Dispatches from Hawaii
We’ve reached the point of summer vacation where everyone is bickering and getting on each other’s nerves. Yes, even in Hawaii. Good times.
But we’re here for about another week and I want to make the most of it. We’ve done a lot this time around—surfing, hiking, running, swimming, snorkeling, and exploring new-to-us parts of the island and meeting up with friends and family. I’ve definitely gotten my vitamin D fix too.
The best part has been exploring trails with my kids. They are city kids through and through. They’ll walk miles upon miles but if I ask them to do a 2-mile hike? It’s non-stop complaining. Which is why I’m really proud of all the climbing, scrambling, and hiking they’ve done on this trip. Plus, you can’t beat the view here.
I'm not quite ready to return home to New York and all the concrete. I've noticed how much better I feel physically and mentally when I get to spend time in nature (minus the mosquito bites). There's got to be a way to bottle up this feeling, right?
What I’ve Written
I wrote about my struggle with eczema for The Washington Post and the new therapy that might tame it (hint: It involves bacteria from someone else’s skin.) Also, it's really weird to have your face pop up on a major news site.
Other things I’ve written: Shalane Flanagan’s favorite post run meal (Also SO EXCITED that she’ll be back to defend her NYC marathon title) and active recovery techniques for athletes. Plus my story for Outside on stress wearables and whether they live up to the hype is now online too.
What I’ve Been Reading
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: I may be one of the few people who hasn’t read Hannah’s other book, The Nightingale, but I may have to once I finish this. Her writing is beautiful and her characters are complex. The Great Alone is about a family that moves to Alaska in 1974 and the struggle to survive—as a family, as individuals, as human beings.
How Your Brain Morphs Stressful Family Vacations Into Pleasant Memories (NY Times): Per my comment above, this happens all the time!
Don’t Let TripAdvisor Kill Adventure (NY Times): I’ve never felt or seen this more than during our current trip to Hawaii.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is a big win for Asian American representation in Hollywood — but what about Singaporean representation? (PRI): There’s been a lot anticipation and angst about the racial politics of Crazy Rich Asians and how Asians (and Singapore) are represented in the film. This article highlights some of the complexities at play and why some have mixed feelings about calling the film a win for Asians.
I Used to Be a Wellness Influencer. Now I'm an Alternative Medicine Skeptic (SELF)
“Sponsored” by my husband: Why it’s a problem that writers never talk about where their money comes from (Salon): This is old but still relevant OK, this is a piece from a few years ago but worth revisiting.
Swim Caps Are Keeping Black Women Out of Pools (The Atlantic): Really interesting look at how the swim cap contributed to racial disparities in swimming.
What I’ve Been Listening to and Watching
This gorgeous short film about Prayer Runners, a group of Native American runners from different tribes that came together in March to run 800 miles (along four different routes) to Bears Ears in an effort to honor—and take back—the land that's sacred to them. One of the organizers of the run was Dustin Martin, the Executive Director of Wings of America, an organization I wrote about for Runner’s World last year. Here’s more about the run.
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