fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
You Can Never Go Home — And That’s OK
By: Ryan Frawley
Tags: Travel, Family, Traveling, Short Story, Beyourself

Sparrows live here.

It stays warm all year, of course, and the crumbs of overpriced food dropped by passing travelers who eat from boredom more than hunger are enough to raise a family on. I know that the birds live here, raising chicks in the steel rafters and shitting on the polished floor, rather than it being a case of a few unlucky individuals getting trapped and lost inside the cavernous space of the airport. Because I’ve seen them before. I’ve been here before. I almost live here myself.

We’ve all been here before. The droning chatter. The manufactured smells. The facsimile food. The silent, highly decorous and utterly ruthless war for power outlets. It doesn’t need describing. One echoing departure hall mimics all the others. Even the languages hardly change. After so long abroad, my head turns by itself at the sound of English being spoken. At the airport, I hear it a lot.

It’ll be English and French in Edmonton, too. My phone, set on top of the half-empty case at my side, chimes regularly with updates. An ocean and most of a continent away, my brother is killing time in a place just like this, waiting for his flight while I wait for mine.

The sparrows drop quickly from their perches above the shops, tiny wings blurred by motion as they fall. That’s the look I was trying to achieve when I had a sparrow tattooed on my arm years ago.

The memory’s corners have become rounded from frequent replay.

Damp air rising from towering trees and a faint mist hovering over the dark water of the lake. My footsteps hollow on the small wooden bridge. The cloud of twittering sparrows bursting from the bushes and surrounding me in an instant. I can still feel one bird’s twiggy toes on my outstretched finger while the bright black bead of its eye stared into mine.
3 Valuable Lessons I’ve Learned on My Way to Better Skin
By: Manuela Putz
Tags: Women, Feminism, Health, Acne, Beyourself

When I went to my dermatologist because of strong acne and acne scars, she told me to change my diet.

I winced and felt the vanishing happiness in my life. I love eating so much, and I wasn’t reading to give up the food I like.

Avoiding sugar, wheat, white rice, and especially coffee. It seemed like pure torment to me! Even though I eat plant-based and as healthy as possible, I’m more of a person who does lots of sports to eat more without feeling bad.

During the week, I skip breakfast in the morning and only drink a coffee cup with oat milk while sitting in my yellow wing chair. It’s such a relish! I adore sweets like vegan ice-cream or dark chocolate! I couldn’t imagine my daily life without sugar.

Still, I needed to find an effective way to beat my acne to avoid strong medication like Accutane.

My skin still looks bad, but it’s way better than it was a few weeks ago. There are no new inflammations, my skin is healing, and the scars are getting lighter. Apart from avoiding the above-mentioned foods, I take five yeast pills every day, and I’m thrilled about the progress.

During the last few weeks, I learned three life-changing lessons in terms of health and nutrition. Here’s what has changed my opinion:
I’m a Teenager and I Don’t Rebel.
By: Anshari Hasanbasri
Tags: Rebellion, Lessons Learned, Mature, Teenagers, Beyourself

For the past few years, I’ve been feeling like being less in the family hierarchy, to stand on my own feet.

To not get anguish whenever my father said a thing when I wake up few minutes late took too much out of me: “I know what I’m doing and I know how to learn from my own mistakes,” so I had always wanted to shout to everyone (though I’ve never actually done so).

It’s gotten even more challenging since the pandemic lockdown hits:

I couldn’t work on my new low-calorie diet, because to not eat as much as I used to at home would seem to look unusual, and possibly invites further eat-healthy advice from my parents, which I literally prayed won’t actually come up as it would seem like I don’t know what I’m doing.

I couldn’t exercise at home, not because there was no space, but because I had never exercised at home where my parents could see me, potentially inviting comments — “Oh, now you know how to take care of your own body!” as if I was still a child who needed to be told to exercise.

Any kind of situation which, at least to me back then, evokes the fact that I was still a child, whose each action need to be supervised by his parents, triggers a cue to escape, to shut everyone’s mouth up, to show that I am capable of being on my own.

To listen to unasked advice felt like being untrusted, disrespected, or pitied, and, if it makes sense, betrayed.

It was only natural for me to avoid getting into such a situation. But that practically limits most of my freedom of action.

I couldn’t help but think of how amazing it must be to quickly get out of here and live somewhere alone.
The Space Between Us
By: Celine Chong
Tags: Mwc Space, Migration, Culture, Life, Beyourself

I was raised in the open spaces of Australia, where the sun is a luxury taken for granted. Sport is a worshipped past time and sunscreen is a must. But beneath Australia’s bright, white surface, unspoken stories of a violent past linger.

I love quintessential Aussie things — savouring the last TimTam, a $2 sausage sizzle or a day out at the beach. Slang rolls easy from the tip of my tongue (it’s Maccas — never McDonald’s) and I love the vast natural wonders of our land down under.

I am Australian, and I love our way of life — the values we strive for and the friendliness of our culture.

