Everyday Experiments

The last time I was searching for a job, (besides now 😭) I had a great cover letter opener that started with “As a naturally curious person…” and I still stand by it as a true statement. A part of my brain loves to figure out how things work, as in, I don’t mind building Ikea furniture or reading the manual of whatever thing I just purchased. Even more satisfying if there are diagrams involved. I enjoy reading long-ish science articles (like this one from NASA about how the melting ice caps are slowing down Earth’s spin and making days longer) and follow a YouTube chemist who breaks down in layman’s terms how skincare works. I perceive myself to be quite open to learning about and trying new things (especially when it comes to food) and experimenting with what I know to potentially come up with a different perspective. Curiosity gives life its vitality and perhaps because I’ve been feeling sort of stagnant this summer, I’ve been wondering about how to keep my inquisitive nature strong instead of retreating to what is safe and comfortable.

This is a catalog of the ways I try to experiment in my everyday life:

First and easiest is food. Many people who know me know I have a LOT of preferences when it comes to food (tbh I’m opinionated about most things), but I’m always down to try the new special on the menu. I don’t know if it’s the Libra in me that fears FOMO if I don’t try the new chip flavour or fail to order the ~unusual~ dessert, but WHAT IF I could have discovered my new favourite thing, but never gave myself the opportunity to try it? For better or worse, my brain is constantly deliberating about the greener grass on the other side. My partner is the diametrical opposite when it comes to trying new things, especially at restaurants. His philosophy is “What if the new thing sucks and you’re out of time and money spent?” In my book it’s worth it, even if the new thing didn’t become my new favourite thing. It does become a new entry in the “Now I Know” section of my brain. In some ways our diverging attitudes makes us a nice complement to each other? Or maybe it’s just light fodder to tease one another about what we believe is intrinsic to our own fundamental core. I must admit I’m also one of those people who will not order the same thing as someone else in my party if I can help it, because then we don’t get the maximum opportunity to share more dishes. Variety is up there with curiosity for me when it comes to adding spice to my life and scratching the itch is more important in the process of curiosity than having to like the end product.

I’ve been trying to cook different recipes than what’s already part of my honed repertoire: pasta and Asian-leaning soups and stirfries. Nostalgia for my ancestral foods is a large driver in what I want to cook and eat these days. My friend Nick made a super delicious and easy walnut pâté that we used on vegan lemongrass tofu banh mis. The pate really takes vegan banh mis to another level. I replicated the pate at home to snack on with pita and crackers.

Mushroom banh mi. Source: PxHere

My approach to cooking is somewhat experimental (although I think most homecooks worth their salt probably adhere to these basic principles). I use recipes more of a friendly suggestion than strict parameters. I substitute with what I have on hand and sometimes that can veer into unusual territory, like that one time I didn’t have any white wine, so pickle juice had to suffice for my cheese sauce. It didn’t turn out badly! I get a lot of joy from cooking because it’s a forgiving medium, at least most of the time. Baking has never been a skill that I’ve been able to pick up precisely because it’s difficult for me to follow recipes to a T. I love learning about the food science behind why apple cider vinegar curdled in plant milk can be a decent stand-in for buttermilk, but that interest does not directly translate to turning out consistently good results in my baking. I can barely make cake box mixes that come with pre-measured ingredients :’(

A new experiment I’m embarking on to get myself out of my zone de comfort will be trying something new once a month. As a reformed overachiever and people pleaser, I dread trying new things I could potentially not be good at or won’t like immediately.

One thing on my list is going to the museum by myself. Due to my deeply introverted nature, I tend to glom onto a person or a couple of people I already know when I’m out in public, especially in expected social situations. I am usually okay in small group settings (depends on the group), but when there’s more than 8 people, I’d rather observe silently, than say my ill-formed thoughts out loud. So, going to the museum alone isn’t necessarily going to be a highly social situation, but my goal is to be present for the beautiful art (and people watching), rather than being in my own head about how strangers are perceiving me. No matter what, they will perceive me. As an added bonus, I would like to practice some ekphrastic writing based on whatever pieces draw my eye on the day of my museum visit. (Side note: if you’re a Chicagoan, did you know you get free admission the Art Institute with your CPL card? Yes, the Art Institute does have free IL resident days a couple times a month, but this way, you can go whenever your creative heart desires.)

