Little pleasures in my life ✨
This last month has been busy for me. Friends have visited from abroad, I’ve hosted a fun BBQ, and launched a new app1.
I’ve also started learning clowning (I’m still trying to perfect my nose! 🤡), read a classic of postmodernism, and learnt more about nuclear energy than I ever thought I’d want to know.
But despite this flurry of activity, I've made a conscious effort to stay present, and appreciate the world around me and my experience of it2. In particular, to focus on noticing the simple pleasures that make life feel good.
So, here's my delightful list of life's little pleasures — those ordinary, everyday moments that never fail to bring me joy.
The accents of people in NYC! 🗣️
Sometimes I’ll hear a voice drift into my ears, and it feels like I’ve been transported back into the films of NYC that I watched growing up.
These films oozed with a foreign romance, conflict, and societal strife: Die Hard, Home Alone, and Goodfellas. Of course these weren’t accurate depictions of the city — they were stories, and I was 10 — but they made a deep impression nonetheless. Perhaps it’s why I now live here!
During my travels, I can't help but seek out echoes of that fictionalised NYC I once admired — in the faces of strangers, the signage of public infrastructure, and the neon glow of pizzerias, but most noticeably in the accents I hear around me — voices reading from the same vibrant scripts that once played out on the silver screen.
Writing something regularly! ✍️
Every time I hit publish in Substack has helped me. It helps me notice more about the world, learn more about myself, and understand the concepts I’m thinking about much better.
Writing truly is the best way to develop deep understanding, build relationships, and compound knowledge — I’m so glad I’m doing it!
Wearing pyjamas at night on the weekend is such a treat!
I usually go to the gym on weekday mornings, so, to save time, I sleep in my workout clothes. It’s fun to be cosy when I can 🤗
The chance to learn fast through audiobooks 🎧
In particular, I’m enamoured with the Brooklyn Public Library and Libby, the audiobook app. If you have a public library near you, do yourself a favour — get a card and listen to some audiobooks. You won’t regret it.
The feeling of clean, cold water on my feet after a long, hot day out and about 💦
A long day out and about — 20K steps 😮 The way that jeans get warm and heat your skin on a sunny day in the park 🌞
People skilfully catching and throwing balls 🏀
If a picture is a thousand words, then a video is a whole essay — see here:
The gentle, calming presence of my SO, and the support and love of my family 🎉
That’s it for now, stay mindful and see you next week!
PS: I know I promised an article about authentication this week — Part 2 ended up taking longer to research and write than expected. I wanted to make sure it’d worthy of your attention when published, so I decided to spend some more time polishing. Stay tuned!