Quick Spin: It's Time For Hibernation to End
I love a big coat but enough is enough.
Happy Monday. And just like that, bootcut is back. If you’re ready to read about something other than Kendrick’s jeans, here we go.
I don’t know about you but last week was dedicated to being a homebody. For most of my life, staying home made me restless, anxious, and lonely. (I’m the one working from a coffeeshop just to be around people in the middle of my day and trying to convince my friends to hang out with me every evening after their socially exhausting full-time jobs.) But lately, it feels like a chore every time I have to bundle up and leave Bed Stuy. I like my cozy apartment and my gym and my neighborhood.
There’s obviously something to be said for slowing down during the winter, and I’ve allowed myself grace as I do that. Except for the pesky little voice that criticizes me every time I miss a scheduled run. Moral of the story is: Be nice to yourself. Except for me—hibernation ends today.
Honestly I think we’re all sick of the news cycle this week—and on top of that, we’ve all been sick. So I’m going to keep it light:
As part of a marketing stunt titled Survival Run, French artist Riles ran for 24-hours straight on a treadmill with a spinning saw behind him ready to chop him to pieces if he stopped (yeah right.) The whole production was a little hokey, but either way, the feat is impressive as hell. I did get a bit emotional watching the video of everyone clapping as he hit the 24-hour mark.
Sorry I lied already: Microplastics aren’t exactly “light” reading, but a new study was published recently that showed just how much can accumulate in the brain—which feels extra scary—so it’s been all over the headlines. According to Women’s Health, the researchers said the impact could come from the actual particles restricting blood flow, rather than toxic chemicals in them. Is that where all my brain fog is coming from? The researchers are quick to stress that we don’t actually know the health consequences, but the concentrations were six times higher in people with dementia.
So, should we care? Probably yes, of course. But the tricky thing is, this is a systemic issue—and our current administration has already proven that they don’t give a f*ck about solving problems that affect most humans. There are few individual actions you can take to minimize your risk, but don’t stress yourself out over it:
Don’t heat up your food in plastic containers
Avoid plastic packaging and bottled water
Some researchers say that meat—with its high fat content—could contain more plastic than plants
Self has a great list of other ways to cut down on exposure without spiraling into doom.
Because we can’t trust literally anything happening in the world anymore, some smart guy (Brian Moore) made a tool called Wayback.com that you can add to the end of any government URL (like epa.govwayback.com) and see an archived version of the site “from the before times” he adds, lmao.
Other things I’ve liked this week:
I tested a walking pad—that viral TikTok one—for an article a few weeks ago, and after that, I fell out of habit and continued to work from my living room floor instead of my standing desk. This week I resolved to change that and I’ve been liking cruising at a comfy 2.5 mph while typing away at my laptop. Once you get the rhythm down, it’s surprisingly easy to focus and walk.
I’ve always been a tap water girlie, I’ve been using this home water filter from Lifestraw. It’s so cute and perfect for 1 person. Mine is purple if you want to match!!!
I was invited to an IRL class from the usually-online The Sculpt Society which, tbh, is so not my type of workout because, you know, this body ain’t built for dance cardio and light weights. But in an effort to *~expand~* my fitness routine, I learned that not every buzzy class actually feels like a cult. The other girls I chatted with were welcoming, eager, and didn’t have that glisten in their eyes like they wanted to convert you. It didn’t feel like anyone was judging anyone else—even when I was flailing to keep up with the little bunny kick choreography. I personally won’t do it again, but if you’re too intimidated to try a pilates class, it might be good for you!
What I’ve Been Reading:
If the news feels overwhelming but you want to stay informed, this daily newsletter, called What The Fuck Just Happened Today?, breaks down the day in one paragraph.
I found this long-form piece on
’s Substack this week about a Brazilian woman who made a fortune off creating Uber/food delivery app profiles for immigrants. Until she got caught. Such a great read.I may be biased because my editor there is great, but Wired’s coverage of Elon Musk’s takeover has been fantastic.
Freelancing Update:
February has a way of feeling grim most years—it’s consistently the month I bring in the least income. The end of the week had me feeling more optimistic, as I placed a couple of stories, including one that I’m very excited and nervous to write. Here are stories that published this week:
Everything you need to know about navigating exercise during flu season for GQ
I’ve had shin splints this week and couldn’t run so my reporting about walking workouts for Men’s Health actually came in handy
Debunked some myths about (and talked about the benefits of) pilates for National Geographic
K, love you, bye!
the glisten in their eyes is so real!