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…
Desperate texts to a friend, asking for a hug.
Puffy red eyes, unkempt hair, a day in pajamas.
Spending hours wondering what will set you off if you go to the grocery store.
Hugging your childhood teddy bear tight, leaving tear stains on his furry face.
Waking up surrounded by used tissues.
Rescheduled meetings, cancelled plans, days staring out the window.
Eyeglasses falling into the toilet while cleaning, and the tear ducts break.
Finding ways to distract yourself — reading books, watching movies, baking banana bread.
Reading through expired emails from your loved one, wishing they could send just one…
10 lessons from stopping after 100 consecutive days writing
I wrote 750 words every single day for 100 days, which might be impressive. It might not be. It might have just been a way to convince myself that I’m a writer. It might have been a trivial milestone without thinking about the quality of my writing or why I was doing it.
I reached 100 days and told myself I was done aiming just for quantity. I wanted purely quality. Looking back, I realize the mistake — quantity and quality isn’t an either-or situation. It’s a both kind of situation. …
NEW ADVENTURES SERIES
Performing at Red Rocks & -2 degree weather
Continuing on from last month, I’m writing about new experiences every month this year. Here goes February!
#1 — Visiting the ice castles. Pretty cool, huh? The ice castles are an attraction found in 4 states in the U.S. To quote their website, it has “hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists.” There are tunnels and slides and sculptures (oh my!), so it was quite the sight. I just wish I had been there a little later in the day to see the lights that reflect off the ice at nighttime.
#2 — Renting an apartment without…
New Adventures Series
New year, new me, eh?
Every year, I pick a word. This year is novel, as in new (maybe book-related, but we’ll see about that one). In honor of my word, I am going to write about the new things I experienced every month this year, even the mundane things. I think it’s important to celebrate and acknowledge even the simple things in life, as it’s easy to forget all the wonderful things we’ve done and learned.
January was a big one, and though this article is a bit late, here’s a peek into my new experiences.
#1 — Buying a car. To be specific…
Climb a different mountain instead.
When I graduated from college, I thought I needed to find my dream job right away. This was the big finale of university — applying to jobs, interviewing, and finding “the one” as if this big decision meant an irreversible marriage. No take-backsies.
But it wasn’t. This wasn’t the biggest decision I would make and is not the biggest one you’ll make.
In college, no one prepares you for the inevitable job search because it’s something you need to learn on your own. No one can tell you exactly what you’re looking for or what will be good or bad…
Hey, did anyone figure this thing out yet?
This game of life. What’s the point anyway? Does anyone have the answers?
Earlier, I spent two hours outlining my goals for the next five years, and then I read an article by Tim Denning about his annual visit to the hospital in which he’s unsure if he’ll even wake up.
My breath stopped short —what if I don’t have those five years? Have I done enough? Is my life well-lived? What is life even about? (Yes, I know, deep questions at 11 pm on a Friday night).
Maybe you clicked on this article hoping for some answers, but I’m…
What if you become that someone?
Sometimes I think about how different objects came to be. Everything was someone’s dream at some point, and we take these things for granted.
In the summer, I walked around my neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and felt mesmerized by the architecture of the bridge and buildings. Honestly, it wasn’t anything too incredible, but someone built that. Someone decided to paint that house blue or install those floor-to-ceiling windows. Someone designed the neighborhood and paved the roads and hooked up the pipes and constructed the houses. And, not just one person! …
Marisa Hoenig
Female technologist, podcaster, & pun lover. On a mission to make the world a better place, one smile at a time. marisahoenig.com