Another thing on my list to potentially try is volunteer at the Wild Mile, which is a floating and teaching garden and park along the Chicago River in downtown’s River North neighborhood. My friend Christine shared an article about the Wild Mile from our hyper local news source, Block Club Chicago. It’s very cool to see areas of the otherwise icky river get restored with native plants and wildlife.

Somethings to congratulate myself for trying this summer:

• This newsletter/blog! Writing my thoughts down isn’t a new practice for me. I’ve been journaling since my grade school days, but the newness of putting my stream of consciousness out there for others to read in longer form than an Instagram caption is very much out of my comfort zone. I’ve always fantasized about being a writer since I read The Sun Also Rises in high school. Yet, I remember telling my friend that I’ll probably never share most of my work with other people because “the writing was just for me,” but truthfully I feared others would harshly judge my work or my talent wouldn’t be enough. Having to participate in writing workshops in undergrad helped somewhat with these fears, but it’s vulnerable out there for writers and artists. I mean, you’re currently reading my (edited) inner thoughts? P.S. I did change the name of my newsletter because of my relentless need for variety.

• Going to my first Ren Faire this summer. My friends and I attended the Bristol Rennaisance Faire in Wisconsin and although it wouldn’t typically be a place I would gravitate to (long lines, large crowds, expensive food, unshaded areas, porta-potties, etc.), I really wanted to see what ren faires were all about. I also watched this HBO documentary about the horrendous people behind the scenes of the largest ren faire in the U.S. The series very much fueled my interest in attending ren faire. Just a cautionary note about the documentary, it’s pretty hard to watch because of the megalomaniacs the series spotlights. I did like the series as a whole for its portrayal of how reprehensible capitalists and wannabe capitalists are. In fact, it’s got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s not a piece of media I would subject myself to watching again.

  A busker named Dora Viellette playing the hurdy gurdy at the Bristol Ren Faire.
  
  Ultimately, I didn’t dress up in the spirit of the olden times when I went to ren faire, which is arguably the funnest part, but I adored seeing all the weirdos come together to show off their extremely cool, often handcrafted outfits. We saw everything from full jester ensembles, to furries, and tons of mushroom people to match the bubbling vats of garlic butter mushrooms for sale. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the faire more than I thought I would, although it was definitely crowded and the lines for food and ATMs (the vast majority of vendors were cash only?) were quite long. Food prices were on the lower side of what I was expecting (maybe because it was in rural WI) and everything I tried food-wise was pretty good. My friend Michelle got a $2 sassafras root beer that was well worth its cost. The coolest aspect about the ren faire was that all the rides were human-powered, as in no electricity went into fueling the rides. It was kind of refreshing to see how much staff this place employed to push children (and adults) around on carnivalesque rides. After all, there was no electricity in the Middle Ages (there wasn’t any gojuchang dipping sauce either, but I’m glad they were lenient about that). Heartfelt thanks to my equally curious pals for always being down to try new things with me.

• Lastly, meditation. I never really thought I was a person who could meditate, but I went about it in a way that is manageable for me. I don’t follow any videos or guidance and nor do I keep a regular schedule at all. I just use the time I do my stretches to focus on breathwork and s l o w d o w n my thoughts. Creating a controlled sonic landscape with noise cancelling headphones is key for my concentration. I’ve suffered from insomnia on and off for most of my life. This summer got pretty bad after I got back from Vietnam with the 12-hour time difference. Meditating has helped me bring my sleep schedule back to a semblance of something normal. My foray in meditation has the added benefit of giving my body the intentional time and space needed to feel all of the repressed things I’ve been subconsciously avoiding.