Issue #27: A Digital Detox

A social hiatus, farmers market recipes, and summertime inspiration

Jun 04, 2024

I always imagine going off the grid.

Not in the Ron Swanson bury-gold-in-my-backyard and-not sign-any-legally-binding-documents way, but in the deactivate-my-Instagram-account + get-a-job-at a-neighborhood-antique-shop way.

For years, I’ve struggled to balance my online entrepreneur identity with the urge to return to my first Nokia phone.

I’ve bought a book detailing arguments for deleting your social media accounts, had a stint where I slept with my phone outside my bedroom, and tried every method for “texting productivity” under the sun. But the real thing that has made a difference in my digital hygiene?

Taking yearly social media hiatuses.

Starting in 2018, I decided to get off of social media for the summer. At that time in my life, I was traveling a lot, savoring a new relationship, and feeling incredibly burnt out at work. I wanted to truly be where I was when I was there, not obsessed with getting the perfect angle at a concert or replying to a person’s DM in my free time.

Therefore, it was decided: I’d log off for a while. I didn’t set a time constraint; I’d just return when things felt “right,” and so my annual journey began.

The first few days of a hiatus, I reach for my phone in lulls. I go to check my deleted Instagram app after replying to an email or go to stroll TikTok as I drink my morning shake.

Then comes the peace.

I’m lying in bed at night finally finishing that book, leaving my phone at home on date night, sipping on a G&T with an aesthetically pleasing lavender sprig, and not even taking a photo of it!

Progress.

Taking a pause from being online regularly has

Reduced my anxiety — as it has been clinically proven to do

Enhanced my presence in my day-to-day

And has helped me decrease my usage after the sabbatical is behind me.

I do sometimes wish that I’d jump in with both feet and erase myself from socials. When I think about actually pressing the “deactivate” button, I feel equal parts intoxicated and like I’m suffering from a gut punch… But at the end of the day, I am a typical millennial born into the MySpace + Beyond era.

I enjoy chatting about good heirloom tomato recipes via DM and posting photos of flower bushes that make me stop in my tracks on my afternoon walks. Like most luxuries, having an online presence is a double-edged sword, and it’s about finding the best methods for navigating this landscape and others.

So, for now, I’ll be eating buttery croissants, kissing Aaron in the Provencal sun, playing with Stabes in Central Park, and reading away — all in beautiful real life.

I’ll be back to the newsletter on July 2nd + back on social when it feels right.

May your June be spent creating the best memories. Feeling the warmth, laughing out loud, diving in…

Kayli

Summers of Yesteryear | Peaceful Breakfast at Tourists // Honeymooning in Positano // Farmers Market Run // Floating in the Sardinian Sea

The other day, I saw

Denna

(who writes the fabulous

the strict list

newsletter) post about Montauk Country Mart’s iced strawberry matcha + the way I craved it became insatiable. Like, I had to have it! Alas, I was in the city and not Out East.

Enter: My homemade concoction that I’m sipping + loving lately.

Tip: I’m on a kick lately, so I blend enough for the week and store it in one of these bottles.

🍦 This Mister Softee locator app may be the one tie to the online world I keep this month… The Merlin is just toooo delish.

☄️ 100 ways to share about your business that DON’T involve making a Reel.

🤿 I recently learned about the Bajau people and how they’ve evolved to stay underwater for up to 13 minutes — I’m so fascinated!

🧼 I walked past Soapology + now I want to pop in and grab some goods!!

👗 I have this Old Navy athletic dress in two colors now. Perfect for everyday in the summer.

☀️ I LOVE this article on simple ways to enjoy summer. In my Fun File: Read in Central Park, take a day trip to a nearby beach, visit The Grand Bazaar with my bestie, go to the farmers market + make a fresh meal. What’s in yours?

🍪 My current NYC chocolate chip cookie ranking:

🏅 Café Leon Dore

🥈 Michaeli’s Ferrero Rocher Cookie

🥉 Fabrique

Honorable Mention for a Sitdown Cookie: Porchlight

📺 The Dynasty about the legendary New England Patriots was a docuseries DONE RIGHT.

🍷 This affordable Beaujolais is my go-to!!

The smell of fresh blossomed peonies! The bright green of the snap peas! The insightful conversations with farmers! The farmer's market is a spot that arrests your senses and demands you live right there in the moment — making it the perfect place to have any memory of an iPhone wiped away.

Here are a few meals I’d recommend with your upcoming farmers market bounty.

☀️ This rhubarb tart was actually incredibly easy to put together + tasted delish! The amaretto makes it. Next time, I’d give a good ole’ hardy glug into a glass to sip on alongside.

🌿 Ramps! Ramps. I’m woman enough to admit that until this year, I didn’t even know what ramps were. Well, those days are behind me + now they live in my head rent-free.

First, I whipped up a ramp pesto with the leaves that I mixed into spinach noodles from another farm. I just threw things together (including parsley, thanks to a fellow shopper who gave me that hot tip!), but this recipe looks super similar.

Second, we chopped the white parts of the ramp, sauteed them in some butter, and then mixed them into fluffy scrambled eggs. Wow. Wow!! 100/10 recommend.

🍅 This tomato pasta from Alison Roman is the best summertime meal! The best part? It tastes even better chilled the next day.

🫒 P.S. My friend

Maya Oren

of the incredible

On Holiday with MOJALVO

is collaborating with a farm in Puglia to bring their zesty olive oil (one of Maya’s absolute favorites) to her community! She did it last summer, and it was such a hit that she’s working to bring it back.

This SubStack from her last go-around goes in-depth about the background of the olive oil, and you can leave her a comment on the post to let her know you’re interested in securing your own bottle! 🫒

Since I’ll be mostly offline leading up to the day, a reminder that on June 30th I’m hosting a women’s circle in Central Park! We’ll enjoy some freshly brewed rose iced tea, sharing time, and connecting in a deeper way to our inner worlds. I’d love for you to join us!

You Can Reserve Your Spot Here