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taking public transit when you live in a city is a gift. one little drawback is that you’re either running a little early or a little late to your destination, especially with weekend transit schedules. sometimes, i like to take a little stroll around the neighborhood where my appointments are, just taking it all in, being present, being open.
today, it was golden hour in the industrial neighborhood and i was running early. doesn’t this water tower in the sunset light look like something out of an Edward Hopper or Grant Wood painting?
Jan 27, 2025
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I like to do this, too. Wandering around is one of my favorite things to do in the city, in general.
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tbh most of the time i’m walking around my neighborhood it’s because i’m on the way to the subway to go to work. it has sort of cast a “blegh, work” vibe over the route i usually take. last night i walked that way with a friend just for fun, and it was lovely! i recommend it.
Feb 27, 2025
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I enjoy waking up early making a coffee and walking around the neighborhood with headphones before it’s too busy.
Feb 11, 2024
it’s finally warming up, and my dog is aching to be outside sniffing every tree and lawn. we took a very leisurely morning walk, over and hour out there, soaking up the sunshine. what made it more fun and perhaps a little more centering was leaving my phone in my pocket (aside from snapping a couple of photos) and tuning into a playlist i just finished on my iPod.
even after living in this neighborhood for almost three years, I’m still surprised by new-to-me murals and the ways everyone beautifies their homes. thanks to my pup for getting me out there.
Jan 29, 2025
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i canceled my Spotify account over the summer and have spent the last few months rebuilding my digital music library on a refurbished iPod Touch. reading critiques of the app (and it’s enshittification), i realized i wasn’t even sure of my own musical tastes and preferences. i had stopped picking for myself, stopped seeking out new music, ceasing to know how to choose what i wanted or articulate what i like.
breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! i’m borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isn’t being tracked by Spotify and i own what’s in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when i’m out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.
Jan 16, 2025
i’ve been trying to articulate why i enjoy this space so much. yes, the UX is reminiscent of Tumblr and the early days of the internet. and there’s genuine sincerity and vulnerability on here that makes it feel really cozy and real, which i haven’t felt online in at least a decade.
but i think what’s undergirding my love of this space is how anti-capitalist it feels. most of the recs everyone shares are vibe-checks, quality of life shifts, meditations and offers, music and movies, just plain good art. i don’t feel compelled to buy anything when i come here. i feel excited and pumped to be a cheerleader, find connection, find common ground. and FWIW the recs i’ve shared that have gotten the most traction are my suggestions for leading a less capitalistic / consumerist life (quitting Amazon, getting off of Spotify, building community to take care of you and your things).
all of this is to say, i love it here and i love you guys.
Feb 7, 2025
hear me out—this one might feel impossible, but i quit purchasing items on Amazon in 2018 and cancelled my GoodReads account shortly after.
i did some serious reflection and realized i’d become super reliant upon, and frankly, quite used to the instant gratification of purchasing something and knowing i’d have it within a day. that’s not normal. the labor practices, economics, and environmental impacts of getting what you want from the internet delivered quickly and right to your door are skewed. i was filling a void in myself with mindless purchases.
i’m aware that they service a huge swath of the internet (Amazon Web Services), own Whole Foods and Abe Books, and will likely take over more businesses we like and rely on. weaning off and avoiding entirely is very very hard, but it can also be a measured decision. that said, i know that it is a privilege to abstain from Amazon. i am able bodied, i don’t have kids, i have access to a car, i live in an urban environment with access to a lot of stuff at my fingertips. but making the choice to break out of the Amazon loop has ultimately been better for my pocketbook and better for my relationship to these mega-tech-companies that have their fingers in everything.
in contrast, i’m becoming more interested in alternate economies, like bartering and sharing. i love the idea of having commonly shared tools and items (tool libraries are very cool). we don’t need to own it all, we have each other.
interested in exploring more? the zine pictured below is a great start, and summarizes a much larger book by the same author on how to resist the leviathan that is Amazon.
Jan 22, 2025