& by that I mean getting to know my immediate neighborhood, going for walks, and trying new things.
In the past, I would take the train to familiar places to do familiar things with familiar people, but the horrible train service this summer is forcing me to hang around, talk to new people and try new things.
& if I really am trying to get across town, I'm going to walk there or ride my bike. The grand result is: when I make it far away, you can know I made it because I care and I planned it out. & if I see you in the neighborhood, it's because our miracles are impulses.
Jul 28, 2024
Related Recs
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nothing much, just love 'em
i wanna live somewhere where trains are more accessible. i'm currently in the 10th circle of hell (a transportation desert) with no way to get anywhere, not EVEN the train, except to drive. and i don't drive for medical reasons, so sometimes i gotta pay for RIDESHARE to get to the station. i walk mere FEET outside of my neighborhood, i hit freeway. THERE ISN'T EVEN A BUS NEARBY I CAN TAKE TO THE STATION I HATE IT HERE
Apr 18, 2024
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- taking a bus towards a random destination and see where you end up
example: i lived in nyc for the summer & on my free days i would tell myself something like ok i heard queens has good food.. let’s head out there. so i stumbled into sunnyside queens and walked into every shop i could find just to try different foods or learn more about the cultures in the neighborhood. *this can be unsafe so to be fair i knew i was heading to sunny side & that i’d be fine i just didn’t know what i was gonna do when i got there
- when you have the travel itch, try a new cuisine.
example: pretty self explanatory, but for someone who loves to learn about new cultures and explore what they have to offer, sometimes flying there isn’t always an option. depending where you live, trying a new cuisine (bolivian, ethiopian, bangladeshi, etc) can transport you for a little bit & make you feel accomplished.
- test your social skills (or lack thereof)
example: im a pretty social person, so take this w a grain of salt. but now that i’m back home in the bay, i feel there’s a lot of catching up to do in terms of actuvuties. like, what’s the new cafe spots in town? so, i told myself i was going to have oNE new human interaction that day outside of work, family, or a random on the bus. (though randoms on the bus could work) i went to a new coffee shop in the area & sat at the bar, and chatted up some of the baristas. i’m into coffee so i asked about their machines, roasting process, and even where they source their beans. didn’t leave with a best friend, but it was a side quest completed.
- get out of ur bubble and explore public transportation.
example: i use public transit almost daily and always have. i share a car so it’s not always available, but i also have the privilege to drive to work some days and blast my music in the car. but i highly encourage everyone to explore their local transit system. i feel like it’s taught me about my city in a way i would’ve never experienced isolated in a car, and i am also able to zone out, be alone, and blast my music in my ears while being driven to my destination… ideal situation if you ask me!
hope these are helpful????? <3
Dec 26, 2024
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When I was little I had to take a 5 hour train ride to get to the city where I was born to visit my family. I remember sitting there, no phone, no ipad, just painting and drawing and watching the beautiful landscapes and the horses and the cows. I was 6 and life was good.
my goal this summer is to take the train wherever possible and re-live that magic.
Mar 30, 2024
Top Recs from @florinegrassenhopper
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No screen Sundays. If I want to listen to music its CDs or radio. If I want to watch a movie, no I don’t. If I want to see a friend, I will make plans with them on Friday or Saturday to meet up. As a result, I read more, write more, and sit with questions like “did Citizen Kane‘s 50 year winning streak in the Sight and Sound critics choice survey end in 2012 or 2022? When did Stephen Merritt come out? Whats the etymology of Whitsun?“
This is something that I have practiced off and on for many years but I’ve been doing it every week since December and I love the way that it just allows me one day of true freedom and rest.
Jan 22, 2025
Mar 3, 2025
My calendar this year has 52 of these week at a glance pages but I don’t think that way. So, I've been inspired by Ross Gay’s Book of Delighs to start recording the little moments and sensations that bring me joy throughout the day. An analog pi.fyi, if you will.
heres some of what I have so far:
- Waking up to the sound of my upstairs neighbor‘s footstep. It sounded nostalgic. Felt like company.
- Strawberry jam
- feeling tender for strangers: their lips, nail colors, their small wrists. Thinking of all the lives we hold gently.
- A young girl bought an LP at the bookstore just before I left. She stroked its cover with love
- Green tiles —the mint shade always makes me think of Jancie
- Charlie’s little bop and punch dancing to some German language punk
- lunch with Katherine, curry Brussels sprouts
- small talk at the photo studio. The photographer's brother was named after their dad, stole his identity, bought jet skis.
Jan 13, 2025