Yet, even after seventeen years, I catch myself calling Caucasians ‘locals’ and we are the ‘outsiders’ — living here, but never Australian enough to be bestowed the title.

Is it because my hair is straight and black, and my single-eyelids lack that coveted double crease?

Or perhaps because wearing shoes in our house is akin to scandal, and we eat rice with shared dishes instead of meat-and-three-veg.

Or was it Pauline Hansen’s words, that cut so deep they have become ingrained in our being.

“We are in danger of being swamped by Asians.”

Mine is a story of migration, adoption and assimilation, caught between the spaces and swallowed up by the great, white expanse.
Why I Got On A Rollercoaster…. I have a confession…
By: Shari Walker
Tags: Rollercoasters, Scared, Writehere, Lessons Learned, Beyourself

My pep talk did nothing as I dragged my feet as we approached the front of the line.

I couldn’t believe how fast the line moved, I mean, we waited in lines for literally two hours, and this one seemed to speed through in under twenty minutes.

I thought to myself, “dang, I can’t even use the excuse the lines too long.” Finally, we arrived at the front of the line, and I thought about what led up to this moment.

Photo by Tachina Lee on Unsplash

The three reasons I got on the rollercoaster was because:

1. Peer Pressure

I had let the peer pressure to follow the crowd persuade me to try this coaster I knew I didn’t want to ride.

2. Pride

I was embarrassed to admit as an adult, I was still afraid to get on a roller coaster that still made my heart do backflips.

3. Insecurity

If I didn’t ride, I would be labeled weak and teased throughout the day.

Once the seat clamped, I immediately regretted my decision, my heartbeat faster, hands sweated. I looked to my right, and right before I raised my hand to tell the roller coaster operator I didn’t want to ride, it took off.

Some people love the exhilaration of feeling weightless. They take pride in being able to ride crazy roller coaster rides. But, unfortunately, that person is not me.

Photo by Daniel Herron on Unsplash

The ride shot fast, like Flash from DC Universe running a sprint to save the world. Explain Stuff explained that normally in our daily lives, we only feel about 1g, while at most times on coasters only feel a maximum of 2–3.5g. The Manta felt like 50g.

My experience on the coaster was interesting, to say the least.

It would speed forward at superhero speed and then suddenly stop. My hands sweated, I screamed, I felt the popcorn I had been holding floating to the top of my esophagus.

I closed my eyes, and the coaster ride felt scarier. I yelled, “never again! Never ever again in my life!”.

I know some may say, well, you survived it, so it must not have been that bad.
The Case For Working Less
By: Hector Hughes
Tags: Working Life Balance, Parkinsons Law, Beyourself

Time is funny thing.

We’re awake for 16 hours every single day. 16 hours!

And yet it feels as though we don’t have a second to spare.

Time Poor

In 2016 I moved to London from a little village in the Cotswolds.

Off to the big city

I’d got a job at a tech startup: Nobly POS (you can still find me on their homepage!)

Eager to impress I threw myself into the work.

During the next three years I did everything from cold calling in a dingy office in Whitechapel to setting up offices in the US and Australia.

For that time I didn’t have a moment to myself. Squeezing in a doctor’s appointment became an impossible ordeal.

And yet, as far as I can remember, I still had 16 hours each day.

Looking back, my actual work contribution was minimal.

So where did all that time go?

Inertia

Running Unplugged has been a wonderful opportunity to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Without adult supervision, I’m now completely in control of my time.

What I’ve learned is that time gets frittered away on “busy” work- work that feels important but adds no value.

Empty calendars get filled. Pointless zoom calls get scheduled. Free afternoons get consumed by emails.

It’s true, there’s a lot to do running a business; if Ben or I don’t do it it won’t get done. But the actual work doesn’t take long.

Those “high priority items” burning a hole in my to do list can usually be sorted with half an hour and a clear mind.

The problem is inertia.

Inertia (noun) — a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.

Being busy creates inertia.

It’s a full calendar and a cluttered mind that take up time.

My three years of flat out work at Nobly? Inert.

I spent so much time on “busy work” that the genuinely important problems lay dormant as elephants in the room.

Me, a couple of elephants, and a calendar full of meetings; no wonder I couldn’t find time for that doctors appointment.

The Case For Working Less

As my own boss, I’ve had the opportunity to do something about it.

I’ve found proactively scheduling downtime is the antidote.

I’ll now do the big thing for the day, touch base with my cofounder, and then drag myself off on a walk or to get stuck into a book.

If I’m feeling on the ball I’ll dip back into work for another hour in the afternoon, and usually that’s enough.

Sure, it doesn’t always work out like this- some days there are fires to put out and cabins to clean- but I’ve found that the days now seem longer. I actually feel like I have 16 hours.

This is wonderfully captured in Parkinson’s Law:

“Time expands to fill the time available for its completion” ― C. Northcote Parkinson

By budgeting less time to work I’ve found I spend more time on the important stuff. There simply isn’t the time to waste on the fluff.

