New Year, Same Me

January '26 Reflections

It seems at the start of every year for the past five (!!!) years, I’ve sent you a letter saying something along the lines of “I’m reevaluating my relationship with the internet,” and “I’m rethinking how I want to show up here,” and of course “I’m trying something new, thanks for sticking with me.” blah blah blah.

And friends, this January is no different. I can’t help myself! I am who I am!

That said, I’ve done some reflecting on 1. What keeps bringing me back to Substack and 2. What keeps me on Social Media (read “instagram”) more broadly. And the core of it is, it makes me feel more connected to you. My long distance friends and internet strangers, it makes me feel a part of something to show up in your inbox once in a blue moon. And, okay, sure, it also gives me a somewhat captive audience to overshare with or yammer on about the things I’m reading or cooking or thinking about.

And while every year I say I want to show up here more, even imperfectly, somewhere along the line I’ve misidentified “discipline” for “pressure.” As I challenge myself to move farther away from Zuck’s internet, spend a little less time staring at the tiny computer in my pocket, and spend a little more time connecting with real actual humans (even on the internet), I want to practice discipline and consistency. Again. Maybe even for real this time.

The real goal of this plan is to challenge myself to be more well-read, more intentional with my attention, and more present in the real world so that I have something(s) interesting to share with you. I hope you’ll enjoy it & I hope you’ll share with me too.

So, for the 5 billionth time, I’m trying something new. Thanks for sticking with me.

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Reading

• While trying to become a better villager in order to cultivate a village, I joined a book club at my local indie bookstore. January’s pick was Come & Get It by Kiley Reid. And while most of the book club hated this book, I loved it. A masterclass character study of college students in the mid-to-late 2010’s. Character driven, minimal plot, a little gossip-y, and a lot messy.

• Just 20 pages into The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, I completely understood why this was a National Book Award winner. The frankness with which Didion writes about grief was stunning. I found myself moved to tears multiple times at the quietly devastating moments she details during her year of mourning after the loss of her husband.

• The best thing I read on the internet this month was this piece titled An Existential Guide to: Making Friends. Full of insight, wisdom, good humor, and stellar writing. It’s long, but I promise it’s worth the time.

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Watching

• I didn’t realize I was starting this year’s movie watching run with a bang when I pressed play on I Used to be Funny. Rachel Sennott is an absolute star as our lead as she navigates grief and trauma and love. This movie is full of so much heart. It’s messy, heartbreaking, funny, and felt so real.

• I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I would watch 10 more Benoit Blanc mysteries. Wake Up Dead Man just may be my favorite yet. Absolutely stunning scene setting, apt social (& spiritual) commentary, and just so much fun. My only complaint is I didn’t get to see it on the big screen.

• Y’all didn’t think I would make it through this section without mentioning sports while the Unrivaled season is underway, did you? Feeling beyond grateful to this league for giving me a way to watch women’s basketball outside of the WNBA season. I have to admit, I cried tears of absolute delight watching 20-year-old Dominque Malonga dunk on live TV during the Breeze Vs. Lunar Owls game this month.

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Mixed Media

• Me and Shane are constantly looking for Couch Co-Op games to play together. For years they have felt few & far between as the world of online gaming has expanded. As a result, we are prone to jumping at the opportunity when we find something relatively affordable we can play side-by-side. At the start of the year we found Disney Illusion Island on sale in the e-store for $20, and we have had so much fun tearing through it for the past month! It basically amounts to a cooperative platformer with accessible game-play and cute + creative game design.

• I’ve been working my through the Culture Study podcast, and while I’m officially caught-up, some of my favorites have been Why Do Clothes Suck Now, The Ridiculously Interesting World of American Accents, and Let’s Collectively Fantasize about a Family-Friendly Society.

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From My Kitchen To Yours

• Honestly, my three requirements for cooking these days is the meal must be cost-effective, low prep, and include one vegetable. Sohla El-Waylly of Bon Appetit & NYT Cooking fame has been making the best series of recipes on Instagram Reels literally titled “Dinner You Can Make No Matter How Hungry or Tired You Are” that have been meeting all of my criteria. The Toasted Sesame Chicken & Rice and Toasted Taco Orzo have become part of our regular rotation.

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January MVP

• This $5 Aquaphor Lip Balm has been a savior during the extreme cold we’ve been experiencing in the South. This is what I wanted Glossier’s $16 BalmDotCom to be. Shout-out to the instagram dermatologists for this one!

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Places to Give, Ways to Help

• If you, like me, are looking for ways to support the residents of Minneapolis as they fight back against the federal occupation, standwithminnesota.com houses a robust catalogue of places to give to. Their site includes: rapid response, legal support, + emergency funds for both those on the frontlines & those who are being targeted. Every little bit helps.