Wednesday was my last day as 39. I went to the biweekly non-fiction writing meetup, as usual. Told them it was my birthday tomorrow, "I thought you were 30!" one woman exclaimed. I said it's all due to wearing sunscreen and left in good spirits.
Then I went to my hairdresser. "Wow, they are coming," she said, holding up a batch of grays for me to see. As if staring at your blob-shape in the mirror for an hour wasn't a large enough dose of humility.
Alright, I'm 40. I guess I have a couple of years to get used to this before I start dreading 50. Hopefully I can afford a great therapist by that time. 🙃
Last week
... I had a lovely birthday. Tom surprised me with an afternoon in a Russian sauna, 40 minutes outside Lisbon. Sauna, cold plunge and uninterrupted reading time. Also got a workout done in the morning, and went out for dinner at Cosmo, one of my favorites in Lisbon.
... I met with friends to grieve/celebrate on Friday. Took zero pictures but throughly enjoyed both drinks and the company. If you love cocktails and art deco vibes, go here.
... I finished readingVladimir, I love a morally dubious character, fun read all around.
... I watched Project Hail Mary. We ended up being ten people going together. Last time I went to the movies with friends like that was maybe at 16? Much fun, just like the movie.
... I spent some time decompressing from the week by, well, working, BUT, sitting in the park and outside at coffeeshops. The weather is really lovely right now.
This week
... I'm flying to Amsterdam on Tuesday morning. Dutch Easter.
... I'll finally get to visit Bruges! I'm obsessed with the movie In Bruges, in a way nobody seem to relate to. Maybe you haven't watched it enough times? Anyway, Tom is inviting me to a trip to Bruges as my birthday present and obviously I'm so excited I'm gonna watch the movie again.
Can't stop laughing at this image. Also, AI-Tom looks way to happy with a gun in his hand.
... I'm going to Vidura's new show. I've seen him twice before and my expectations are high!
I'll be honest. I met turning 30 with excitement. Turning 40 is different. It's that age when you start to face reality. You're still kind of young enough to do most things you could imagine, but with every year, doors are closing, or getting harder to get through. You start to feel the physical expiry date in your body, in a way you couldn't before.
I'm feeling a strong sense of urgency.
Do the thing, before it truly is too late.
Maybe that's not all bad.
This week
Nano Banana took some creative liberties in making this illustration and it cracks me up. Might have it framed.
... I'm turning 40 on Thursday. Yelp! On Friday I invited some friends to meet for cocktails. I'm calling it gravöl (Swedish for "funeral drinks") for my 30's. Not to be dramatic or anything.
... I'm readingThe Inner Game of Tennis during the day, and already in the first chapter I'm connecting dots I haven't connected before. My evening read is Vladimir, which seems very promising 20 pages in.
... I'm working on a few posts that I hope to finish. One about trust in media, one about writing and AI, and one about wearables and tracking health metrics.
... I'm doing my second improv class. Yes, I'm gonna keep going. Wish me luck!
Last week
... we hosted a documentary evening at Kompis (Inside the Manosphere). Strongly recommend this format: get a group of people together, maximum 12, watch a documentary with wine and snacks, stay for two hours afterwards and discuss it. Will make this a regular thing.
... I went on a hike in Sintra with Tom. So good to be out in nature, I forget there are actually nice trails nearby. As we walked down from the peak she sun came out too, a lot less gloomy than these photos look.
... I finished Senlin Ascends and the end was anticlimactic. Don't think I'll be reading the next one.
... I baked bread for the first time, ever, I think? Survived!
This morning I decided I need to do some overdue spring cleaning. And I mean long overdue. I've been paying for Dropbox for 15 years, but since I need to use both iCloud and Google Drive, I have no use for it. But moving 500GB or old docs and photos has felt like a pain, so instead, I've just let it sit there. No more, though. One less subscription to pay!
At the same time I kicked out all Adobe software. I've been a longtime fan of Adobe, but their dark patterns of subscriptions and the space they take up on my computer has been annoying me for years. Off you go.