The point is not to work less to achieve less, it’s to work less to achieve more. By working less we can relax, focus, and let our creativity blossom.

I find a huge part of avoiding this inertia is limiting my time “online”, but that’s a conversation for another day.
The day the dog sat still
By: Dale Swackhammer
Tags: Family, Dogs, Funny Story, Weed, Beyourself

My daughter had been away for a few days and left the dog for me and her younger sister to watch. The pup soon glued to her sister and she could not sit anywhere without the dog jumping and curling up on her lap.

Upon her return, the dog would usually be a bundle of barely contained energy to see her. The little tail would wag madly and the force made her hind legs hop to and fro, bouncing and scratching in an enthusiastic effort to leap into her arms and repeated lick at her. This time, her enthusiasm was underwhelming. She barely got a wag out and looked as if she was off depression meds.

A short while later, my daughter rushed out of the bedroom to put the pup on a pee pad. The pup had started to dribble on my bedsheets.

At first, the pup just sprawled out on the pad. She then made a feeble attempt to get up. Limping and stumbling around for a bit, she would flinch any time a raised hand came near her. The family loves the pup and was never abusive. Eventually, she hobbled back to the pee pad and plopped down again, frozen and unmoving.

After avid questioning any family members around, we tried to piece together the mystery behind the dog’s behavior. No one could think of anything different in her daily routine.
Relocation Is Not Just About a New Place — It’s About a New You
Tags: Life Lessons, Personal, Change, Life, Beyourself

Stepping out of the comfort zone

I still remember my first job transfer. I was moving away from my hometown to almost the remotest part of India. I was sick in my stomach when I first got the news. I almost considered giving up the job. Obviously, that was too farfetched.

I can still feel that moment of scare and fathomless sorrow, standing on the railway platform, waving goodbye to my father as he was leaving on the train—the feeling of being all alone in an unknown city. I sat there for quite some time before I took a cab back home — the new one.

It was the first time I would be doing things on my own. It was an unnerving experience. So, I started with the basic unpacking of stuff. Then I went off to buy some groceries. The next day was all blocked for updating the address of my bank accounts. One small thing led to another, and eventually, I was all settled in the new environment.

And with every shifting, this just kept getting better. It helped me build confidence in my ability to do things on my own.

A simple task like finding the perfect nest starts with hunting for the right kind of community to stay in, evaluating options, ranking them, and finally making a decision. And relocating is an amalgamation of many such tasks. And doing this again and again and again, just made me handle things better and make better decisions.
Are you Crazy or PMSing?
By: Daniela Marin
Tags: Mental Health, Wellness Tips, Menstruation, Womens Health, Beyourself

Am I crazy or PMSing?

A recurrent question that has wandered in my head for the last decade.

Most months (if not all), I struggle with a laundry list of symptoms that destroy the essence of who I am — I promise I am not exaggerating.

My symptoms impact every aspect of my life. I often have to explain to my family, friends, partner, and even co-workers that I am going through an internal hurricane. I get that it is not fair that they have to deal with my sh*tty mood. Trust me, I have to try to finesse my way through PMSing days, but some moths are nearly impossible to tone down.

Whenever I tell someone that I am PMSing, the common responses are twofold. Either a face that states, “How convenient,” or a look of relief saying, “Same.”

The PMSing world is pretty black and white, though mostly black. Only a small percentage of people understand what you are talking about; everybody else thinks you are excusing your crazy with the time of the month. Only those that experience it, know what it truly is, and offer genuine support.

I do not blame people for not believing me, being that the research on this topic is limited, full of myths, skeptical, and saturated with unclear answers. Most people think it’s typical of women to act hysterical; therefore, they assume that that is just how we operate. They fail to consider a biological condition that flares up once a month, which we actually DESPISE.

The other unfortunate issue here is Treatment Options. I have gone to doctors and done extensive research on this. The latest updates on medical recommendations include the prescription of psychotropics (antidepressants) or hormones.

Antidepressants will potentially regulate your mood on the sad days, which are ten to seven days out of the month for the most part. I do not think it’s fair to put our bodies through medication side effects to target a few days of sadness and mental agitation.

will potentially regulate your mood on the sad days, which are ten to seven days out of the month for the most part. I do not think it’s fair to put our bodies through medication side effects to target a few days of sadness and mental agitation. In the same way, I distrust taking hormones. Virtually anything can alter your hormones and make them go from 0 to 100 in 5 seconds. Hormones are unpredictable and erratic by nature.

My message to doctors: “Thank you, Next!”

Note: If you know of any effective treatment for PMS, please do not hesitate to share with me
The One Thing That Matters the Most
By: Ria Vanessa Caliste
Tags: Finding Yourself, Meaning Of Life, Purpose Driven Life, Life, Beyourself

Today, I am reminded that while the day to day responsibilities of living will continue to exist, it should not cause focus to be lost on what truly matters. Living my life to fulfill my purpose. Of course, there are irks and annoyances that will always come my way. It becomes dominant though when I allow it to overcome my thinking and consume my waking and on occasion, sleeping thoughts.

