Inspired by Austin Kleon’s “10 Things Worth Sharing,” I wanted to start a similar recurring series to reflect on and share some of the moments, insights, and discoveries from my week.
1. New York’s Parks
The weather in New York is finally warmer, so I had the chance to visit the beautiful Central Park. There are so many parks in New York, and I love that it’s possible to actually walk to them or take public transportation. It was a bit weird to me that a lot of parks or hiking areas in Los Angeles were mostly accessible only by car. Fortunately, I’ve been walking and roaming again, just like I used to back in Korea.
In general, we modern humans sit way too much. A study conducted in 2023 found, based on a week’s worth of data, that the average participant’s day consisted of 7.7 hours sleeping, 10.4 hours sitting, 3.1 hours standing, 1.5 hours doing light physical activity, and 1.3 hours doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. So I think a lot of us can benefit from exploring our surroundings on foot more.
2. Time Management
Having a full-time job, I realized that more than ever, I need my early mornings. I had my first photoshoot in New York this Friday. The photoshoot was at 7:40 am before I started work, and it was great! I missed publishing Friday’s post this week, so in order not to miss it again, I should put some time aside in the morning. Of course, without stifling the fun in writing, it’s time put aside to have fun.
Like a monthly budget, a weekly schedule doesn’t restrict me—it frees me. There might be days I don’t feel like following the schedule, which is okay, and eventually, they will form into a habit I won’t think much about.
3. Spontaneity
Being spontaneous is such a fun and beautiful thing! I last-minute booked a trip to Mexico City for my birthday as I still had 40k AA miles to spend. I had an amazing time and got to use my broken Spanish a little. I think sometimes it’s nice not to overplan or overthink things and just trust in the process. I ended up being 5 hours later in Mexico than planned due to bad weather in Dallas. While it wasn’t the smoothest trip from start to finish, I still had lots of fun, and I’m already looking forward to going back.
4. Free Coffee
While I only took advantage of it once so far, Capital One Cafe offers a free beverage each Monday throughout the MLB Season. You just have to sign up with your phone number, and you’ll receive a reusable QR code.
5. Always Have Some Spare Cash
There are so many talented people in New York. Today on the subway, a singer performed All of Me by John Legend, and people around me closed their eyes, nodding their heads to the music. I need to remember to always carry a bit of cash for moments like this.
Honestly, it’s good not to rely solely on digital payments anyway—having some spare cash is smart for emergencies, too.
6. Haitian Flag Day
A friend and I went to a coffee shop named Antilles, and a sweet person next to us got a delicious-looking drink so we started chatting and learned she had ordered a Plantain Brûlée Latte—a Haitian drink. She also ordered Griot and Pikliz and offered us some to try. We even discovered we had mutual friends!
I had a great day with my new friend, whom I met at an in-house networking event, talked to so many interesting people, had delicious food, and enjoyed a sunny day, learning a little more about Haitian culture.
7. Every Day is a Reset Day
I finished reading the book “The Book” by Alan Watts, and while it does not specifically talk about reset day, it does talk about the ego and how we confine ourselves with the definitions of who we think we are. I recently realized that a person can be perceived completely differently from one moment to the next. It isn’t much about who they are but more about what they share. So, who I was yesterday doesn’t really define who I’ll be tomorrow. Each day is a reset with the option to present ourselves differently. Our past selves don’t define us—they inspire us.
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That’s it for this week. Here’s to more walking, spontaneity, and good coffee.