Just some life updates

Hello hello my friends,

How have you been? It’s been a hot minute since the last issue, but I’m happy to be back! (Major announcement coming soon about what I’ve been up to. Stay tuned…)

We’re over a month into the spring semester, so here are a few updates.

⬇️ What's been goin' on...

1. It’s the final countdown.

Happy March! Today is March 1st, which means 78 days till Commencement. We’re graduating! In person. For real. Columbia also invited back the previous two years (Classes of 2020 & 21) for an in-person celebration the day after our ceremony.

For those of you confused like I was, we call it Commencement (“beginning”) even though it marks a graduation/end of school after 4 years. I think it’s because we’re celebrating the start of our lives in the real world. dun dun dun (Insert dramatic chipmunk meme here 🐿️)

2. “Unlike love, herpes is forever.”

Not so much of a life update (lolz 😬) as a memorable quote from virology class this semester. I took a photo with my virology professor before class one day because he’s actually a famous virology podcaster (100K+ subscribers on YouTube). I shared the photo on my Instagram story, which he posted on his feed! I guess this means I’ve gone “viral”… heh. ba dum tss Thank you for laughing.

3. Just do it fam.

I could blame my writing dry spell these past couple of months on my being uninspired, but I actually have a whole doc of Open Note ideas. Honestly, maybe I just needed the rest over winter break. But another reason is that I’ve been insecure that people wouldn’t be interested in the things I share.

Austin Kleon’s quote has helped to ground me: “Contributing something is better than contributing nothing.” This mindset shift has helped remove the pressure of imaginary expectations. I’ve realized that others’ expectations aren’t as strict as my own expectations of myself. Contributing anything has the potential to help someone. So I shall just do what I gotta do.

Another helpful point is that you don’t really find an audience for your work—your audience finds you. This newfound freedom has made me more accepting of myself and my content. I’m hoping this leads to more frequent publications that are useful to you, as well!

4. Stop procrastinating.

I mentioned having a doc that I jot ideas down on. Sometimes after jotting down the ideas, I procrastinate on developing them. When the immediate moment of inspiration passes, I don’t feel like writing anymore. And when even more time passes, one of two things happens: I either lose interest completely, or I’m still intrigued by my ideas, but have just forgotten why. Phrases that were once full of potential have been reduced to letters on a screen. Oh how I long to remember my insights from before.

The lesson here is to just stop putting things off. If there’s something you want to do, just do it or you might lose it. I often find myself waiting for the “right moment” to come along, when in reality, the right moment is right now.

👀 Latest Watches

Here’s a TED Talk by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the actor) that dives into the human craving for attention. It’s strange to think that even celebrities feel like they’re not enough, when they’re beloved by millions across the globe. This is an insecurity a lot of us have but not many talk about. You think you’re alone in feeling this way, when in reality, your neighbor and her cousin Joe feel the exact same way.

(Recommend to watch it on 2x speed.)

🎥 Latest Uploads

Here are all my Youtube vlogs since my last newsletter issue.

1. My most recent upload on the new semester

2. A tour of NYC (Morningside Heights, the Guggenheim, the Met, & Central Park) that I filmed over the summer

3. A winter vlog I worked really hard on

4. A collection of senior traditions at Columbia

5. A vlog with the Dean of Columbia College

Hope you enjoy! 💖

🎙️ Latest on the Pod

I filmed a few more episodes of the Open Mic Podcast over winter break.

• Ep. 26 features my fitness inspiration friend Annabelle. We talk about body image, consistency, and how to view fitness as a long-term journey.

• Ep. 25 features actress Taylor Richardson and her experiences on Broadway and HBO! Fun fact: Taylor was literally Annie on Broadway when she was little.

• Ep. 24 is a podcast version of Issue #9 of the Open Note—on Stoicism and remaining calm in the face of challenges. It was my first solo episode, and I had a lot of fun filming it!

That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed this issue. As always, cheers to being inbox buddies!

❤️ Caroline

P.S. If you have any feedback/comments for me, please reply to this email or contact me on my website: carolinechen.me. I’m always happy to hear your thoughts on content, what you find useful, and what can be improved with some “re-thinking.” :D