It was a needed reminder that should I be living my last day, I wouldn’t be concerned with the bills to pay — not that I am saying to be financially irresponsible. However, I wouldn’t worry about the unexpected expenses that occur when we least want them to.

I certainly wouldn’t be concerned with whether someone did me something that I deemed unfair or wrong, I wouldn’t be concerned with getting some clothing apparel, technology device, or whatever consumer item I may be interested in purchasing. No, certainly none of the above.

I also wouldn’t be worried about if I had the latest fashion outfits and shoes in my wardrobe, or even if I would get such. I wouldn’t be concerned in the least about these or any other range of things along this line.

What I would be concerned about is if I had any regrets about something I said or didn’t say to someone, things I believed I should have done and not done.

Opportunities that I had and didn’t embrace, were the overarching thoughts that would pervade my mind. Those are the things that would matter.
How I Dealt With My Cat’s Death
By: João V Souza
Tags: Self Improvement, Personal Development, Life Lessons, Entrepreneurship, Beyourself

The day is not over yet

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react that matters.” — Epictetus

After my mom told me that my cat has just died, I was speechless. I hung up off the phone and took a moment for myself.

I don’t know if you are a cat or dog person. I don’t know if you like animals as I do. But that was painful for me.

My dad died in a car accident when I was eight years old. I got my pet one year after that. Our door was opened, and the cat went it. We thought that she was from one of our neighbors, but she wasn’t, and she ended up living there with us. I grew up and became an adult having this pet making me company.

Photo by João Vítor on Facebook

I was feeling sad, but I didn’t cry at that moment. I closed my eyes, put my head down on the table, and started to breathe slowly. I don’t know if my partners notice something strange about me at that moment. I frankly didn’t care. I just want to have a moment for myself. We still had a lot of work to do to finish the big project, and now I had to deal with this awful news.

I kept breathing slowly for about ten minutes. While I was doing that, I was thinking about the things that I still had to do. Being an entrepreneur is difficult. It’s not like I could leave, and someone else would finish my part. If I was an employee, maybe that could happen. I had chosen the life of an entrepreneur, and now I had to take responsibility.

I opened my eyes and started to work again. I didn’t tell anyone what has just happened. Nobody didn’t ask me why I was with my head down for ten minutes. They probably thought that I was too tired of working restlessly for the past couple of weeks and was trying to recover my energies a little bit. In some way, that was what I was doing.

It was the middle of the afternoon. I knew that I would have to work late again. Frankly, I was unsure if I was going to sleep home that night. The project we were finishing needed to be live the next morning. There was a scheduled presentation, and the client was counting on us. I had to focus on that.

The night arrived, and we still had a lot of work to do. Besides my three partners, we had two freelancers working with us from their homes for this project. As we started to be afraid of not finishing on time, we called both of them to work together with us in the office. We ordered pizza for everybody and kept working all night long.

It was 6 AM, and everybody finished their parts. The presentation was going to happen at 9 AM, and we had a meeting with the client at 8 AM. However, I still hadn’t finished all my parts. It was hard for me to keep working that night. I was able to work, but I wasn’t at my full speed. Everybody left the office to go to their homes to rest a little, but I stayed there.
Daily Life, Destiny, and Impotency of Mankind
By: A. Kübra Kuyucu
Tags: Life Lessons, Destiny, Relationships, Impotence, Beyourself

I started the day sleepy but I couldn’t sleep along the way while I am going to my job. That was not a good start however, it has changed after I talked to one of my friends. The thing made me happy in this talk was nothing but my deduction that we will be talking more, sharing more and we both are eager to this. I am not sure if there is more than this deduction but I couldn’t focus my job all morning thanks to my happiness.

At the beginning of afternoon, my happiness has replaced itself with discomfort because one of my friends canceled our meeting at the very last moment. Actually, it was not really an arranged meeting, we decided a time but we also said that this is not certain. However, I went to her and she said that she has another meeting. I am again not sure if the thing made me discomfort was the cancelation or my reaction which I couldn’t show or something else but I was very annoyed all afternoon. Thus, I couldn’t focus on my job all day.

When I was in my bus to go home, I kept feeling bad until a woman, who I didn't know before, came and sit near me and started a conversation. We had a very nice chat in which we both are aware that there will be more between us and we will be improving ourselves with these deep, qualified talks. Thus, my feelings again returned to very positive.

I was really okay until the tension occurred between my home mates. It wasn’t related to me at the beginning but then, somehow, I was part of it. Then, I listened to some music and tried to make myself better. I was also feeling that there is much more what I have experienced today than what I told you so far. Let’s try to dive a little deep together.

First of all, all the things that affected my emotional state are related to people. My relation with them made me bad and good too. That shows how much I was depending on the people. If they are compassionate to me, I am fine; If I see even a crumb of tyranny, it is enough to pull me down.

This also shows how impotent and how poor I am. See, my emotions have changed many times today and it was not under my control. I can’t do anything if the meeting was canceled at the last moment or I have no power to bring a stranger near myself nor I can’t force anyone to talk to me.