In related news, I also recently cancelled my Spotify subscription. A big step, I've been a paying user since day one. But every update makes the user experience worse. The AI generated playlists is becoming more generic. The push on podcasts frustrates me. And don't get me started on the ICE commercials.
I tried moving to Apple Music and Tidal before, but it never stuck. Now I moved to Youtube Music, which has the added perk of no ads on the Youtube platform either. It's cheaper and a better experience.
At least for now, let's see how it goes!
This week
... I'm focused on the business side. Both my new business direction, but I also have a new AI workshop idea I want to test out.
... I have quite a lot of social plans. Dinners, writing meetup tomorrow, and on Friday we're hosting a documentary evening at Kompis (Inside the Manosphere). Fun things, but might need an introverted weekend after all this.
... I'm still reading Senlin Ascends. It's enjoyable, but slow. Might just be that I'm exhausted in the evenings.
... I'm doing a trial class in improv. Ever since I got introduced to improv games on NomadCruise 2019 I've been wanting to try a course, and now is the time!
Last week
... I finished watching Ted Lasso and now have a Ted, Coach Beard and Roy Kent-shaped hole in my heart. Ugh, it's so good. 🥲
... I had my first official padel lesson. Learned a lot and it was super fun! Now I just need to find more beginners to practice with.
... I finally got to enjoy some good wines. Been craving it for months and Insaciável never disappoints.
Tried the new hyped sandwich place 15 minutes from Kompis. 10/10 will come back here.
... I built a custom coaching dashboard for myself, to help me stay on track with my goals. I've asked it to imitate Ted Lasso's voice, and let me tell you, this cracks me up every day.
Back in Lisbon after a great few days in Bangkok. Man, I love Bangkok. More and more with every visit, actually. I only had three days and decided to treat myself after the miserable months I've had while being sick.
Obviously drank a lot of coffee, had delicious brunches, and did a cocktail work session from a rooftop bar (highly recommend). But also went all-in self-care! Did a hair wash + bangs cut, a 90-minutes facial, a 90-minutes deep tissue massage and right before flying, I managed to get a foot massage in too.
Indulgence level: 10/10.
This week
... I'm focusing on ROUTINES! All of them! Food, workouts, work, writing, personal business ideas, I want to have the most basic of normal life, thank you very much.
... I'm taking my first official padel lesson. I suck, but I do love learning new things.
... I'm reading Senlin Ascends: Book One of the Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft. I was in the mood for a fun, cosy fantasy and asked Claude for book recommendation based on others I like. I'm enjoying it so far!
... I'm looking forward to building up my strength again. Have not felt this week in years. The upside is progression goes faster when you start from a low-point. Right?!
... I ordered a Brick, after pondering it for quite a while. A physical device to lock you out of addictive apps seems drastic, but I'm afraid that's where I'm at. Heard a lot of good things about it and curious what the effect will be. Also, I'm gonna put it at Kompis and it's not tied to a user, by next week you can try it out for yourself!
At my desk at Kompis, happy place.
Last week
... I walked an insane amount of steps and realized how little I walk when on Koh Phangan. Normally I easily do 10,000 steps per day and it helps me think. I love the island-scooter life, but my body and mind does feel better when I can use my legs more.
I call it the Bangkok effect.
... I came home! Flight went well, thanks to a sleeping pill for my anxiety. Seeing missiles being fired towards the airspace you're flying into 14 hours later, not ideal.
Deliriously tired at Istanbul airport, but sunrise was pretty.
... I sent my first Nuggets of the year. Ok, technically this week, since I sent it today, but I'm counting it for last week. Go read!
... I went to see Miss Monique who was playing literally 15 minutes walk from where we live. Amazing, as always. Being jet lagged and staying up until 6 in the morning was rough. Yesterday was peak lazy day, and the closest I came to going outside was opening the door for pizza delivery. Not mad about it.
First nuggets of 2026 and I sincerely hope your year has started better than mine. I've done enough complaining about my flailing immune system in my weekly updates, so I'll leave it at that.
After I posted two weeks ago, I got sick again. At which point I lost all motivation for anything creative and just tried to survive, counting the minutes until I would get off this island, because this visit has truly been cursed.
