Happy Sunday!

In our post-Ghana vacation and pre-work limbo phase, we (read my mom) found this the perfect opportunity for our annual declutter and reorganize the entire house. My immediate thoughts were:

1. This sounds like a lot of work
2. I’d rather do anything else
3. It’s really hot outside
4. I don’t want to confront our growing pile of stuff (see image 👇🏾)

Of course, those thoughts didn’t matter because my mom had her mind set on doing this, so we did (love you, mom). From the hours in the hot and dusty garage and trips to Goodwill to discarding heavy furniture, I actually really enjoyed reminiscing on our lives to this point through our possessions. From old CDs and furniture reminiscent of our middle school days to outdated SAT and AP exam prep books representing our (what felt like an endless) high school phase. Even stuff like clothes and furniture from our more recent college days felt like a different time in our lives, one where the future seemed like forever away. My favorite item was lost footage from our first trip to America, where you can hear my sister and I’s Ghanaian accents so clearly. We are growing every day, but to look back and see the collective change is still shocking. The hardest part of this time wasn’t the endless hours (okay, I know I’m being dramatic) but choosing to let go of some of this stuff. Shouldn’t I keep my high school chemistry book to reflect on those times, or should I just move on? At the end of this process, I not only felt so much more comfortable in our house but also with the knowledge that I could take my trip down memory lane whenever.

As I transition to this new phase in my life, I think I’ll need a digital version of this type of cleansing because it feels like I have everything everywhere. From updating my organization folders for important files (taxes, resumes, portfolios) to downloading my Stanford-related info (like emails and contacts) before I lose access to those email accounts.

How often do you perform a life detox, whether digitally or physically? Do you have any practices you’ve found helpful? Please do share!

Intentional Content Consumption📰

• 📘Attached x Amir Levine: I finally started reading Attached (recommended by my friend, Shikha). This book presents a framework for thinking about relationships in our lives by exploring our attachment styles. I never had the language to understand and talk about attachment styles until now, and it feels cool to reflect on my life and relationships through this lens. I am not done yet, but so far, I think it’s worth trying.
• 📺All or Nothing: Arsenal: If you know anything about me, it’s that I love football ⚽ and Arsenal is my favorite team. Last season was pivotal in terms of growing pains in our process towards becoming the best team in the world. This in-the-locker room documentary follows Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, our manager, through that season. I am really enjoying it since it allows me to feel closer to the club and its players. It’s a fun watch even if you don’t follow soccer religiously, so check it out!

One Last Thing…

I’m in the middle of revamping my current website and landing page — it’s not public yet, but you can view it here. So please check it out and let me know if there’s anything I could add or change this week!

Thanks for reading and reflecting this week! If you aren't subscribed to get this in your inbox weekly, you can here!

Best,
Awoe ✌🏾