monthly recap | february 2022. – queen veen on the scene

a lot happened in february! i moved, went away for a weekend, hosted visitors, explored new york city, applied to jobs, met old and new friends, and got started on settling into my new city.

first night in new york! astoria, new york. february 2022.
loved exploring with these two. new york, new york. february 2022.

february highlights.

MOVED TO NYC!! // saw moulin rouge on broadway // friends weekend in cleveland // got selected as a cotopaxi ‘do good’ ambassador // hosted my first nyc visitors // brighton beach-coney island adventure day // ladies day out with maggie and abi

cleveland, ohio. february 2022.
tremont sign. cleveland, ohio. february 2022.

february books.

the hawthorne legacy by jennifer lynn barnes. this is the second book in the inheritance games trilogy; i absolutely loved the first book and was fully prepared for this one to be a filler book to tide readers over until the third one releases in august. and that’s exactly what it was. i guessed a lot of the plot twists, and there were a few extras that seemed unnecessary, but overall it was fine. i’m definitely ready for the final book this fall.

tell me how it ends: an essay in forty questions by valeria luiselli. i read this on kate’s recommendation and am so glad i did. luiselli shares her experiences from her time volunteering as a translator with children who were migrating to the united states alone. the questionnaire had 40 questions on it, and luiselli takes us through what it was like to ask those questions of children – some as young as 5 – to determine if they had a case for staying in the country. it’s a short read but it packs a punch, and i learned a lot about what the immigration process is like, particularly for children crossing on their own.

it happened one summer by tessa bailey. this one was a bit of a mixed-bag for me. i love a good grumpy bearded fisherman, and i thought the pace of the main relationship was good. what i didn’t like was how predictable and drawn out the final act conflict was. i appreciated how good the characters were at communicating needs, and then all of a sudden one tiny misunderstanding that everyone saw coming a mile away threw everything out of order. i flew through the first 2/3 of the book and then really struggled with that final third because it felt very unoriginal after what had preceded it. but will i still read the recently released hook, line, and sinker featuring piper’s sister hannah? you already know i will.

2022 book tally to date: 8

exploring the bronx zoo with my charlie-girl. bronx, new york. february 2022.
best friends. brooklyn, new york. february 2022.

the best things i watched.

in preparation for listening to the rewatchables episode [linked below], i rewatched miracle. it is one of my absolute favorite sports movies, and it was such fun to spend an evening revisiting it. streaming on disney+

on maggie’s recommendation i watched i want you back. it was funny and cute and had a few great cameos, and if it had been 20 minutes shorter it would have been great. streaming on prime video

for february’s non-english film i watched the lunchbox. i have been interested in watching it since it came out but never got around to it, so finally last weekend i took advantage of a lazy sunday and watched it. it was just as lovely as i anticipated, and i loved the glimpses of bombay that fed my nostalgia. available to rent or buy on prime video

friendly adventurers. brooklyn, new york. february 2022.
more boardwalk strolling. brooklyn, new york. february 2022.

the best things i listened to.

‘miracle’ with bill simmons and chris ryan [the rewatchables, january 18]. i love this movie so much, and i loved rewatching it and then listening to this episode.

embracing sadness in the pursuit of happiness [the happiness lab, january 31]. similar to a previous episode about anger, this one covers the importance of embracing when you feel sad.

it’s ok to not be passionate about your job [life kit, february 1]. this was a huge lesson i learned when i read no hard feelings, and this episode provides a great overview of the link between career-passion and burnout.

book bite #13: is there such a thing as good conflict? [the next big idea, february 2]. great insights from amanda ripley’s high conflict, which i am still very slowly making my way through.

the ‘double-edged sword’ of being a black first . as we prepare for [hopefully] the first black woman on the supreme court, this episode looks back at the life of constance baker motley and the legacy she left behind for many others to follow in her footsteps.

going up [monocle 24: the urbanist, february 3]. how skyscrapers have changed the built environment and what to look for in the coming years.

offline: roxane gay on why people are so awful online [pod save america, february 6]. fantastic listen. we don't deserve roxane gay, but i sure am glad that we have her.

why we can't pay attention anymore [vox conversations, february 7]. i wish that a conversation about our inability to focus was a little shorter [i lost my own focus about halfway through], but it's a very interesting listen.

a brief history of new york city [everything everywhere daily, february 8]. this was a fun listen during my first week in the city. it's a *very* brief overview, but it's very interesting.

switching gears (with allyson felix and vanessa williams) [you and me both with hillary clinton, february 8]. similar to roxane gay, i'll listen to any interview with allyson felix. throw vanessa williams in there and you know it's going to be great.

the saga of joe rogan [the daily, february 11]. really good breakdown of everything that's going on with joe rogan and spotify and other artists pulling their work from the platform.

reaction offices and the future of work [99% invisible, february 8]. history of how offices have evolved and how they need to evolve now.

brandi carlile - you and me on the rock (feat. lucius) [song exploder, february 9]. i love song exploder and i love brandi carlile and this episode was perfect.

pirates of the senate [throughline, february 9]. everything you ever wanted to know about the filibuster and why it's so difficult to get rid of.

the demand for salary transparency, plus a new fresh prince of 'bel-air' [it's been a minute with sam sanders, february 11]. please normalize talking about salaries and wage transparency. and also i'm intrigued by the new show bel-air.

fighting that "meh" feeling of languishing [the happiness lab, february 14]. i will listen to every interview with adam grant from now until the end of time.

dan pink, bestselling author, with derek thompson [sixth & i live, february 14]. loved this conversation with daniel pink, but i needed it to be about 40 minutes shorter.

mind reading 2.0: the double standard [hidden brain, february 14]. how we can pay more attention to our own biases.

book bite #5: is it time to rethink everything you know? [the next big idea, february 14]. adam grant breaks down the top takeaways from his book think again. great listen, but i also recommend reading the book in full; it's one of my favorites.

'somebody's got to save us, while we're saving everybody else' [the daily, february 18]. stories of nurses in mississippi and what their lives have been like for the last two years.

book bite #3: how do you get where you want to be? [the next big idea, february 16]. katy milkman shares the top takeaways from her book how to change: the science of getting from where you are to where you want to be.

exploring chinatown. new york, new york. february 2022.
loved having this guy in town. new york, new york. february 2022.

the best things i made.

i only cooked once in my new place and it was this very delicious three-bean chili from jenny over at dinner: a love story. i only used two kinds of beans and i bought refried ones and maggie and i both really liked the texture it created. will be making again.

my happy place. new york, new york. february 2022.

the best things i purchased.

i ordered cotopaxi's taal del día convertible tote on a whim just before i moved, and it has already paid for itself. it's a great bag for days when i am out and about in the city because it fits everything i need, and it zips closed which is great for being out in public and also for me as a person who tends to toss my bag around and hope nothing falls out. and i feel like every time i use it i find a new hidden pocket which is always a fun surprise.