Yesterday, after a long day of traveling, I finally arrived in Bangkok. This giant, messy city I enjoy so much. Now it's Monday morning, I'm typing this from my hotel room, happy as clam, with my flat white from Rise next to me. It's delicious. I'm even enjoying the loud hum and honking in the background, the sounds of the city waking up.
Maybe it's the bitter taste after being sick much of this year, but it feels like my Koh Phangan chapter has come to an end. At least as a winter relocation destination. I'm sure I'll be back to visit friends living there, but I'm ready for something different. Not sure what, yet. Thailand will always feel like home though.
This week
... I'm flying home to Lisbon Wednesday evening, assuming I can. I almost always fly back to Europe with Emirates or Etihad, but this time I opted for Turkish Airways, going Bankok-Istanbul, Istanbul-Lisbon. Which should mean the flights are still going, safely, despite the chaos in Middle-East. Makes me incredibly nervous though. I'm consuming news the way I did the early days of the pandemic, when I ended up not being able to get back to Europe. PTSD, anyone? 🙃
... I'm focusing onwriting. Last week was a lot of client focus, now I have more space (and inspiration).
... I'm aiming to send out the first newsletter of the year. I know, it's ridiculous to say at this point. Fingers crossed for me, ok.
... I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, working from Kompis, walking along the river, and breathing fresh air. See you soon, Lisbon!
Last week
Sitting at a cafe, with my laptop and coffee, not being sick, is pretty much all I need to be happy.
... I did manage to send out Between Deadlines, my project management newsletter, which is shifting to more process focused. It's an essay about the art of onboarding. Would love to hear any feedback about it!
... I finished readingVikarien, a Swedish novel about a substitute teacher. It's 900 pages of being inside Anna's head, when she makes tea, organizes the arts storage room in the school, meets a guy, wanting more out of life, but also recovering from a burnout. Not much happens, but somehow the pacing was fast, I could not stop reading. Also finished The Library at Mount Char prior, which I also loved!
... I kept experimenting with Craft Agents. Slowly figuring out use cases for myself. They also updated with automations, which makes a difference! I'll be writing a follow up post about it when I've gotten a bit further.
Photos can rarely convey spectacular sunsets, yet we try.
... I did my best to enjoy Koh Phangan. Drank a lot of coffee, spent time with friends, ate all the brunches, watched many sunsets.
With only two weeks left, it was time for a new place! I've been looking for a while, but it's still high season and busy on the island. Finally I found a cute little house that checked most of our boxes.
Somehow our luggage always expands in ridiculous ways here.
Obsessed with luxuries like actual water pressure, mosquito nets on all windows, and having a separate bedroom. And luckily I still have an amazing coffee shop 7 minutes walk away.
My top criteria tbh.
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This week
... I'm focusing onwork. A lot of deliveries this week!
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Tried to work at a cafe one day, but this dude could not start yapping.
... I'm still readingThe Library at Mount Char and loving it. Will finish it soon and I miss it already.
... I'm aiming to send out the first newsletter of the year. Ok, I know I've said this three weeks in a row, but it's happening.
... I'm also rebooting Between Deadlines, my project management newsletter, that will shift to more process focused, connecting it to my new work direction.
... I'm looking forward to a night out on Tuesday. A lot of DJ's here play some form of hippie house music, so Stephan Bodzin is a welcome change.
Saw this sign on a walk, and thought it said "personal space".
Last week
... I got sidetracked from a lot of things I was planning to do, and instead started learning about agentic AI. Not mad about it – it was long overdue and will save me time going forward.
Lovely garden at a newfound writing spot, The Yoga House.
... I got back to movement! Did a mysore ashtanga class that was brutal, had pain in every single muscle for four days. Also practiced padel, still scared of any ball coming my way, but my serves are getting decent.
... We did an excursion and drove to the beach on the other side of the island. Very pretty, and more waves than we're used on our side.
