weekly glimmers vol. 9: a gold carpet, Raya, + bunnies

my weekly inventory of micro joys and unexpected calm spots

Apr 19, 2025

We’re back and much better than last week 😅 I’m a day late because Thursday night and Friday were, well…eventful lol

I made the conscious decision last week to

Delete the dating apps
Unsubscribe from the traditional way of job hunting and fully immerse myself in my own passion projects. Let the recruiters come to me versus chasing them.

Idk if it’s one or both of those things or the extra dirty martini I just consumed at happy hour an hour ago, but I’m feeling much lighter and happier this week. Thank god.

There's something incredibly freeing about removing the constant pressure of selling yourself - whether it's on dating apps or to potential employers. I've spent months crafting the perfect profile, the perfect resume, the perfect responses to predictable questions. It's exhausting being in a perpetual state of audition.

Instead, I've been channeling all that energy into projects I actually care about. Things I'm doing because I want to, not because I think they'll make me more appealing to strangers on the internet. When you start creating for yourself instead of for an audience, it's amazing how much more naturally everything flows.

Here’s the current state I’m in as I write this. Much better than the sad selfie from last week I think? This is definitely a result of the extra dirty martini I just consumed at happy hour an hour ago.

disco tits by Tove Lo will forever get me hype.

Let’s get into this week’s glimmers ✨

🧿 Through my eyes: The refractions of light from my disco balls all over the walls of my living room ✨🪩

🎧 In my ears: Midnight Dreams by Ellie Goulding

🫦 On my tongue: My hyperfixation salad

👃 In my nose: Freshly bloomed flowers around the city

🪬 Under my fingertips: A much needed hug from a friend

❤️‍🔥 In my heart: I love my Chicago friends <3 And I'm rly proud of myself for building this circle from scratch in a new city

1. A meaningful Lyft ride

Last night I was picked up by a Lyft driver named Raya. He drove me to Happy Camper in Old Town to meet some friends, and it turned into one of the most meaningful rideshare conversation I've ever had. Raya had just moved to Chicago from Phoenix last week after ending an 8-year relationship.

You know when you meet someone and immediately feel that energetic click? That instant recognition that you're operating on the same frequency? That's exactly what happened.

As we drove, I shared my Chicago highlights - the neighborhoods worth exploring, the food spots that changed my life, the fun dating scene, all the reasons I've fallen for this city. Somehow the conversation shifted to talking about writing, and he mentioned journaling has been really helpful in processing his break up. He told me he's been trying to write down small moments throughout each day that bring him joy, to stay present and grounded during this transition.

“Have you heard of the psychological framework of glimmers and triggers?” I asked. *steps on pedestal*

He hadn’t, so I briefly explained it to him -- how consciously recognizing and collecting those micro-moments of joy can literally rewire your brain and regulate your emotions over time.

As we pulled up to Happy Camper, he turned around and thanked me for such a wonderful conversation.

“Thank you, Beth. You’ve been a glimmer in my day today.”

😭 😭 😭 😭 😭

2. The tree outside my bedroom window in full bloom

3. The launch of my new podcast and Substack

The amount of times my co-host and I, Drue, texted each other this week “I’m so proud of us” 😂

But srsly, the amount of positive feedback we’ve gotten since the release of our first episode of Punchline has made me the happiest girl. Pouring my energy into my passion projects versus the dark hole of job applications has been the best feeling.