Shortly, there is no need to show myself more than who I am. It is best to accept the power(powerlessness) I have, it doesn’t go further than several steps. There is also no need to try to control everything since there is no way at all. Message to myself: Keep living your life, smile to people, accept your destiny as it is if you can’t change anymore and cry when it is time.
I Meditated Daily For 30 Days — Here Are The 5 Lessons I Learnt
By: Dipanshu Rawal
Tags: Mindfulness, Life Lessons, Productivity, Meditation, Beyourself

It started again — my anxiety attacks. I knew what (read: who) was the reason, but… I had to deal with my sweaty palms before I deal with anyone else.

This has happened in the past too — this kind of heartbreak, this kind of anxiety, this kind of helplessness.

So, this time I gave up.

I gave up on being helpless.

Because I knew if I don’t change, nothing else will change. I can’t be expecting different results when I am putting in the same kind of effort.

Like any other time, I decided to brainwash myself with peace and calmness.

I started reading up books and blogs about “how to become peaceful”.

And one thing that was the most common in all the blogs and books I read — it was meditation.

I bought the paid version of the “Insight Timer” app and decided I’ll meditate for 30 straight days, without any break.

So, I Meditated Daily For 30 Days — Here Are The 4 Lessons I Learnt -

It’s TOUGH.

Anyone who’s telling you otherwise is just fooling you.

Meditation is tough, and it demands a lot of effort.

Also not to forget, anything that is worth having, never comes easy.

You need consistency.

When I don’t meditate for a week, I need to start it over. Like anything else, you need to be consistent with meditation. That’s why I made this commitment of meditating daily for straight 30 days.

It’s better if we put this in our routine, and make it a habit.

You need patience.

The first day I meditated, while going through an anxiety attack, I cried. With tears rolling down my cheeks, I couldn’t meditate. But then I did anyway.

A lot of people cry when they meditate, initially.

And that’s why it requires a lot of patience. And persistence. And practice too.

You need practice.

There was a time when I was meditating for one-hour straight on a daily basis. But then for some reason, I quit meditating, and when I resumed it after a few weeks — the maximum I could meditate in one sitting was only for a few minutes.

You need practice. I know this because when I started meditating, doing it for 1 minute was tough. But then I practiced doing it more and more. And I could do it for an hour.

The result of all this?

I changed.

And it was probably the best change in me so far.

I slowed down. I became patient. I became calm. I started seeing things clearly. And I became peaceful.

All this — just because I meditated for continuous 30 days without a break.

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What is Spanish for Unbelievably Anxious and Exhausted?
By: Katy Ferry
Tags: Personal Development, Anxiety, Motherhood, Life Lessons, Beyourself

I took a course to get certified in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). After I received my certification, I got a part-time job teaching English at a business and as a private tutor for children and adults.

We had a second daughter about two years after we returned to Madrid. She’s amazing and funny and incredibly headstrong. She’s been that way since she made her way into the world. She didn’t like to sleep, daytime or nighttime. She cried all the time. I cried every day for six months. I would call my husband at work, sobbing, because I couldn’t get her to nap. She would eventually fall asleep from sheer exhaustion after crying for hours, usually on me, at some point, but it felt like those precious, wonderful, blissful, cuddly, sweet moments were overshadowed by my inabilities as a mother.

I was failing again. My anxiety was at an all-time high. Finally, we decided to hire someone to come watch the baby for two hours a morning so I could get out and go to the gym or the grocery store or just get a cup of coffee and see a friend.

The author and her younger daughter. Photo altered for her daughter’s privacy.

I look tired, but not depressed or stressed or anxiety-ridden, right? I did a pretty good job of hiding my difficulties from anyone that wasn’t my husband. I felt ashamed. I had a wonderful, extremely privileged life, and I got the privilege of being “just a mom” and I couldn’t even do that right. Our baby got older, the babysitter (cuidadora in Spanish) made a huge difference and I made it out of the darkness.

Now, we’ve been back in DC for a year. Our older daughter is eight and in her second year at bilingual school in the U.S. Our baby, not a baby anymore at three years old, has started Pre-K 3, five days a week. Just like my first daughter, I spent the year between ages two to three at home full-time, with no breaks. I can probably count on both hands the number of hours I was fully away from my younger daughter during those 12 months. It’s been rewarding and amazing to watch her grow. It’s also been incredibly difficult. She continues to be headstrong and vocal and sometimes she’s just a pain in the ass. I love both my girls with a fierceness that I never imagined I could love anyone, but toddlers are insane!

Again, the anxiety about my abilities as a mother have returned. Have I done enough to prepare her for school? Did I let her watch too much tv? Did we spend enough time playing? What if she hasn’t fully learned the alphabet??
Life, The Universe, and Bicycle Repair
By: Gill Benzion
Tags: Personal Development, Community, Life Lessons, Personal Growth, Beyourself

It doesn’t always fit like it’s supposed to.

