Whew, this month has been a DOOZY. I really try to do this roundup every Friday, but the past few weeks have been crazy. My daughter had her school Spring Break and on the day we were leaving for a little trip together, I got a call that I’d been laid off from my job. So that was fun. We still managed to have a good trip. Then I was scrambling to prep for my trip to Boston, which was great. I ran the marathon this past Monday and got a PR—3:27:18. Now I’m back home, catching up on life. I can’t believe it’s May next week. Here’s a roundup to get me back on schedule.
Quote of the week:
“Maybe happiness is this: not feeling like you should be elsewhere, doing something else, being someone else.” —Isaac Asimov
What I’m reading:
I read All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker while I was in Boston, and now I’m about to finish Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel—very good!
What I’m listening to:
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Totally worth the hype. Great book.
What I’m watching:
Let’s see… Finished White Lotus Season 3, which wasn’t my favorite season but still very entertaining. Also finished Squid Game and, wow, that was dark. Started the new season of The Last of Us. Did a lot of “Netflix and chill” when I was in Boston, including Trap, the latest M. Night Shyamalan movie (meh), and some random documentaries.
Writing news:
We are about two months away from the release of Woman on the Verge. I can’t wait! I did a fun little interview for the Readerista’s Substack, which you can check out here.
Interesting things I jotted down over the past few weeks:
- Studies have shown that individuals with higher levels of optimism have a longer lifespan, with some research indicating a difference of 11-15%. This difference in longevity has been observed in both men and women
- A group of ladybirds is called a loveliness
- The Māori word for autism is takiwatanga, which means “in their own time and space”
- 7 out of 10 people are living in a chronic state of stress. Yikes
- To become a close friend with someone requires spending 200+ hours together
- 80% of toys come from China
- The US is the largest importer of coffee; about 80% comes from Latin America
- The heart of a whale is the heaviest on the planet
- A study shows that the preference for sweet foods is associated with the personality trait of agreeableness
- Gunnen is a Dutch word that means to find happiness in someone else’s happiness because that’s how much you love them
- The Wollemi Pine is one of the world’s oldest and rarest plants dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. Less than 100 adult trees are known to exist in the wild
- The German word fisselig refers to being flustered to the point of incompetence
- Book bans increase the circulation of banned books by 12% compared to a control group
- The capybara is the world’s largest rodent, native to South America
- Astronomers have detected a possible signature of life on a distant planet (K2-18b), which orbits a star 120 light-years away
- Research suggests that as many as one-third of parents are chronically lonely
- Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid is a French phrase that means “little by little, the bird makes its nest”
Weirdest thing I googled recently:
“why do birds fly in a V.” I googled this after seeing a beautiful V formation while driving down to San Diego for a Nikki Glaser comedy show. From Google: “Birds fly in a V formation primarily to conserve energy during long migrations, but also for improved aerodynamics and potentially to enhance communication and coordination within the flock. The V formation allows birds to take advantage of the upwash created by the wing tips of the birds ahead, reducing drag and making flight easier.” They take turns leading the V!
What I’m grateful for:
- A great Boston Marathon! I never really hit “the wall” (thanks to fueling throughout and a great training plan from my coach). It was a beautiful day and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The running community gives me faith in humanity
- So many fun experiences lately—Spring Break adventure with my daughter (we stayed at this Airbnb in a little town called Rainbow), Nikki Glaser comedy show, my first Long Beach Grand Prix, Easter festivities, Boston with my boyfriend (Red Sox game at Fenway Park was a highlight), “Hamilton” with my mom
- Puppy is doing great! She’s about 14 weeks or so. She fits right in and I’m so happy about that
- Freelance jobs taking the place of my full-time job… for now. It’s been stressful, but I’ll make it work
Snapshots:
From top to bottom: That finish line feeling; Spring Break vibes; three members of the animal fam; Mom and I at “Hamilton”
