Welcome back to Monday Joys, where I share a bit about what's bringing me joy this week! This week, my mom and I have been traveling, so I had a chance to finally finish a book and listen to some new podcast episodes. I also had one of the most amazing dips of my life, soooo be sure to scroll down to check it out what it was!

my monday joys

#1 Spring has sprung, and summer! Although we are kind of back to cold spring weather now, we had a good stretch, and boy was it great to hop in the river. Every summer, I'm reminded that doing new and fun things doesn't need to be expensive or complicated - a quick trip to the park, river, or woods with some snacks and a bucket will do just fine!

#2 Nonscale victories for getting stronger! I finally got the bikes back on the trail for the first time since November, and I can't believe how much easier it is for me to lift the bikes on top of my car! It's the best feeling that what I'm doing is making me stronger! I'm not this tall fyi, I have to use a step stool to get them loaded on my own hahaha.

#3 Golfing with the family! We had our first 9 holes as a family, and it was glorious! Not because he played it all or it went perfectly, but because he LOVED it and kept saying "golf is fun!". We really want to encourage lifelong sports, so we knew we wanted to try golfing with him. We planned a bit and Dan found the perfect little 9 hole course with not another soul to be seen and the almost 2 and a half year old just teed up the balls, chased our balls, picked them up for us (lol) and genuinely just loved running around the course and being outside. While involving kids is not always easy, it's always worth it and with a little bit of planning, it can be quite enjoyable for everyone :)

#4 Walking and listening. We did a lot of walking in NYC - like A LOT (38k steps one day or almost 20 miles lol), so between that and the flying, I had a lot of time to listen to new things and finish old listens. I recently finished the 3rd book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series, so starting the 4th was exhilarating!! For podcasts, I picked up the Diary of a CEO again, and this episode on AI is fascinating! Especially because food blogging is seen as one of those jobs that AI is after (spoiler: it can't cook). And for music, we saw the Broadway show Just in Time (the story of Bobby Darin), and the co-star is also the lead in the band Lawrence, which is one of my all-time favorite bands. Needless to say, I'm bingeing their new album.

#5 Just doing stuff! I have no problem doing things by myself, and it always shines in NYC. I went to Bryant Park solo and worked (free wifi in parks should be required, lol, because it is glorious, just like this passion fruit iced tea). And my mom and I checked out the Little Island, and they had the most fun chairs!! No one was on the chairs because they looked like kid chairs, but they were so fun, so why wouldn't I use them?! Anyways, they were a blast, so if you want to do it, just do it! (I have no idea what's going on with my face here ha!)

#6 This beet dip!! Oh my gosh, this dip was incredible. It was from Jack's Wife Freda (a little cafe in Midtown), and it was life-changing. I will 100% be recreating it! It's sweet and a little smoky, but clean and simple - absolutely phenomenal! The rest of the meal was yummy too, but the tip was the standout.

And that's what's bringing me joy this week - let me know what's bringing you joy, listening reqs, or something you're proud of or excited for this week!

I hope you have a great day, and may your monday be less monday-y! Also - I found this Tweet funny 😆

Mika