a short list of good things

hello friends,

this past week feels like something straight out of a dystopian novel, so i thought i’d share a short list of good things, or some things that made me smile this week. this post was inspired by one on bon appétit aka the magazine i can’t stop talking about. (i’m not even sorry.) i’ve also been reading various editor’s letter’s (and maybe went back through rookie mag archives) and felt and urge to write a letter. i’m thinking about adding monthly letters at the start of each month so maybe that’s something you’ll see??? but this week first. happy things!

here goes nothin’:

1. this video that john green published about together. i always loved john green, this video reminded me all the reasons why!!
2. walks with my parents. even though we’re all living in isolation, i’ve gone out to take walks around my neighborhood nearly everyday. technology free time can really be the best (wow i sound like a boomer). but seriously, nature?! the greatest.
3. baking!! i baked THREE things this past week: ba’s salty buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies, ba’s early grey yogurt cake, and my family’s rum cake recipe. and i didn’t give anyone food poisoning!!! i was going to make milk bread. but after going to five grocery stores over two days and trying online delivery, bread flour is sold out. i will continue to persist and try to order it for delivery again, but maybe after another batch of something else.
4. animal crossing!!! specifically flying to my sister’s island, domi. i was originally going to fly to new york city at the end of this month, but obviously that’s been cancelled. like everything else. so being able to fly to my sister’s island is virtually the same as flying to nyc for real.
5. friends who reach out are really the best?? going back to the TOGETHER i mentioned in no.1, i really do feel a stronger sense of together even though i’m very separated from society. and i italicize ‘very’ because of my social media ban. i’m off social media AND social distancing in my home. so who am i talking to? my family and the few friends who actually reach out. (it sounds like i’m miserable and want people to message me but really, I’M FINE. i just wanted to shout out the memes i’m getting sent.) but this reminds me:
6. pen pal-ing! i think this month of no social media has really enhanced my ~vintage vibin’~ lifestyle in that i started pen paling and it’s been GREAT. i actually got into pen paling because nadine started a pen paling program thing a few months ago. there’s something weirdly satisfying about waiting weeks for a response and knowing the letter is already a week behind in real time. but also: it’s cute.
7. rediscovering the sound exploder podcast. i was a big fan of song exploder a few years ago, but only listened to episodes with artists i already knew. the latter still applies but they have new(er) episodes with some of my faves and they’re !!!!!! the best. some of my favorite episodes include ones with eric nam, clario, and lorde.
8. music in general? ART IN GENERAL? (no one is surprised.) because of song exploder, i got back into music (whatever that means). basically, i’ve been on spotify a lot. by a lot i mean in the past 12 hours. don’t judge. if you have music recs, please let me know!!

if your world has been turned upside down due to recent events (echm the pandemic we’re somehow living through), i hope you’re doing okay! find the simple joys! check in with your friends!! take it day by day, and know that we’ll continue.

with love,

alexandra