), Air (was I the only person hyper-focused on them not showing Michael Jordanās face?), The Covenant (Jake Gyllenhaal certainly has a type when it comes to roles), and the latest season of Somebody Somewhere, which is such a soul-soother.
Reading:
I read The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont for my book club. Although Iāve never read any of Agatha Christie, I enjoyed this fictional spin on what happened during her infamous 11-day disappearance.
I read and loved Foreverland by Heather Havrilesky, writer of the Ask Polly column series: But it can also be hard to resist holding the people you love at arm's length. Sometimes you fear possibility itself: the possibility of growing into something more expansive and generous than you are now, growing into a shape that might look ugly from the outside but feels beautiful from the inside.Ā
I also finished Heretic by Jeanna Kadlac. I liked some elements of it and identified with the unpacking of religious trauma, but I found some aspects of the analysis to be a bit myopic (for example, saying that āchurch is a place for white peopleā when many POC groups attend church).
Totally captivated by this piece on hanging out. I miss college specifically for this reason! I want more unstructured time with the people I like: In an age of shortened attention spans, to go through hours ofĀ anythingĀ together with someone else is so unusual that it can throw our brains into a kind of joyful crisis state. But for the future we all wantāwe allĀ needāit is crucial to use the energy weāve drawn from all our previous hangings-out, the memories of those good times, to push ourselves to commit, and recommit, to lives of sociability and mutual affection.
Why we should stop saying āunderrepresentedā and start saying āunrecognizedā instead
An introverted journalist wrote a guide for other introverted journalists, and I love that
Loved this profile on Meg White of The White Stripes
When queer spaces become overrun by heterosexuals
This article on how to be a writer on a marketing team has such great advice!
We donāt do that here. Did I share this already? Even so, it feels fine to share it again.
Iāve queued up the author Brandon Taylorās latest novel The Late Americans from the library (h/t Siobhan for introducing me to his work!) and I enjoyed this recent interview with him, which definitely got me thinking about whether The White Lotus is a great show or just a popular *good* oneā¦.
Listening:
After reading Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey about the link between physical movement and mental health, Iāve started hitting the gym more for light cardio days. That means Iām listening to a LOT more podcasts! Iām currently in the middle of āScamandaā and āBetrayalā Season 2 (I never listened to S1, but I will soon), and Iām open to other recs! Tell me the podcasts that you canāt stop listening to.
After dating someone who displayed most (if not all) of the narcissistic traits, this podcast on how to spot a narcissist was fascinating.
I listened to this podcast episode about the infrastructure of community. I think about this a lot anytime Iām traveling and thereās a town square where people are gathered. Again, why donāt we just *hang out* more in America?! In this episode, I appreciated their thoughts on libraries as āutopian socialist fantasies,ā and it also made me think about how it makes sense Iāve gravitated more toward my spiritual community. Church is one of the only places Iām able to get that recurrent need for connection and socialization met, and Iāve finally found a place that offers it in a safe, inclusive way.
Contests, Resources, Opportunities:
Applications to Eventbriteās RECONVENE Accelerator are due next week
Hereās to a summer of flow,
Nikki
PS: Want to promote something in an upcoming newsletter? Get in touch!
More hangs, less hurrying!
My cat is named Meg White! š„°