I have a confession to make. While I've been using AI extensively for years now, including building a working platform (currently offline) and having it as a general sidekick, I have not gotten into agents and that type of workflow yet. If you're as clueless as me, agents are like little magical fairies you tell what to do, and they go ahead and do it by themselves. More or less. 🧚♀️
I've worked with Claude Code, but ended up shipping my new website through v0 instead. If you don't know what Claude Code is, it allows you to work directly in your computer's terminal, mostly used by developers. (Please don't ask any follow-up questions, that's about the extent of my comprehension.) And lately, everyone and their mother have bought a Mac Mini and set up OpenClaw, which sounds fascinating, but I do not have the technical skillset to ensure it's secure, so I'll sit that one out for now.
In summary, I'm long overdue to sit my ass down, roll up my sleeves, and figure out how I can make this agentic thing work for me.
If you're in a similar position, this post is for you. If this is old news, feel free to ignore. Or read and give me feedback!
Hello Craft Agents
Craft Docs is my note taking and task management app of choice. I wrote about why in my toolkit overview post 2024, and since then, Craft has taken over even more of my digital workflow. The key reason is the user experience – Craft takes design seriously. When they released Craft Agents, a UI powered by Claude AI, I had to try it. It gives you the visual experience of a project management tool, but for managing the little fairies, erhm, agents and connects to any API, service and local folders. It's free and open-sourced, but requires a Claude subscription (also works with OpenAI's Codex).
One of the appeals with Craft Agents, besides their UX, is the different modes in a conversation. You have the Explore mode, which means it can read and make a plan, but not take action. There's Ask to Edit, when it has to ask permission for each edit. Finally, Execute, full autonomy to implement the changes (with a log of steps taken). It gives clear control for the user.
This video gives you an idea of its abilities. I recommend you watch it first, and then I'll dive into what I've done to set it up and use it.
First, I need to create a local folder as my home base. Claude reads markdown files for context and direction. I use Obsidian to set up a dedicated folder and be able to manage the files, but you can use any tool you're comfortable with. In Craft Agents, go to Settings/Workspace/Default Working Directory and select your folder.
Next, you need to add a Claude.md file where you can add custom instructions, just like you do in Claude's settings. I have a lot of context, references and memory in Claude, so I asked it to create the file for me, including everything it knows is important for me based on our history.
A few snippets from my claude.md file
Communication Style
Talk to me like a wise, trusted friend — informal, direct, no bullshit. Skip preamble and get to the point.
Do:
Be honest and give me real feedback, including when I'm wrong or heading in a bad direction
Praise when warranted — just don't be sycophantic about it
Push me to consider perspectives I haven't thought of
Don't:
Use corporate speak, motivational fluff, or filler phrases like "Great question!"
End every response with a follow-up question — just land the answer
Over-format with excessive headers, bullet points, or bold text in conversational responses
Critical Thinking & Research
I enjoy deep dives into topics and building well-sourced arguments. When I'm researching:
Help me find primary sources and strong evidence, not just popular takes
Flag when evidence is weak, contested, or based on bad methodology
Distinguish between "this is what the science says" and "this is what pop culture thinks the science says"
Health & Wellbeing
I take an evidence-based approach to health. I strength train regularly, hike, and stay active. When health topics come up:
Give me the evidence-based view, not the wellness influencer version
Be specific with dosages, timelines, and mechanisms — I want to understand why, not just what
Productivity & Organization
I'm a recovering productivity app junkie who now tries to keep things simple. I use Craft Docs, Obsidian, and Linear among other tools. When helping with productivity:
Suggest practical systems, not elaborate frameworks
I'm drawn to shiny new tools — push back if what I have already works
I feel seen. 👀
The last part of my initial set up was connecting it to Craft, where I keep my notes, drafts and tasks. It was breezy, the chat guided me through it in two minutes.
Teaching it about my clients
As I use Claude's Projects extensively, for different areas of my life and clients, I want to bring that over too. For each client I ask it for two files: context and skill.
The context file gives Claude background on the client, who they are, what they do, what matters to them. The skill file is the recipe for specific workflows you can trigger whenever you need them. If I write content for a client, I have a skill that knows their tone of voice, structure, and terminology, so I can just say 'translate this for Client X' and it knows what steps to take.