I may have picked up a new bike on my first trip to the shop, but I wasn’t ready to give up on the yellow Peugeot quite yet. The very next day I took the bus back to the shop, determined to ride that yellow Peugeot home. And I did, with replacement rims, freshly trued, a newly rebuilt hub, and a handful of spare parts to tinker with. A trial by fire if ever there was one. I picked up a valuable lesson too: standard parts don’t fit on a French bicycle! In fact, almost nothing fits on a French bicycle!

Let’s face it, things don’t always work out the way they’re supposed to. You can give up, sure, or you can improvise. I didn’t always find the right parts for the bike, so I modified a few or even Frankensteined a few from other parts. It’s not ideal, and it doesn’t always fit like it’s supposed to, but sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got, you know?

Learning, discovering, and being excited.

I learn something new every single time I set foot in that shop. I may not have known much to begin with, but that’s a good thing; it means I have so much more to learn, so much more to discover, and so much more to be excited about! And really, if I didn’t have that, what would I have?

One of the first people I met at the bike shop, I like to call him the Wizard, has likely been fixing bikes longer than I’ve been breathing. Just last night, however, he was giddy for no other reason than having discovered some old parts I couldn’t even identify. You’d think after so many years and so many repairs he wouldn’t care, but it’s the opposite, he’s more excited about bikes than most of the people in the shop, myself included. I think he may have stumbled upon one of the secrets of life: Here’s a man who I thought had seen it all, yet he can’t wait to see more. He’s always curious, he’s still learning and discovering, and he always comes in excited and ready for what’s to come.

Know when to fold ‘em.

I’d love to say I’m still riding that yellow Peugeot to this very day, but I’m not. Limited time, limited storage space, and a limited budget sealed its fate. With full disclosure of all its issues, I sold the yellow Peugeot for the same price I paid for it. Yes, that bike represented my first steps into this wonderful journey, but it’s just a bike. Yes, I was a little heartbroken when I sold it, but there will be other bikes, and one day I’ll find one when I have the time, space, and money to work on it. Yes, I could have found a way to squeeze it into my already cramped apartment, but it would have taken up space best reserved for daily life, and I would be depriving someone else of a perfectly serviceable bicycle.

What it comes down to is picking your battles. You only have a finite amount of energy, and trying to make every plan, project, or goal work out will burn through that energy in short order. I have another bike that I’ve been using daily, and with the yellow Peugeot off to a better home, I can focus a bit more energy on my other projects.
5 Signs and I knew my new city is not my new home
By: Inspired Turtle
Tags: Travel, City Living, Self Care, Self Love, Beyourself

I didn’t like the vibe of the city.

Every city is unique. Some cities have rustic and old charms, and some are modern and hipster, others may even have more of conservative townie feel. No matter how much I tried, I could not bring yourself to like the vibe of the city.

2. I was struggling to find beauty in it.

I did not like the way the city presents itself. From an observer’s eyes, all I saw in the city were flaws instead of beauty. I was struggling to see what other long-term residents found beautiful about the city.

3. I was having a hard time making friends.

Again, different cities attract/have people with different personalities. I knew that adult friendships are difficult. I was not looking to make best friends, but I still had a difficult time making some friends.

4. I didn’t have a regular schedule.

A regular schedule is essential to settling into any new city. Once I started having a tough time finding the right gym, the right grocery stores, the proper café, beaches, hiking trail with a waterfall at the end or other activities I took part in regularly, I knew this new city may not be my home.

5. I stuck out like a sore thumb even after a significant period of time.

Majority of the residents shared something I didn’t. It was mostly the language and the background/culture that they shared. Even after a considerable period, I felt like I didn’t belong.

So eventually I did myself a favor, booked a flight, and went back Home.
Sony TVs boast faster, smarter processing and improved audio, but there are no major technology changes
Tags: Home Tech, Music, Cord, Chromecast

Sony TVs boast faster, smarter processing and improved audio, but there are no major technology changes Daniel Jan 31·2 min read

Sony made no mention of major new technologies, such as mini LED backlighting, for the 2021 TV lineup, but the company has announced plenty of other improvements. Most noticeably, the new Cognitive Processor XR processing unit marries higher speed with more granular and processing algorithms. It will be available on Sony’s high-end XR series of smart TVs.



The end result of XR manipulation, which places great emphasis on the viewer’s focal point of an image, should be better overall images with increased detail, fewer artifacts, a higher contrast ratio, according to the company. Sony says its 4K and 8K UHD models will also deliver distinctly improved upscaling of lower-resolution content.



[ Further reading: TV tech terms demystified ]Sony audioSony already has the world’s best-sounding TVs, and the company says its 2021 models will be even bertter. Re-designed planar drivers that directly vibrate the display panel and bezel are said to produce more oomph, and—thanks to more of them and refined placement—they’ll even successfully reproduce 5.1.2 surround sound. If you’re never heard a high-end Sony TV, especially an OLED, take a listen next time you’re in a store—they sound better than many soundbars.



