10 Offline Things I Did This Week

Empty parks, golden broth, getting ready to ski the Alps

Hello and good morning. This has been a devastating week for our country. The loss from the California wildfires is unimaginable. Every time I go on Instagram, I see a set of stories from someone I follow or used to know who lost everything. “Her, too?” I think. Rebuilding will take months, no, years, and all of LA, all of us with connections there, will be changed because of it. “The fires of 2025” will move and shape so many lives, I wonder if it will be similar to how we New Yorkers talk about Hurricane Sandy, or something worse.

When I think about the animals left behind or injured in the fires, my mind and body almost shut down. I’ve seen heartbreaking videos of dogs, covered in ash, at the vet—homeless and abandoned (though I want to believe it was accidental). I have been donating to this GoFundMe. Obviously, there are plenty of resources to donate to online right now, but I know this person through a close connection, and I deeply admire the work she’s doing. Despite her family of four losing everything, she’s dedicating her time to helping burnt, swollen, and displaced horses.

My heart is with LA and everyone affected. May we build back better and stronger, together.

I hope these little bits and pieces from my week—things I noticed while stepping offline—offer you a brief respite too.

10 Offline Things I Did This Week

1. Caught a rainbow prism in the West Village sky. As I ate my packed salad in Stonewall Park, I looked up and noticed a colorful play of light in the sky. When I took off my sunglasses, it disappeared—perhaps a trick of the eye or just the angle I was sitting at—but it was perfectly subtle and magical.

   

   A bit of light magic for my day

2. Went on more walks than normal. Perhaps ironically (or unironically) after sharing this week’s essay on how much I love exercise and running, I started to feel some knee and glute pain. It’s been a tough week in that regard; running is a major outlet for me and I’m now on day 7 of taking a break while I figure out what’s going on. To supplement, I’ve been taking Samson on longer walks. This week felt like the depths of winter—bitterly cold and windy, with everyone hunkered down and cozy. Still, I know how important it is to move your body and see the sky each day to fend off winter blues. When I spent a winter in Scandinavia, where sunlight lasts for barely an hour a day, I was struck by how disciplined people were about getting outside and moving during that brief daylight, no matter the weather. It’s a habit worth adopting.

3. Tried out dry needling. Dry needling is a treatment technique where very thin needles are inserted into specific spots in your muscles or tissues to relieve pain or tension. I headed up to see Teddy at Morningside Acupuncture at the recommendation of a running friend who swears by this technique. Yes, it hurt. (He inserted a needle into my pain points and flicked it around until I spasmed.) I will report back soon as I am going to try a light jog after I send out this newsletter :)

4. Packed for France. I am going back to the Alps this week, but this time I’m visiting a 200-year-old farmhouse for skiing, sauna, and outdoor adventure (like running around an alpine lake!) Packing for winter trips is so exciting to me, and honestly, I love packing in general—it’s a challenge to be as ruthless as possible, bringing only what I truly need while still anticipating the unexpected. I also love organization and making lists before a trip (ChatGPT is a great help here). I will be sending next week’s 10 Things from the French mountainside next week and I can’t wait to share what I’m getting up to!

5. Made chicken broth. IYKYK. Once you start making your own broth it’s so hard to go back to the store-bought stuff, even if it’s the frozen one at the nice health food store. I buy chicken heads and carcasses from the local butcher by the pound, roast them ‘till golden brown, then add them to a stockpot with celery, carrots, parsley, onion, garlic, bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, and black peppercorns, then simmer for 12-15 hours. What’s left is a concentrated delicious golden stock that should only be used to sip or as broth; it’s too good to hide under any other overpowering recipe!

   

   LEE’S LIQUID 16 HOUR CHICKEN GOLD

6. Brought brothy beans and cabbage over to a friend’s apartment. The best cure for a low-feeling friend is home-cooked food. I started following

   Justine Doiron
   and saw her post about cooking beans and cabbage in broth and it looked delicious so I tinkered on my own little rendition with my above stock. Added tons of parm and parsley on top; it was perfect for a cold winter’s night.

7. Watched The Substance. It’s gruesome and gory, but I loved the message: a warning about how far we might go to chase youth and beauty. Still, I can’t ignore the irony that the actresses reinforce these very standards; Demi Moore got a knee lift amongst other things. But God, she looks amazing, and can you blame her? Women will get criticized no matter what they do, so might as well look good.

8. Listened to this podcast, “How to balance obsession and self-care”. That’s Runnable is a podcast by UK-based runfluencer Tommy Lewis. I find his voice soothing and at least on his Instagram, he weaves philosophy and perspective into running, viewing it as both a physical pursuit and a path to deeper self-discovery and mindfulness.

9. Sat in an empty park. The end of the holiday season hit me like a ton of bricks. I know some people who are grateful that it’s over but I am not one of those people. It was sudden, forceful, and bitter, to be honest. Suddenly, the streets were empty, the trees were tossed to the sidewalks, everyone went back to work, and, adding insult to injury, an unwelcoming wind blew across New York City, begging you to go back inside. It was like Joy to the World was over and No More Joy Was to be Had until May. But there is beauty in the quiet, and I took this moment to recognize that:

an empty park in a usually bustling New York City

10. Called my grandmother. To beat the winter doldrums, I stay connected to my community. My grandmother is 94 and lives down in Florida and I love our time together on the phone. She reads this newsletter, too. Hi Tilly!

That’s it for my week- I’m off to walk Samson, go on a run, and see a friend for coffee.

This week’s essay for paid subscribers is about how I deleted Amazon Prime last year, only to resubscribe 6 months later—and why I’ve decided not to feel bad about it. It explores the internal conflict of trying to live in alignment with my values—like sustainability, morality, and minimalism—while navigating the realities of modern life. I notice perfectionist tendencies with things like the “No Buy” challenges and the ego behind big statements like “I deleted Amazon Prime!” The essay examines perfectionism, self-imposed rules, and the pressure to do it all right.

Ultimately, it’s about accepting the messy, imperfect choices we make and finding peace in flexibility rather than rigidity.

If you’ve ever struggled with balancing your values and modern life, this one’s for you. It’ll be sent out on Tuesday, so upgrade now to get access as soon as it’s published. See you then.