6 potential truths, 5 things to think about, and many joyful moments

June Roundup | Also: a 2026 reading update + three things that improved my friendship life.

Friends, welcome to this month’s roundup — a behind the scenes on what I’ve been reading, thinking about, and doing.

I want to invite you into the comment section. Whether you have a (weird) book recommendation, something joyful to share, or a piece of writing you think my community here might enjoy (including your own!), post it in the comments! The more the merrier!

This is the place where we get to know each other a bit more.

Reading

I haven’t been reading much since the last update, but am close to finishing a few, so hopefully there will be more in next month’s roundup.

As someone who spends a lot of time in their own imagination / fantasy worlds, I kept thinking back to All Fours by Miranda July and decided to pick up one of her other books: The First Bad Man. I just love a weird book, and this one was so weird. Who else writes weird books? I’ll take suggestions!

On the lighter side: You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings. I liked that this one had a more serious quality compared to her other books (burnout, depression, creativity).

Here are all of the books I read so far in 2026:

If you like my reading updates, check out my favorite books of 2025 here.

Joyful Moments

As soon as it was warm enough, we started going on camping trips — the beautiful PNW is just the right place for it! From Deception Pass in the Puget Sound to Lake Wenatchee in the Cascades, we love being surrounded by water!

I’ve also taken my new paddle board to a local lake quite a bit, spent a weekend with the wonderful Sarah Teresa Cook in Portland, OR (we were so busy being in each other’s presence that we forgot to take pictures!!), and dropped off my children with their grandparents in Nebraska for the summer.

It’s been busy and I’m glad to be back home.

Slow mornings are my jam while the kids are visiting their grandparents. I wake up to the smell of coffee (thanks, love!), read a few pages on my Kindle in bed, then journal and / or read while having breakfast. It’s glorious and sets me up just right for productive mornings (productive in a good way).

Being in nature made me think of this series on walking: Part One is a walk in nature, my spirally thoughts, and poems. I wrote Part Two for a friend. If you feel like life keeps throwing hard stuff your way and you’re struggling to find solid ground beneath your feet, this is for you. Part Three is a reminder that just because we feel stuck sometimes doesn’t mean we are; and that we don’t need to run at full speed — one small step at a time is often enough.

Six potential truths.

1. it’s about holding (and resisting the temptation to resolve) the tension between structure and freedom; between knowing and not knowing; chaos and order; etc. Or maybe it’s not even about holding the tension; maybe it’s about allowing those two to play, to dance.

2. inquiry / questions > answers. Always.

3. just because your rational mind doesn't (yet) understand your gut feeling doesn't mean it's wrong.

4. If it’s boring to you, then please stay the fuck far away from it! Life is too short to not spend your time where it’s exciting, thrilling, and meaningful.

5. DO NOT MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS WHEN YOU ARE FEELING INFERIOR, OVERWHELMED, FEARFUL, etc. If you can postpone your decision until you feel grounded, centered, and self-compassionate again, wait it out!

6. productivity: I don’t love the word. But I’m starting to rethink this: outside of the claws of the monster that is capitalism, I wonder if people who say they want to be productive actually mean they want to be impactful and have agency about where and how they spend their time — in a way that’s most meaningful to them. That I can get on board with.

What do we think? yes, no, maybe? What are your maybe truths you want to try on for a bit?

Three things that have significantly improved my friendship life:

1. deciding which friendships to invest in and building / strengthening those intentionally. → there’s something specific and unique and special about each of them. → having a handful of strong relationships takes the pressure off one to “provide” it all.

2. having open conversations about our friendship and how we want to be together.

3. asking for support & sharing things in the moment while emotions are present & opening up about myself.

You can find all of my neurodivergent friendship related posts here.

Five things to think about

1. Notes from a burning Paris. This is also what collapse looks like - things not getting better. I just checked the forecast for Paris for the next two weeks. The cool spell promised has morphed into continued high temperatures.

   We’re in this now. This is it. Let’s get the group WhatsApp chats going. Let’s be kind.

2. The unexpected behavior that makes people want to know you. Honestly, one thing I wish more people knew is that it’s much safer to be vulnerable than we tend to think it is.  And that on average, people want you to be more vulnerable than you probably are being.

   

3. closing thought loops + making decisions will be my July theme for Momentum Muse. Did you know about this second publication I run? A weekly check in to ground yourself in where you are and where you want to be. We’re about to celebrate 100 posts!

   

4. it’s not lack of motivation, it’s what’s going on below the surface. My whole life was shifting and it would impact every bit of my life — my friendships, my relationships, my parenting, my work, the lens through which I see the world, see myself. It’s not that I didn’t need to release pressure or find space for playfulness. It’s that it wasn’t the whole story. I was in the middle of navigating an identity shift that impacted every bit of my life and I didn’t even see it!

   I can’t believe I didn’t put the pieces together, then. Because god knows: when I have a topic, almost all of my energy goes towards it. How can something be so all-consuming, and I don’t even notice it’s taken me over?

   I wish I’d seen it. Then maybe, just maybe I wouldn’t have been so hard on myself.

5. Victoria’s quarterly review questions! Especially these:

If I were acting from courage rather than caution, what would I do next?
and
If I wanted the best for myself what would that involve?
and
What am I no longer willing to betray in the name of being good, useful, or agreeable?

I’ll see you in the comments with your:

• (weird) book recommendations

• joyful moments

• maybe truths + ideas you’re pondering

• posts that made you think and / or that you’re proud of.

This is the post where we get to know each other by sharing our weird / joyful / whatever stuff!

Until next week!
Hanna