Dispatches from California
Well, these were supposed to be dispatches sent from California. Recently, my family and I decamped to Northern California for two weeks. I meant to send this newsletter sometime while we were there but obviously that didn't happen.
We spent a few days up in Tahoe skiing. While I grumbled internally about the lack of snow during the winter we finally decided to take a ski trip out west, my kids were giddy to be back on the mountain. I love that I can ride up chairlifts and ski down the mountain with them. Afterwards, we headed to San Francisco to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family.
PSA: Everyone talks about the epic drive on Highway 1, past Carmel and Big Sur. But let me tell you a secret—the drive on Highway 1 north of San Francisco is even better. My husband and I ditched the kids and spent two days exploring the trails and seaside hamlets, scoping out surf spots, and gawking at the incredible coastline. It was gorgeous. And has made coming home to New York feel a bit anti-climatic.
But here we are…
What I’ve Written
Did you watch any of the Olympic slopestyle snowboard competition? Crazy, right? Imagine doing that while suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Canadian snowboarder Spencer O’Brien shared her story with me. She was diagnosed 3 weeks before the Sochi Games and competed again in this year’s Slopestyle and Big Air competitions.
I’ve been working on this story about environmental educator and filmmaker Miho Aida since late fall and I’m so excited the story is now live. Not only is she championing women of color in the outdoor industry, but also the inclusion of indigenous voices in the fight to preserve public lands.
On a lighter note, ever wonder whether you should try those weight loss supplements? If eating healthy is one of your goals, meal prepping can help you out. Ever wonder what you should order from Dunkin’ Donuts? Now you know.
Olympics Hangover
I know, you’re probably sick and tired of reading about the Olympics by now but there were so many good stories!
If you missed Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall’s historic gold medal win in the cross-country sprint, here’s the video (check the 3:40 mark for the start of the final lap). So much has been written about this women’s team (and it IS a big deal), but that performance and all-out effort made me cry. Yes, I’m a sap.
Chloe Kim’s gold medal performance was a passing of the guard of sorts from Kelly Clark to Chloe. But as an Asian-American, seeing an Asian-American (an Asian-American woman no less) dominate was kind of awesome. Growing up, I didn’t see many other Asians skiing or snowboarding and I’m psyched that my kids have an athlete like Chloe to look to.
But then again, even if you are an American citizen of Asian descent like Mirai Nagasu, apparently you’ll always be considered a foreigner and immigrant by some.
Despite the incredible performances by women at the Games, did you ever wonder why some sports are “faster, higher, and stronger” for men only?
What I’ve Been Reading
Emma Gonzalez Opens Up About Her Fight for Gun Control (Harper’s Bazaar): I saw something on Twitter along the lines of, “Maybe all those dystopian YA novels were preparing this generation of teens for this moment, to fight.” And it feels like it’s true. Emma gives me hope. The teens around the country who are pushing the debate on gun control gives me hope. They are armed with facts, well-spoken, and out-troll the trolls on Twitter.
The Teacher Who Taught His Students to Challenge the NRA on the Day They Lost 17 of Their Own (Splinter): And it’s thanks to this AP Government teacher that the Parkland students were prepped for this real-life debate against the NRA.
Sliced & Diced: The Inside Story Of How An Ivy League Food Scientist Turned Shoddy Data Into Viral Studies (BuzzFeed News): If you’ve ever read a story about how renaming cafeteria food will entice kids to eat more veggies or you eat more in dim lighting, it's the product of Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab. The Lab is well known in the health and nutrition fields for its food psychology research. Turns out, their research is all shoddy. If you want the nitty gritty, here’s the dossier.
These Skeptics Are Using Science to Fight a Wave of Bad Nutrition Advice on the Internet (The Washington Post): Speaking of bad science…
Grey’s Anatomy Finally Tackles Medicine’s Gender Bias (Pacific Standard): Yes, I still watch Grey’s Anatomy. But that’s not the point. The series has tackled some serious topics this season with an episode focused on police violence and racial bias and this one, addressing the sexism women face in the medical system when Chief of Surgery Miranda Bailey has a heart attack.
How to Write a Memoir While Grieving (Longreads): A beautiful piece on loss, adoption, and writing.
Staying Alive (Southwest): Did you ever play pinball as a kid? Even if you didn’t, this is a great story from Steve Almond. Pinball leagues! Who knew?
What I’ve Been Watching and Listening to
Homeland: Season 7 dropped earlier this month. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it yet but I feel obligated to watch and see how it plays out.
Mom Writes Podcast: Two writer moms and a book coach meet each week for coffee…sounds like the start of a joke, right? But that’s the premise of this writing podcast. You follow two writer-moms as they work on their first book with a book coach. While I’ve never really considered writing a book, I’m fascinated by the process.
The Morning Shakeout Podcast: Mario writes one of the best running newsletters out there. In his podcast, he goes deeper with some of the best runners out there. His latest episode with Shalane Flanagan is great. She talks about her training for Boston, how she convinced her coach to bring more women on to the Bowerman Track Club, and what it felt like to break the tape at the New York City Marathon.
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