SOLAR RETURN
happy birthday to me, and a monthly wrap up
FRIENDS! It’s my birthday. I’m turning 33, which feels so WILD to say because in my heart, I feel forever frozen in my 30th year. I suspect a lot of us feel this way about the age we turned when the world fell apart. However(!) I am feeling that freeze slowwwwly thawing. Maybe this is finally the year where I don’t stumble for several seconds before recalling my accurate age. Anyways, 33 is an easy number to remember, right?
In honor of my birthday, I’m sharing the things that caught my attention and delighted me this past month.
Side note: It would be the BEST birthday gift if you supported On Holiday with a subscription, and if you are already a subscriber, please consider spreading the word. I am truly grateful for all of you and your endless support!
Here’s to another year around the sun.
I’m feeling inspired to take more morning walks to get some sun on my skin before work. On Friday I walked to my local park and grabbed a coffee and watched dogs play before hopping in my car to go to work. It was a pretty ideal way to start the day.
THE NEW SG LEWIS AND SAM SMITH ALBUMS. That is all.
I’m having a moment with lettuce. There’s something about the texture of lettuces that is just tantalizing for me right now. Perhaps it’s the boredom of winter produce that has me craving big bowls of fresh greens lightly coated in vinaigrette, but it’s all. I. want. to. eat. So don’t mind me sitting in the corner of my couch with a literal mixing bowl of greens chomping away and imagining summer days.
I was on a podcast last week(!) Getting invited to be on a Cherry Bombe podcast has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it felt so surreal to be on this new show. I had such a blast chatting with Abena, and I love where the conversation took us. Take a listen HERE.
About a month ago, I met an online connection in person. Toward the end of our meeting, she pulled out a flip phone to check the time. I gushed about how I’ve been considering the switch over to an “analog” phone for a few years. Ryan and I even went through a long phase of considering this phone and ultimately opted to keeping our smartphones (for access to maps, music, and ride shares!). I came across this article in the NYT a few weeks ago, and read every word. These teens call themselves the “Luddites”, and they have decided to go against the tech grain by ditching their smartphones. These high schoolers meet up weekly in Prospect Park sans tech and celebrate their distinction from the status quo. They knit, sew, and talk about books they’ve read. In listening to the subsequent podcast episode that was released featuring the founder, Logan Lane, I noticed a few holes that may eventually thwart her idealistic way of living as she grows up into an independent adult. I mean, who doesn’t want to toss their smart phone into the sea? But, as us seasoned adults know (my elder millennial is showing), responsibilities and real life catches up to us, and sadly, in this current society, we all know that much of our lives would not be possible without these devices. As time progresses, there seem to be less and less ways around succumbing to owning a smartphone. At the end of my meeting with this new connection, she pulled out her smartphone and placed it beside the flip phone. She admitted that she could never fully rid herself of the device, but says that the flip phone has created a boundary that she appreciates having from the tech. Perhaps the answer is approaching our smartphones with mindfulness and less mindlessness? We’ll see what the future holds…
This composition gave me goosebumps.
And I’ll always be on this train. As always, I have been thinking a lot about how we can sustainably have better community and connection around us.
Anne Helen Petersen is someone I truly look up to in the world, and I love everything she puts out. This conversation with author Dr. Pooja Lakshmin really gets the brain ticking.
The launch for the bird. Y’all, I cried laughing for a good fifteen minutes watching this clip on repeat.
Happy Sunday!