My Joy List
December 10th-31st: my best friend’s wedding, NYC to Florida to Denver to Carmel to LA, and prepping for a new year
You’re reading a newsletter from Syd, an NYC-born gal who quit her “golden handcuffs” job and moved to Amsterdam to follow her heart’s calls for a path less traveled. Here, I share the challenges and wins of my own journey from people pleasing & perfectionism to authenticity, balance, joy, & freedom. Beyond this page, I coach fellow high achievers along their own journey. You may find comfort, empowerment, inspiration, and/or community. Welcome 🫶🏻
Hellloooooo my sunshiney souls!
I’ve been traveling the past few weeks, celebrating and visiting family and friends, and in trying to be as present as possible, set aside most projects. I always like to remind myself that I’ll remember the time with my family and friends more than pretty much anything else—which is symbolic of connection as one of my core values.
Today, over lunch at PJ Bernstein in NYC, I told A I didn’t feel ready for the new year. I feel like I haven’t done enough reflecting or intention setting to start writing the new book that I typically associate with the calendar new year. But what’s enough? Maybe the new year is like what people say about their first child: you can never be ready for what’s to come.
Other thoughts/ideas I’m mulling:
I’m so much more open to the world and other people when I walk around without my AirPods in. It feels so good.
Isn’t it funny how we get so frustrated when we want something and it doesn’t arrive instantaneously and then when it finally arrives in a way we least expect it, we’re so frustrated about how it hasn’t arrived that we reject it. (If this resonates with you, I highly recommend reading The Alchemist!)
Letting energy flow is a choice and it feels so good. I never need to close my heart. I can choose to open it even when I feel tempted to close it. (a la rereading The Untethered Soul <3)
This year felt like a tale of two halves for me. The second half was a tough one. I feel hopeful for the year to come, though, and grateful for the love and beauty my joy lists reminded me of even during the toughest weeks.
Now, let’s get on to the final list of 2024! Here’s to a joyful 2025. Happy joy spotting :)
Joy spotting: the practice of noticing little moments of joy surrounding us all the time (more)
Squares of evolved white chocolate
Knitting on the couch while home alone, watching the terrible yet comforting new Lindsay Lohan Netflix Christmas movie
My deconstructed, reimagined, DELISH quiche at the new little blue box cafe inside Tiffany’s
A’s silky smooth butternut squash soup
A’s perfectly cooked halibut
Realizing Jon Batiste was doing a walking performance on the street outside our lunch… in the rain!
Locking eyes with Jon Batiste from afar and the huge smile he flashed
Stumbling on an incredible little chocolate shop on a side street in midtown Manhattan—Myzel’s Chocolates
Walking while eating my dark chocolate covered Oreo from Myzel’s
Seeing D in slippers in his hotel room
talking about the music for our wedding
Taking a photo with the funny creature at the Luna Luna exhibit at the Shed
the moment I lifted my head from my phone in the uber and saw the sun shining on orange leaved trees in Central Park
Hanging and talking about life with Chaya and Hans
The dark chocolate sea salt bar from Theo’s (ty Cristina!! <3)
Lauren, Julia, and Ryan’s speeches for A and T
The fabulous bbq ribs
Writing a loving note to Amanda
Seeing her smiling and crying while reading said note
The moment Amanda entered the living room in her wedding dress
The way A looks at T and he looks at her
A and T dancing
The plastic butterfly table assignments
Dancing with A
Watching em get low on the dance floor
Hanging out outside with my best girls and their partners after the after party
eating the most perfect Cubano and lechon sandwiches from Sanguich in the car on the side of the road in Miami with A
Sitting and chatting with A’s grandparents in their living room
The rainbow on the drive to palm beach
Getting in my hotel robe and diving into the hotel bed 2 minutes after entering the room
Waking up to realize I took a delicious two hour nap
a delicious spontaneous date night with A at the Buccan counter in Palm beach
Discovering laduree macarons on our pillows and a bedtime story about the history of the hotel when we returned from dinner
A morning walk to the ocean with A
Nourishing and challenging my body with movement and weights at the gym for the first time in a couple weeks
My tuna salad on a scooped out and toasted everything bagel at flakowitz
Amanda’s messages about how she’s feeling after her wedding weekend
realizing we were eating dinner at Swifty’s on their weekly trivia night
Playing said trivia against the rest of the patrons in the restaurant
getting new videos and photos of our little girlie
A making a pour over coffee on his scale at the gate in the airport
Watching YouTube videos with A, Pete, and Becky
Meeting Lucy’s puppy stuffed animal, Zach or nameisZach
Holding Lucy’s little hands as she stepped down from her breakfast island platform
Watching Lucy walk around with her little piece-of-toast-shaped purse
Chasing Lucy around the kitchen
Hanging out with Lucy and her toys during bath time
The beautiful red rocks and distant mountains surrounding us on our trail walk at Red Rocks
Climbing to the top of Red Rocks and feeling the strength in my challenged breath
A phenomenal breakfast burrito bowl with corn tortillas on the side from Onefold in Denver
Spencer, the employee in the Denver Whole Foods who managed to convey his Phish fandom within 60 seconds of our interaction
Nightly squares of the white chocolate Evolved bar
Playing hide and seek with Lucy in the natural history museum, separated by a glass case
Watching Lucy run all over the natural history museum
Helping Lucy dress miffy in her new Christmas outfit
Reading a page in a book to Lucy
The moment Lucy rested her head on my arm while watching blues clues on the couch
Being greeted by Loki outside our door when going to the bathroom in the night
Learning a new word game from Becky
Wrapping Lucy in the blanket I knit for her
The moment I found a good Greek yogurt parfait in the Denver airport
the head massage from Becca
the smell when walking outside at the preserve
seeing the mountains of the preserve first thing in the morning
hiking with Kathy and A on a beautiful sunny day in Carmel
The giant inflatable Santa on a roof visible from the 405 in LA
hiking Runyon Canyon before the crowds arrived
eating tacos with the whole fam at Guerilla in DTLA
meeting Alex’s family and playing with baby Ellie
watching Home Alone in a concert hall with live music from the LAPhil
finding out mom went to the gym
a sunshine-soaked brunch outside at Gjusta
the moment mom put the chocolate snow man hat on her stuck out tongue at dinner
The garland decor inside Bella blu
The morning video of our little girlie playing
The very loud bird song upon my entrance into Central Park
The big yellow smiley face balloons bouncing on top of the MSG crowd before Phish came on stage
The fireman walking a Dalmatian outside the fire station like it was out of a picture book
The 30+ minute Ruby Waves jam at last night’s Phish show
The video of Jacob collier leading the entire O2 arena in Fix You with Chris Martin
I wish you so much love, light, and joy in 2025. Thank you so much for being here, for every comment you’ve ever made to me about my lists, and for embracing all my silliness and rambling thoughts. This community is one of my favorite parts of 2024 and I can’t wait to keep it going in 2025 :)
With lots of love and a big virtual hug,
Syd