Things Are Changing - Newsletter #6

As a self-proclaimed comfort freak, I am currently pushing myself to the limit with new beginnings. Summer hasn’t felt like summer, I left a job after two years rather unceremoniously, and yet I am the most content and optimistic I have ever been. Well, perhaps teenage Mikayla was slightly more optimistic but she was also terrifying and intense and I am grateful for the softness I developed in the years I moved slowly. For the first time in oh-so long I am no longer working from home. I am hauling myself out of bed in the morning, putting on a little outfit, and heading to the office. It’s strange how much better I feel about myself. I was - and I mean this - distraught over the severe lack of rushing I was doing. As I reflect, this does strike me as odd considering I hate feeling rushed. I hate it so much that I wake up at the crack of dawn just so I don’t have to speed up my morning routine. I grew up in an environment that placed rushing on some kind of pedestal, productivity being the ultimate exemplifier that you are doing well, being good. Being busy was something to be proud of, and I was always incredibly aware that my ability to spin too many plates at once made other people proud of me. Therefore, somewhere along the way, I interpreted the opposite as morally bad. Moving slowly was something to be ashamed of, something to hide - to the point that I would rattle off everything I had done in a day to my flatmate just so he would KNOW I wasn’t being lazy; “HEY! I was in fact busy today, and therefore you should continue to like me.” I don’t think I am a better person now that I get up on a Monday morning and begin my commute. Placing ‘good’ or ‘bad’ labels upon all of your daily choices is neglecting the nuance that is associated with living. Quite frankly, the way you choose to spend your time says very little about your morals - that’s an extreme oversimplification of the human experience. It’s all grey baby! Be gentle with yourself.

Things that are tickling my fancy

Books that are mostly about women thinking about things. My favourite genre of novel is one in which there’s barely even a plot, the intrigue of the story stems from the narrator observing the world around her and commenting on it. It’s even better if the woman is a little nuts, therefore commenting on things in a way that is perhaps inappropriate - but not outside the scope of what we think when we’re alone, the thoughts we would never ACTUALLY share. So really - how nuts is she? These are the kind of books that are filled with passages I wish I could read aloud because the author has communicated something I understand so deeply but could never articulate in a way that made any sense. I think these novels make me feel more at home with my thoughts. If I have learned one thing recently, it’s that our experiences are more universal than we can comprehend, and I take comfort in that.

Some books that I think fit this vibe:

Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados

Luster by Raven Leilani

Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

What I’m Sipping…

Did someone say Pét-Nat summer? I feel like every man in East London wearing a gilet in 30-degree heat has definitely said something along those lines over the past couple of months. So what is a Pét-Nat?

Pét-Nat is short for ~Pétillant Naturel~ which is a term for a sparkling wine style that pre-dates the “traditional method” which is used for things like Champagne, Cava, and well, most things that aren’t Prosecco. In the traditional method, the wine gets its bubbles from the winemaker instigating a second fermentation in the bottle. With Pét-Nat however, the winemaker is employing méthode ancestrale which means they will be stopping the initial fermentation early and bottling immediately, leaving behind some residual sugars and natural yeasts which will continue to ferment in bottle, resulting in a wine that is lightly fizzy, lightly sweet, and likely funky. It is also typically sealed with a crown cap (like a beer bottle) rather than a cork. The funkiness can range from pretty extreme to clean as a whistle, so don’t write them off because I mentioned funk, it’s all the winemaker’s choice.

Why are Pét-Nats so popular right now? They’re lower in alcohol than most traditional wines deeming them a slightly smarter option. They’re also fun, they’re unkempt, they’re a little messy in the coolest way. They’re the girl at the party who didn’t put any effort into their appearance but still looks cooler than everyone else. I think they’re perfect for summer as they should absolutely be consumed COLD (serving cold helps to keep the yeasty bits at the bottom of the bottle) and they have a craft beer, craft cider kind of vibe due to that yeasty flavour. They also come in every colour (white, rosé, orange, red) so there’s something for everyone. If you’re a beer person and want to branch into the wine world - do what every craft beer guy with patchwork tattoos has done in the past year and give Pét-Nat a go.

Some good ones - some clean and some funky as hell:

Testalonga - I Wish I Was A Ninja (the cleanest)

Delinquente Wine Co. - Tuff Nutt

Delinquente Wine Co. - Weeping Juan

Nouveau Wines - Pot Luck

Tim Wildman - Astro Bunny

IN:

A little bit of drama (keeps things exciting)

Sleepovers

Commute crushes & office romance

Eyeshadow

A fashionable amount of hedonism