“Make yourself so happy that when others look at you they become happy too.” — Yogi Bhajan
Updated February 4, 2021.
Hi there! I’m Marisa — a 24-year-old, multi-passionate, female technologist. I’m on a mission to make the world a better place, as cheesy as that sounds.
I’m that person that loves Mondays and that girl who tries to sneak smiles out of others — absolutely an optimist. My corny jokes make everyone’s eyes roll, but getting others to laugh is my greatest joy.
Where It All Started
I grew up in New Jersey and have since hopped from place to place, with a year in NYC and recently moved to Denver. I roadtripped across the country to move to a…
But I have a theory.
Medium has been changing over the last few months. First, they offered a voluntary buyout to employees as they shifted their business toward independent writers. Then, they started 3 straight months of bonuses to top writers. In August, they are starting the Creator Fellowship.
I saw the email in my inbox:
You’re invited to apply for a new creator program at Medium
The Creator Fellowship is a new program from August to October, and in order to be eligible, you need:
- To be enrolled in the Medium Partner Program
- At least 200 followers
- To have published 1 post within 90…
Sometimes the worst times bring out the best
Before the pandemic, my life felt dull and mindless. I was a zombie walking through a life painted for me. In 2018, I graduated from college, accepted a job, and moved my life from Atlanta to New York City. Because that’s what you do, right? You go to school for 17 years of your life, get a “good job,” and you work the rest of your life.
That’s the story I fed myself. That’s what I lived day in and day out, as I hustled to the subway in the morning, sat in an office for 8 hours, and arrived…
NEW ADVENTURES SERIES
A reflection on new experiences in June
All year, I look forward to the summer. It’s the best weather, and I feel a sense of adventure and optimism. There’s just something about that shining sunlight and warmth. While the pandemic is still here, travel has suddenly become a possibility. In June, I was on the move. I finished up my California road trip, and then I visited family after many months of not seeing them.
I used to always travel (averaging 25–30 flights per year), so I’m slowly finding my feet again. My priorities have changed with the pandemic — work is a bigger part of my…
NEW ADVENTURES SERIES
A reflection on new experiences in May
Last month, I talked about finding the joy in routine, finally settling into my life here in Colorado and enjoying the rhythm of every day. With the incredible weather and my self-declared summer break, May was a little more busy than the last. Here are some of my new adventures.
#1 — Driving through a car wash. Can you believe I’ve never driven through a car wash before? To clarify, I’ve never been the driver going through. I don’t think I’ve ever purposely put my car in neutral until this moment. My car earned quite a bit of mud, bugs…
I hope you knew the “I love you” was implied.
There are some relationships in which “I love you” is never uttered. The love is implied — it doesn’t need to be heard to exist.
Instead, love is felt by the earnest questions over emails and the smile heard through the phone. Love is felt by the genuine smile and warm hug when you meet in person.
We had one of these kinds of relationships — one where love existed from the beginning. I never questioned it, and it never needed to be said. And yet, now that you’re gone, I wish I had said “I love you” more. I…
NEW ADVENTURES SERIES
A reflection on new experiences in April
Every month this year, I’ve written an article chronicling the new things I try or that happen in my life. As the months wear on, my new things dwindle. January had 11, February had 8, and March had 7. For April, we’re left with a measly 4.
Why? Why have I suddenly lost the motivation to find new things? Why have new things lost the motivation to find me? It could be from settling into my new life in Colorado and getting stuck in the cadence of a routine. There’s something special about feeling the same rhythm every day —…
NEW ADVENTURES SERIES
A reflection on new experiences in March
As a kid, I hated trying new things. We’d sit around the dinner table, and my mom would say “just take a bite. Try it.” The broccoli would sit there. Why did I have to try something new? I was perfectly fine with my consumption of chicken fingers and macaroni (or whatever else I deemed a well-rounded diet). I often refused to try new foods, earning the badge of “picky eater.” New was scary. New was taking a step forward without knowing if solid ground lay ahead. New was taking a chance on opportunities.
I grew up and learned that…
How to stop holding yourself back from opportunities
Again and again, I’ve heard people say…
“Who am I to reach out to that person?”
“Who am I to think I know this topic better than others?”
“Who am I to write a book?”
And I ask you…
Who are you? Who are you to believe you can’t?
Who are you to take away this dream of yours and believe you’re incapable?
Who are you to question qualifications that no one requires?
Who are you to not pursue things you enjoy in this one life you have?
Stop comparing yourself at your starting line to others at their finish line.
You will never see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into someone’s published book or…
One year later, isolation still hits hard
As the wind and rain tugged at my hair, I stood alone on the pier, on the edge of the East River in New York City. After a week of not talking to a single person in real life, I walked to the pier in the rain, happy to feel the drops on my face — happy to feel anything after days of emptiness.
Loneliness became my best friend. I stood alone in the growing storm, staring across at Manhattan, once lively and exciting but now quiet and eerie. The ferry cut through the water, still running with no passengers…
Marisa Hoenig
Female technologist, podcaster, & pun lover. On a mission to make the world a better place, one smile at a time. marisahoenig.com
