A place to jot down the random stuff that pops in my head. Tadaima is Japanese for "I'm home!" or "I'm here!". It's also a great album by Akiko Yano. ✉️ C...
The other day I was helping a client with a Shopify site. She wanted the layout in a particular way and provided mockups, but as I was setting it up, I realized her mockup didn't match any of the available layouts. That meant I would have to custom build one, which would take twice as long and cost twice as much than what she was willing to pay (I had worked with her before and knew her budget).…
Like most people, I've been growing increasingly concerned about microplastics. I don't think I started taking the fear mongering seriously until that 2024 study said we all needed to throw out our black plastic spatulas yesterday . I remember the day I heard that news, I went in my kitchen and looked around and saw that everything was plastic. So gradually I started replacing things one-by-one:…
I finally reached Level 5 on Dreaming Spanish (600-ish hours), and to celebrate, here's a list of some Spanish words I like at the moment: Conquistar This word means exactly what you think it means, however it's used in place of "winning someone over." For example, in TV shows whenever characters talk about wooing someone, they say something like, "Te voy a conquistar (I'm going to win you over)"…
I don't like doing a lot of things, but sometimes I just do things because I know I'll get an amusing anecdote from it. In fact, that's my main motivation for most things. Sure I might be miserable, and sure I might be surrounded by people I don't know or care about, but at least I'll get a story out of it. I once was watching a Simon Amstell stand-up special a while back, and in it he tells a…
I'm not pretentious when it comes to coffee. I like it slightly weak and bitter with a ton of milk or cream in it, and that's it. Go to any cafe in America and this is the kind of coffee you find: drip coffee, bitter but weak, with a splash of milk (some people even push it further with pumps of sweeteners, but fortunately I'm not that uncultured). However, it wasn't until the first time I left…
I'm not a high maintenance girl, cause high maintenance costs money. I sometimes watch those videos on YouTube of girls showing off their monthly "self-care routines" and it's honestly insane. Although I have to admit, there is a part of me that would like a more polished, less "casual" appearance, I just struggle with justifying the price. And then I came to Thailand. One of the best things about…
A month ago I was in Asia on a long trip, and so I was excited to see some temples. Temples are huge tourist attractions, especially in Thailand, but not all of them are equal (or so I've learned). Although these were legit holy spaces (you have to take off your shoes, can't wear shorts, have to cover your shoulders), by the time I visited Temple #246, I felt disillusioned. One temple had a woman…
A few months ago I was getting ready for a trip by doing what I normally do: fill my e-reader full of new books. The trip included a very long journey on a train, so I wanted to make sure I had plenty to read (another reason why I prefer e-readers to physical books). I use Libby to borrow books, and my local library normally has everything I've ever searched for, usually with no waiting period…
Everyone talks about how people are lonely because they're missing a "third place." I grew up in a town where the only "third place" was either church or the mall, but lately my town has been making more of an effort to get people to leave their homes. Close to my parents' house they built this little place that has a bunch of restaurants, bars, yoga studios, and coffee shops that surround an…
My friend and I have a theory that when you rent an apartment, it starts going downhill after two years. Everything usually starts off well (the building is nice and clean, the amenities are good, the maintenance team is responsive, the apartment is in good condition, etc.), but for some reason, after renewing the lease, things slowly go awry. I've noticed this myself with every apartment I've…