Sony Sony’s X95J LED will also get the benefit of XR processing. Sony already boasted arguably the best LED/LCD processing on the market.



Beyond improved image processing and audio, Google TV will make its way to Sony’s XR series, and as you may have noticed, the monikers are losing a digit. What was once a model 950 will be a model 95, and so on. Sony skipped a letter and will go directly from H to J. We’re not sure why, though it’s likely a visual thing. “I” can be confused with 1 in some fonts.



The new XR LED models range from the 8K Z9J to the X90J (called the X92J at 100-inches) at the low-end. The new OLEDs are the A80J and A90J. As usual, higher numbers are used for higher-end models.



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Lockly has new smart locks for swingers and sliders (doors, that is)
Tags: Mobile, Services, Gear, Home Tech

Lockly has new smart locks for swingers and sliders (doors, that is) Chris Jan 15·2 min read

Lockly is one of the few smart lock manufacturers to also offer a smart entry latch (a lock and handle combo). The company’s latest products are the Lockly Guard smart deadbolt sliding and swing-style doors, and the Lockly Duo latch/deadbolt combo for swinging doors.



Lockly and its biometric smart locks first came to our attention in 2018. We reviewed its smart lock/video doorbell combo in early 2020. In both cases, we were impressed with the company’s fingerprint-recognition prowess and the Pin Genie features of its touch-sensitive numeric keypad scrambles the order of numbers to prevent a burglar from guessing your PIN based on the location of fingerprints. We were much less impressed with the convoluted process of installing its locks, but the company promises it’s resolved that issue.



[ Further reading: The best smart locks and deadbolts ] Lockly Lockly is also bringing its smart lock technology to sliding doors, with the Lockly Guard.



The Lockly Guard is designed for sliding and swing-style doors and fits any standard size aluminum or metal door frame. An optional RFID-card reader allows for contactless operation. In both cases, adding the optional $80 Wi-Fi hub adds Alexa and Google Assistant support and remote lock control and monitoring. It will be available in satin nickel, matte black, and metallic chrome finishes. It will sell for $500 when it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2021.



The Lockly Duo deadbolt/latch combo promises super-easy operation: You simply lift the handle up to secure the latch and throw the deadbolt with one move. Lockly will offer it in satin nickel and matte black finishes and expects it to come to retail later in the first quarter with an asking price of $400.



Both of these new locks will require an optional Wi-Fi hub to enable remote access.



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Focal has a new entry-level model in its high-end headphone lineup: The closed-back, over-ear Celestee
Tags: Services, Connected Home, Home Tech, Deals

Focal has a new entry-level model in its high-end headphone lineup: The closed-back, over-ear Celestee Melanie Feb 1·2 min read

After more than 40 years making outstanding audio products, but less than a decade in the headphone business, Focal quickly established a well-deserved reputation for stellar-sounding cans—albeit at out-of-this-world prices. In 2018, the company introduced the Elegia for a list price of $899, making it the least expensive of Focal’s high-end consumer headphones.



Today, the French audio stalwart introduces the Elegia’s replacement—the Celestee. Like all Focal headphones, the Celestee promises stunning sound quality and superb craftsmanship. Its circumaural (over-the-ear), closed-back earcups house the company’s proprietary 40mm dome diaphragms, dubbed “M-shaped” because of their cross-sectional profile, in this case fabricated from an aluminum/magnesium alloy. Also, they implement sophisticated acoustic treatments that promise to virtually eliminate resonances.



[ Further reading: The best headphones you can buy ]The specs speak for themselves: frequency response from 5Hz to 23kHz, sensitivity of 105dB SPL at 1 mW/1 kHz, and THD of 0.1% at 1kHz/100dB SPL. Also, the Celestee’s low input impedance of 35 ohms allows it to work well with smartphone and high-res portable audio players. Focal touts a tonal balance with deep bass extension and precise mids and highs, which I don’t doubt based on my experience with other Focal headphones.



Focal Focal’s new Celestee closed-back, over-ear headphones will replace the Elegia at the (relatively) low end of Focal’s personal listening offerings.



Of course, comfort has not been neglected. The earpads and headband are covered in semi-aniline (referring to the type of dye used) leather with microfiber on the inner surface of the headband, and the aluminum yoke molds to the shape of your face. In addition, the earpads are said to provide excellent sound isolation—which, again, I can well believe based on my experience.



Stylistically, the color scheme is navy blue with copper accents, colors that carry over to the included hard-shell carrying case and 4-foot cable. The colors were selected in consultation with designer and product colorist Doris Bölck, who says, “Navy is the new black.” This marks the first time that blue has graced a Focal headphone. Overall, the look is clean, modern, and sophisticated.



The Celestee will be available in late February/early March for a list price of $990. That’s certainly not inexpensive, but it’s less than any of Focal’s other over-the-ear consumer headphones. And if its performance is comparable to its predecessor, the Elegia (reviewed here), it will be a worthy successor.



For more info on the new Celestee, click here.