The files included everything I could have thought of and more.
I paste the files in my Obsidian vault, repeat with other projects, and I'm all set.
First test: untangling my task system
My first real test was to sort out the mess I've made of my task management.
I tried many tools and systems for handling to-dos, but what I return to for personal use is having a weekly note where I add both tasks (organized by client and projects) and notes, kind of a working doc to manage all the little things that come up. Moving it to a new note weekly forces me to do a reality check, but at times I get lazy and my "Week 32" eventually becomes "Week 32-44". I also want a better structure for other tasks that are not urgent, as well as an overview of my writing ideas. All of these have been spread out over multiple pages and platforms, in a desperate attempt to be productive without actually doing any work (don't judge me, I know I'm not alone in this).
What better way than have AI reboot this mess?
I rambled on about what I've found to work best for me, but also asked it for advice on best practice. Below is what it suggested.
Perfect, please execute, I replied.
A few minutes later I had a rebooted structure I could easily review. Since I also used TickTick for tasks, I created a full export and dumped it into Craft Agents as well. "Please integrate all of this too."
So it did. In less than an hour my messy tasks and drafts were neatly organized. I still had to go through them myself to do finishing touches, but having Claude go Marie Kondo on them first made it a smooth process.
Not hating this overview of my drafts. 😌
What's next
I am obviously just getting started, but if you're in a similar position, it's time to start experimenting. It's easier than you might expect, and whenever you get stuck, your AI partner of choice is there to help you out.
I'll write a follow-up in a few weeks when I've tested the waters a bit more!
Meanwhile, here's a few things I'm excited to explore:
Editor skills for different types of writing. I don't use AI to write for me, but I want different feedback depending on what I'm working on. Nuggets, Between Deadlines, essays or fiction all require different feedback.
A fact-checker skill. Instead of prompting it from scratch every time, I want a reusable workflow that checks sources, flags weak claims, and catches things I've missed.
Automating my Monday ritual. Have it review my past week and draft me a fresh weekly doc. Imagine a clean slate every Monday.
Connecting to clients' project management tools. I collaborate with clients on platforms like Linear and Asana, hopefully I can integrate that in my new workflow.
A client onboarding workflow. Every new client means setting up context files, skills, and project structure. A skill that interviews me about the client and generates everything I need would make my life smoother.
On the same topic, an off-boarding skill would be useful as well, closing the books, create a retrospective, gather feedback (I always forget this).
If you have ideas or workflows you swear by, please share. I'm ready to dive deep in this rabbit hole! 👀
Recovering has been slower than I thought, but yesterday was my last day of antibiotics and currently praying to whatever higher power that this was the last if my series of sickness and I can return to normal routines.
Nothing makes me more a grumpy shell of myself as being sick and unable to move.
Spot the bunny.
This week
... I'm focusing onhealth! Going for walks, yoga, and weights.
... I went to a physiotherapist who diagnosed me in five minutes, gave me a bunch of exercises to do daily, and spent an hour on a brutal (but helpful) treatment. Hoping this will sort out my hip issues.
... I started readingThe Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. So far it's an absurd and entertaining tale, just what I was in the mood for.
... I'm aiming to send out the first newsletter of the year. Really, this time!
... I'm looking forward to another padel practice. There is something liberating with being really bad at something, but still enjoying the process of slight improvements.
Last week
... was pretty uneventful. Practiced some padel, had some beach time, and joined a boat trip. Still suffered from sickness sadness.
... I was very happy to be able to work again though! Give me a coffee and let me sit uninterrupted with my iPad for a few hours, it's all I ask.
... I tried reading Tom Lake, but it's turning into a sleep story. I don't mind slow paced stories but this just feels too thin for me.
... I listened to too many podcasts about OpenClaw and Moltbook. Hard Fork does is best, as usual.
Antibiotics resistance is something I'm genuinely worried about. But when I started feeling a sore throat on Wednesday afternoon, after being barely recovered from the flu, my first thought was give me any fucking medication available because I do not have it in me to fight another illness by myself. A few hours later I was knocked down.
