21 Things I Learned in 2021
12.24.21
Merry Christmas Eve!
This year was undeniably difficult. When I started this newsletter in January, I was so excited to write it. It had been a long time since I felt such zest for a project. But I realize now, that I set myself up for failure by branding the newsletter as advice for having your best week, in a year when my best never seemed like enough.
Many Saturdays, I sat down to write this newsletter and I couldn’t find the words. There was just nothing to say that felt capable of lifting up anyone else when I was so lost myself. So many weeks, it went unwritten.
This week, I sat down to think about what 2022 will look like for Thirtyish. And I realized that the 300+ of you who read this newsletter deserve better from me. So I plan to change the format in the hopes that the words won’t feel so elusive next year.
I’m excited to pivot this newsletter, and I hope you’ll join me as we blaze a new trail. But this week and next, let’s reflect on the year that has passed.
Some “secrets” to a fulfilled life.
That donuts come in a pink box because a Cambodian immigrant, who owned an L.A. donut shop, used pink boxes because they were four-cents cheaper than white boxes.
Comfortable high heels that cost under-$100 do exist.
Wombats are awesome. (Seriously, just read the cartoon.)
Grief doesn’t go away, it just changes as time passes.
The wealthiest man in history was likely Mansu Musa, king of the Mali Empire.
That I would never want to work for a celebrity. Ever.
Cuticle cream can feel like magic.
Short afternoon naps increase productivity.
We live closer to when T. Rex lived than T. Rex did to when Stegosaurus lived.
I’ve been applying my concealer all wrong.
Maybe America’s politics aren’t as divided as we are led to believe.
There is only one jacket that keeps me warm in Montana winters.
The name of the blob of toothpaste on your toothbrush is called a nurdle. Colgate-Palmolive once filed a suit against GlaxoSmithKline over its usage. But it was settled cleanly out of court in 2011.
There is a right way to ask a question.
A coffee mug can actually make your day brighter.
How to write killer email subject lines that raise open rates.
Bananas, pumpkins, eggplant and watermelon are all berries.
There is no shame in wearing pull-on jeans.
The lie that MSG is bad for you proliferated because of racism.
Self-respect is the most important thing any of us can have.
Thank you so much for subscribing to this newsletter. This community has given me far more than I could every repay, I hope you have a nice holiday weekend.
xo, Abra