I spent my 33rd birthday on Sanibel Island. As we continue to grapple with COVID-19, systemic racism, an insane president, and an economy on the fritz, my privilege is not lost on me. One of the many things my privilege affords me is running. The murder of Ahmaud Arbery this year was a brutal reminder …
10 New World hyggeligt rituals
At the start of quarantine, I thought to myself two things. First, this is really bad. Clearly, we don’t know what we’re in for, and I’m scared. Then: Wow! I’m going to have so much time to do all the things. To name a few... I’m going to become the professional violin player I've always …
Gratitude in discomfort
This week I was forced to have a conversation I didn't want to have. Each year, my organization holds an All Staff retreat where 700 employees from around the world descend upon the Chesapeake Bay for a week full of keynotes, brainstorming, and socializing. It's usually fun, although exhausting. This week, the second plenary session …
Anti-hygge
Image: John Moore/Getty Images Sometimes, it will be necessary to use this platform to write about critical things. The thing about hygge is that some people say that it's a state of being in which you don't talk about politics or topics that may be divisive. I reject that. I can only feel hyggeligt if …
Never too old to learn new tricks – or change course
Meet Leppy. Leppy (LEH-pee), short for Pen-el-eh-py, is my violin who came into my life a little less than a year ago, in August 2017. I had just completed the first year of a Ph.D. program and decided it wasn’t for me. Quitting school was not easy and it took a lot of soul searching. …
Continue reading Never too old to learn new tricks – or change course
Happiness (and hygge) is work
My mama sent me Michelle L. Dozois's Smarter Living piece in the New York Times this morning where she reviews a bit about what hygge is and offers four items (slippers, a dutch oven, mini-lights, and a dog bed) that can help "you have a hygge winter." Dozois's piece is short and is primarily focused …
New Yorkers aren’t rude
A 400 year old phenomenon has teeth, but New Yorkers, at our core, are compassionate and helpful.
A most human response
Joan Dideon's humanity is revealed over and over again in her documentary, "The Center Will Not Hold."
The gift of time
This post is a reflection after reading "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
Mad About Hygge 