June 06, 2019
Notes from Summer: I have no excuse for not having done anything for this letter this week except wow I am TIRED and I can’t believe I graduated only two weeks ago. Also I aged last week! Happy 22 to me. Maybe the next letter will have an update on my job stuff.
Notes from Jillian: I am frantically writing this newsletter at the very last minute on my iPad because I’m in San Jose this week for 🔥 conference hell 🔥 and I haven’t really had time to do anything other than eat burritos in between meeting people. I’m so dehydrated but I’m having the best time! I’m at Layers, which is a really incredible design conference made by really incredible people. This is my second year going, and I just love it.
As you may know, I am obsessed with everything BA does. Claire was one of my first recommendations for this newsletter & I have only grown fonder and fonder of all of the other test kitchen chefs. Just recently did I realize I could actually just like, do the recipes? So Madi & I made Chris’s cookies! And they were amazing! And ridiculously easy (only 1 bowl!) I’ve never made brown butter before and it’s the best smell of all time and why isn’t it a candle? Bath & Body Works, hire me!
– Summer
I’ve been trying to develop a mindfulness routine—30ish minutes every day where I sit down, think about how I’m feeling, and meditate a bit. I’ve mentioned Youper, Calm, and Jour in this newsletter before, which are all apps that have been really helpful for me lately. But I recently started adding a step to my routine that’s kind of a game-changer: For 5–10 minutes, I write down everything I’m thinking about, everything that’s causing me stress and making it hard to clear my head. I get it all out. Then, I look back at what I wrote and figure out what I can do about each thing—like adding a task to my to-do list, making a note to talk to my therapist about it, or even just telling myself that it’s going to be fine. And then I delete everything and move on. I call it my “worry list,” and as simple as it sounds, adding it to my daily routine has helped me let go of some of the anxious thoughts that distract me from the good stuff.
– Jillian
I love musicals and I am deeply invested in any iteration of the Orpheus/Eurydice myth, so God made something perfect and beautiful specifically for me. I’m not that great at talking about music, but I know that Damon Daunno has made me weep several times in the past few weeks just from singing stuff. The proper stage cast album should come out soon? Maybe tomorrow? But in the meantime, listen here.
– Summer
There are probably lots of people on the internet saying way smarter things than me about this movie, so I will just say: I really, really loved it. It’s just fun and goofy and it made me cry and laugh a whole bunch. I wish I’d had a movie like this when I was in high school, but I’m glad we get to exist with it in the world now. I want to see it a million more times.
– Jillian