June issue | summertime sadness, passion projects, and monthly rec(s)
Whether you're a beautiful stranger or a human I know, I'm equally glad you're here. Now pour yourself a glass of your favorite liquid – hope it's wine, but no pressure – and let's get started.
Paraphrasing a woman we’ve had a bit too much of this year, June has slipped away like a bottle of wine (at least it was a good one—red, dry, full-bodied). We’re now in the first half of July, time is flying ridiculously fast, and it feels like I’ve entered my summertime sadness era. And please, please, please, don’t tell me I’m the only one feeling this way.
Ok, now tell me how many pop culture references have you got from the first paragraph? If you scored 3, we should be friends.
For the first time in many years I have a real summer break. My ‘in-between-jobs’ period started on June 1 (the first day of summer in Europe), and even though I take small projects to work on every now and then, I still have a ton of time at my disposal. And if you think it feels cool and liberating, it is not. At least not for me.
Turns out, I love to work. I like the routine that comes with having a full-time job. I enjoy the invisible flip that happens to us humans collectively on a Friday afternoon, when the workweek morphs into the weekend and the vibe changes in a way you can’t see but you can always feel. Turns out, having all the time in the world is overrated. If I could leave my review on Google Maps or Yelp or wherever else people leave reviews these days, I’d give it two stars max: OK for a short while, but not worth the hype.
And I know I have quite a lot of exciting things to invest my time in. The book I’m writing, this newsletter I enjoy preparing, the challenge of 100 workouts this year, a passion project @goobreakfastincluded my friend Kris and I work on—I’m lucky to have many things I genuinely care about, but it takes more wisdom than I possess to not criticize myself for not doing/being enough.
As my therapist once said, I’ve got the most sophisticated inner critic she’s ever worked with. I laughed, so I wouldn’t cry.
Idea of the month.
In the May issue of this newsletter, I introduced a new block called ‘Idea of the month.’ Some of you reposted that specific part of the newsletter, and some DM’d me on Instagram saying that was exactly what they needed to hear.
This month, I come back with another idea that blew my mind when I first heard it. And now, when I happen to have more time to spend on my passion projects, I thought it was the perfect time to share it with you.
Our world is a museum of passion projects.
If you think about it, everything our world is made of was someone’s passion project once. The library in your neighborhood, the railway connecting two coasts of the country, the outdoor gym you go three days a week to, the bakery you buy fresh bread from, the book on your nightstand, the plane you’re boarding to visit one of those bucket list destinations, the blanket you wrap yourself in on colder nights, the yoga mat you roll up after a workout, the cloths you are wearing today and the cloth you’ll be wearing tomorrow—everything around was just someone’s passion project once.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize that the key to living a fulfilling life lies in balancing out what we take with what we give, what we consume with what we produce. And it warms me up from within thinking that even this little newsletter, in one way or another, contributes to this museum we’re lucky to live in.
Monthly rec(s)
to read
If you are looking for a good summer read, I’ve got one for you. “Every summer after” by Carley Fortune is one of the very few books I’ve rated 5/5 on my GoodReads, and it must mean something.
If you like a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers kind of stories, this one’s for you. If you’re looking for a beach read that’s more layered and believable than most books in the category, “Every summer after” should be on your list.
I’ll probably write a dedicated review later this month, but in case I don’t, here are some of my favorite quotes:
“He smells like sun and soap and something new I don’t recognize. When he speaks, his voice is a deep rasp that I want to drown in.”
“I stumble right in front of Taylor who, by the way, smells like a fucking rose garden. Taylor slides into her white BMW. I notice that her handbag and loafers are also white. This woman probably shits white.”
“Words come into my head and then out of my mouth with no lag time between.”
“I lean in to give him a hug, and it feels like coming home and saying goodbye and four thousand days of longing.”
to sip while watching the sunset
Last month my girlfriends and I went for an impromptu picnic on the beach. We grabbed pizza and snacks and, naturally, some natural wine (what a wordplay, ha!). As in most cases with wine shopping, we based our choice purely on the look and feel of the labels. That’s how we ended up with a bottle of Kidev Erti Rkatsiteli 2021.
It tasted like sunshine. Or, as I later described it to one of my friends, as if hard cider made love to prosecco and a season later Kidev Erti Rkatsiteli was born and bottled and placed on the shelves of Gjusta Grocer store on Venice, California. The following day we came back to buy one more bottle simply because we had to double-check if it really was that good or maybe we were just too happy in the moment. Turned out, it was REALLY that good.
A quick reminder to drink responsibly and remember that excessive consumption of alcohol may be harmful to your health.
to watch
In June my husband and I binge-watched an Apple TV+ original series called ‘Dark Matter’ (2024). If you’re into multiverse stories as much as I am, you’re going to like this show. Unlike many movies and TV series about multiverse, the plot of ‘Dark Matter’ is quite easy to follow. The plat was good and so was the production. And the best part is that the final episode gives you the sense of closure so many TV shows these days do not.
If you’re addicted to the ‘if only’ (reference for the biggest Swifties out there), watch the show to see why not every road not taken is worth a ride.
P.S. For more TV series recommendations, check out my bonus content from June.
And that’s a wrap!
If you made here, to the very final scroll of probably, your favorite newsletter, chances are you enjoy what’s happening here. If that’s the case, will you do me a little favor? Share this newsletter with one friend who you think will enjoy it. Won’t take longer than a minute for you, will make such a big difference for me. I really want this letter to reach more like-minded people every month, and it’s you who can help me. TY!
P.S. As a matter of tradition, shout-out to my paid subscribers. You guys are special, and whenever I can’t motivate myself to sit down and write, it’s thinking of you that finally makes me do it. And for that I’m forever grateful. ♦