I went to the doctor, where he suspected something viral and ran a bunch of tests. The tests however, confirmed Claude's suspicion; a bacterial infection. I will have all the antibiotics right now, thank you very much.
Feeling like a complete failure for being sick, again, I organized my private pity party while everyone I knew was having fun without me. Is this my normal, I will never be healthy again, what's wrong with me, and so on.
I decided to check with Claude if the deficiencies discovered at my last blood test could have anything to do with it.
Well, that makes sense. Consider this your reminder to do a blood test every year, and maybe not wait until you are chronically tired.
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The joy over being able to get coffee after three days in bed, coffeeless.
This week
... I'm focusing on health and work. No grand things, all I want is to fully recover right now.
... I started readingTom Lake by Ann Patchett. Heard good things.
... I'm aiming to send out the first newsletter of the year.
... I'm looking forward to completing this round of antibiotics, be well enough to work out again, and get back to writing.
Last week
... I did not get a newsletter out, but I did get my new website up! It's a simple landing page and I ended up just creating and deploying it on Vercel. Not the cheapest solution, but it was the fastest way to get it live, with a decent design. Live on sannastefansson.com!
... I had a nice getaway with Tom on Samui before getting sick. Finding a good hotel took some effort, but in the end I got lucky with this one.
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... I watched a lot of things that required very little mental capacity. Like season 2 of Nobody Wants This (on the preachy side, but kind of cute), Bridget Jones Baby (you know what you get), Jurassic World Rebirth (actually more entertaining than I expected, but could be the fever talking), and a really bad thriller I won't even mention.
... I had a reading slump so picked up Antarctica Station by A.G. Riddle in the hopes of an easy sci-fi thriller with good pacing. It did have pacing, but in the end felt very unsatisfying. Not a recommendation.
... I had better luck with my next attempt, Heart the Lover by Lily King. On the sentimental side, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for. The third part had me in tears.
... I also watched episodes of my new addiction! People have been telling me for years to watch Ted Lasso, but the premise of a series that revolves around a football team provided too much resistance, no matter how funny or feel good it supposedly is. One season in, I am willing to invest in a Ted Lasso hat and wear it every day until everyone else also watches it. Ted 4-life.
This is basically my medical journal at this point, hoping for healthier times ahead.
This flu is lingering. I'm mostly fine, but still sniffles and some coughing that just won't fully let go. But, it's a new week and now I think lifting some weights is what I need to finally kick this thing out of my system.
This week
... I'm focusing on work, both for clients and myself. Goal is to get my new website up and running in a few days as well!
... I'm reading a few different books, without being able to get into any of them. The problem with reading something you really enjoyed, is how hard it is to chose your next book.
... I'm aiming to send out the first newsletter of the year!
... I'm looking forward to a quick getaway to Koh Samui on Tuesday.
Last week
... I was still recovering from flu, meaning no workouts. ☹️
... I finished reading Jävla karlar by Andrev Walden, or "Bloody Awful in Different Ways" as it's called in English. Easy 5 stars from me, highly entertaining and interesting.
... I shared my business presentation pitch with friends and got a lot of really good feedback.
... I went to Bambu huts with friends. It's a bit of an institution here and while the music is not quite my favorite, the setting and vibe makes up for it.
On Tuesday I did a high intensity strength workout and by the evening I could feel my body was up to something. Wednesday I woke up like this emoji 🥴 and the following five days I lived a life of isolation in bed. Sunday morning I walked ten minutes to get a coffee and my heart rate was 135, which would be normal if I was doing a sweaty workout.
But, in the afternoon it finally turned around. Still have sniffles and a bit of coughing, but my brain is back online. Feels like I got my life back. 😌
This week
... I'm focusing on the same as last week, since I could not accomplish much then. Finishing my presentation for the new business idea, and reach out to a few old colleagues and ask for their feedback on it by Friday.
... I'm also still exploring Claude Code. Did not make a lot of progress before I got sick, so this will be another focus.