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Netgear has one of the first Wi-Fi 6e routers: The Nighthawk RAXE500
Tags: Music, Chargers, Home Tech, Entertainment

Netgear has one of the first Wi-Fi 6e routers: The Nighthawk RAXE500 Michelle Feb 1·2 min read

Netgear took the wraps off its all-new Nighthawk RAXE500 router at CES today. This is a true tri-band Wi-Fi 6e device that operates three independent wireless networks using spectrum in the 2.4-, 5-, and the newly deregulated 6GHz frequency bands to deliver huge amounts of bandwidth—theoretical top speed of 10.8Gbps combined—with very little latency.



The FCC opened 1,200MHz of bandwidth in the 6GHz frequency band to Wi-Fi in April 2020. The primary benefit is the availability of 59 non-overlapping channels in that spectrum, compared to 25 in the 5GHz band and just three in the 2.4GHz band. Wi-Fi 6e gear is likely to have somewhat shorter range—particularly compared to 2.4GHz—because shorter-wavelength radio signals are more easily absorbed by walls and even the atmosphere.



Netgear The Nighthawk RAXE500 can take advantage of the fastest residential broadband speeds available via its multi-gig WAN and link aggregation features.



The 6GHz frequency band, on the other hand, will be much less congested. Plus, only Wi-Fi 6e clients will be allowed to use that spectrum. The short-term downside, on the other hand, is that there are very few Wi-Fi 6e clients to begin with. Intel has a part now, and Broadcom and Samsung will have one soon, but that’s it.



[ Further reading: A smart home guide for beginners ]The Nighthawk RAXE500 is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor and is outfitted with a multi-gig (2.5Gbps) WAN port for those with very fast broadband connections. Two of its five gigabit ethernet ports can be aggregated for either 2Gbps LAN or WAN connections. The batwing-shaped router also has dual USB 3.0 ports. It will be available later in Q1 and sell for $600.



Netgear The Netgear Nighthawk AX6/6-Stream is a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem/Wi-Fi 6 router combo.



Netgear is also showing a new DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem with an integrated Wi-Fi 6 router. The Nighthawk AX6/6-Stream (model number CAX30) is compatible with cable broadband service from Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox. It will sell for $300 when it becomes available later this month, joining Netgear’s currently available cable modem offerings, the higher-end Nighthawk WiFi6 AX6000 (model CAX80, $430) and the Orbi Tri-Band WiFi6 Cable Mesh System (model CBK752, or $600 for the router plus one satellite, $450 for the cable modem/router solo).



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Netgear has one of the first Wi-Fi 6e routers: The Nighthawk RAXE500
Tags: Streaming, Music, Home Tech, Lighting

Netgear has one of the first Wi-Fi 6e routers: The Nighthawk RAXE500 Trudell Jan 13·2 min read

Netgear took the wraps off its all-new Nighthawk RAXE500 router at CES today. This is a true tri-band Wi-Fi 6e device that operates three independent wireless networks using spectrum in the 2.4-, 5-, and the newly deregulated 6GHz frequency bands to deliver huge amounts of bandwidth—theoretical top speed of 10.8Gbps combined—with very little latency.



The FCC opened 1,200MHz of bandwidth in the 6GHz frequency band to Wi-Fi in April 2020. The primary benefit is the availability of 59 non-overlapping channels in that spectrum, compared to 25 in the 5GHz band and just three in the 2.4GHz band. Wi-Fi 6e gear is likely to have somewhat shorter range—particularly compared to 2.4GHz—because shorter-wavelength radio signals are more easily absorbed by walls and even the atmosphere.



Netgear The Nighthawk RAXE500 can take advantage of the fastest residential broadband speeds available via its multi-gig WAN and link aggregation features.



The 6GHz frequency band, on the other hand, will be much less congested. Plus, only Wi-Fi 6e clients will be allowed to use that spectrum. The short-term downside, on the other hand, is that there are very few Wi-Fi 6e clients to begin with. Intel has a part now, and Broadcom and Samsung will have one soon, but that’s it.



[ Further reading: A smart home guide for beginners ]The Nighthawk RAXE500 is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor and is outfitted with a multi-gig (2.5Gbps) WAN port for those with very fast broadband connections. Two of its five gigabit ethernet ports can be aggregated for either 2Gbps LAN or WAN connections. The batwing-shaped router also has dual USB 3.0 ports. It will be available later in Q1 and sell for $600.



Netgear The Netgear Nighthawk AX6/6-Stream is a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem/Wi-Fi 6 router combo.



Netgear is also showing a new DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem with an integrated Wi-Fi 6 router. The Nighthawk AX6/6-Stream (model number CAX30) is compatible with cable broadband service from Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox. It will sell for $300 when it becomes available later this month, joining Netgear’s currently available cable modem offerings, the higher-end Nighthawk WiFi6 AX6000 (model CAX80, $430) and the Orbi Tri-Band WiFi6 Cable Mesh System (model CBK752, or $600 for the router plus one satellite, $450 for the cable modem/router solo).



Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.