The Weekly Edit – Issue #01
It feels a little odd to start a weekly series in the middle of the year. I kept telling myself to wait for the perfect moment, the new year, or September and then I realised the perfect moment wasn’t coming. So here we are. Starting anyway.
I haven’t really given this series much thought because I want it to be something I can do weekly. The idea is simple: a weekly recap of the things I loved. The albums in my ears, the podcasts I listened to, the one song on repeat, a picture that caught my eye, and whatever’s been sitting on my mind. I kind of want it to be a version of my own version of those “monthly favourites” videos I loved watching on YouTube. I’ll see how long I can keep the pace, but weekly is the goal for now.
In My Ears
The albums
I want to keep a running record of what I’m listening to, month to month. I know Spotify Wrapped exists, but the main reason is I feel lIke I need to get back to a place where I enjoy the entire curated piece of music that artists create. Back in the day (I sound old), I remember listening to an entire casette tape, both sides A and B.
Two albums this week, both played start to finish while I worked on my research:
- Safe by James Gillipies
- Skin to Skin by Stephen Dawes
I enjoyed both the whole way through, with a few real standouts on each. Playing them also reminded me that I pay for a Spotify subscription and I better use it fully.
The podcasts
Four episodes this week, and every one of them delivered. It was like I was in a podcast flow state. Each one of them was either funny, reflective, deep and educational.
Two were from What Now? with Trevor Noah which I loved.
The other two came from a show I tried for the first time this year: Kind Regards with Zamiwe Mwape. I listened to her most recent episode, then went back to the very first one after she referenced it. Both episodes discussed the themes of taking a career break.
On repeat. Song of the week
“Sleepwalking” by All Time Low. It’s the first song on my gym playlist, so it’s been on heavy rotation this week. Love it.
Currently Reading
In an attempt to stop doom scrolling, I am now channelling that time and energy towards reading. And boy am I glad I have made the switch because 3 hours on social media does not make me feel good. To set myself up for success, I decided I would start with fiction, and I am currently reading “The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 9“. I read the first eight volumes a while back and am up-to-date with the anime adaptation which covers volumes 1 – 4. Going the fiction route was definitely the right choice because I am hooked to the storyline and literally looking for pockets of time to get back to the book.
Picture of the Week
I was going to commit to creating a collage of my favourite pictures of the week, but it felt like too much work. So to start, I will share one picture a week.
This week’s is a shot of some pink flowers I found as I took my daily walk. Turns out they’re Indian Hawthorn; they look a little like cherry blossoms but on a green hedge. Apparently it’s a tough, compact evergreen shrub from the rose family, which I thought was a lovely detail. (I still can’t pronounce the scientific name.)
What’s Sticking
I think I’m finally finding a rhythm with my gym workouts. I’m training full-body for now. Once I’m settled in Pisa next month, I’ll probably switch back to my old programme, but for now full body is what’s working, and the fact that it’s becoming a habit is the real win. A slight new obsession is that I want to get more defined biceps and triceps, so I will probably start training for those in Pisa as well.
On My Mind
The year hasn’t turned out the way I thought it would.
2025 was amazing when I think about it. I was finding myself, slowly coming out of my cocoon and finding as many sparks as I could. 2026, on the other hand, has been a little rocky. But even through everything that has happened so far, I’m proud of myself for not giving up.
At the same time I’ve slipped on keeping my supervisor updated, and that’s something I want to fix straight away. But I’m proud of the work and the progress I’ve made with my research. It feels like I finally have all the pieces I need to finish my PhD. The plan is to write the companion papers, submit them to conferences, finish the experiments, and then write the thesis. And then I’m done.
Wild Card
One last thing before I go. I fell completely in love with a dress from Forever New this week. I already have a vision for where I’ll wear it, an opera or an orchestra concert, something worth dressing up for. I can’t wait.
What have you been loving lately?
Send me the podcast, song, meal, thought, photograph or tiny discovery currently occupying your brain.
See you next week.