... I'm reading Jävla karlar by Andrev Walden, or "Bloody Awful in Different Ways" as it's called in English. Swedish book I've heard a lot of good things about. Halfway through and it's such a fun read.
... I'm looking forward to work, honestly. Nothing like a week in bed to make you appreciate your cognitive abilities.
Last week
... I was sick and in bed (have I mentioned that enough times already?), so not much to report. But, a few things!
... I had drinks on Tuesday at what might be the best sunset spot on the island? Still a work in progress, they are currently having a soft opening, but the drinks were amazing and the view bonkers gorgeous. Did not get a good photo of it though, so will have to go back.
... I saw a snake outside our bungalow. Turns out it was most likely a cobra, one of the snakes here that actually are poisonous. Great.
... I finished readingLabyrinth, by A.G. Riddle. Felt like a generic thriller at first, which is not my favorite genre of books. After a while it started picking up and for someone working in tech and interesting in AI, it was a fun journey! Will do a post about it as well.
Another week in paradise, where I'm slowly getting into a groove. Days are mostly about work, a bit of writing, a few workouts. Evenings either chill, or dinners with friends.
Life is pretty good at the moment, so I'm going to enjoy it. 😌
This week
... I'm focusing on finishing my presentation for the new business idea. My goal is to reach out to a few old colleagues and ask for their feedback on it by Friday.
... I'm digging into Claude Code. I'm not new to coding with AI, but I used Cursor before and haven't taken the time for Claude Code yet. This weekend I got it set up and now it's time to figure out what I can actually use it for.
... I'm readingLabyrinth, by A.G. Riddle. I saw a very positive review about it, mentioning exploration of new technology and philosophical concepts, so I bought it. I'm 13% in and so far it reads like a generic thriller, but I have hope!
... I'm looking forward to a fun weekend celebrating a friends birthday.
... I found a way forward in the essay I'm working on, on masculine and feminine energy. Now it feels alive again and I have a rough idea of the structure.
... I got bit by something with two teeth in the ocean. No idea what it was, but I have two small holes on my foot. 😳 So far nothing seems infected, but let's see how it develops.
... I optimized my home set up. Bought a bean bag chair on Thursday and haven't left it since. Yesterday the mosquito tent I bought online arrived: I'm calling it the Bee Bunker.
If you haven't strapped furniture on your bike, are you even in Thailand? (They could do delivery, but this is more fun.)
Set-up complete!
... I went to Chaloklum Sunday market, which has the best food and snacks. I think it's safe to call it a tradition at this point!
Checking in from Koh Phangan; the island where 45% score 100 on the woo-woo scale, 45% are backpackers getting trashed at the full moon parties, and the rest are just here to work in peace while enjoying sun, beach and coffee.
Guess which category I'm in.
I've been coming to Thailand for years by now, but every time I arrive it still surprises me just how good it feels to be here. My body relaxes and even the most boring tasks are easy enough to tackle.
Happy places! Plus a padel court, which is not a happy place, but it's fun to learn something new.
This week
... I'm focusing on client work and getting my new website up and running. Learning Framer at the same time, which is a bit of a learning curve.
... I'm readingBody Work, by Melissa Febos. About the art and benefits of writing personal narratives.
... I'm looking forward to getting back into a workout routine. Holidays and travels makes consistency hard and Strava was kind enough to highlight that my workout effort is "below average". Thanks, Strava.
Last week
... I was in Bangkok for a few days. Always a delight.
... I arrived in Koh Phangan, via Koh Samui airport. It's the cutest. I almost didn't mind having to wait two hours for the ferry, since we arrived at the absurd time 7am. Guess what time we had to get up for that flight. 🫠
Airports, what's stopping you from looking like this?
... I celebrated New Years Eve, tropical style. Honestly a pretty lame party, but the company was great.
... I did my second padel class. One more, and Tom says I'm allowed to play with other people!
... I finished the last episode of Pluribus. Many opinions on this show! I end up in a philosophical discussion anytime I talk about it, which honestly might be the best review a show can get? The main character is painfully annoying though.
I was quite proud of how many books I read last year, until I realized my Goodreads challenge page had somehow counted several titles twice, and instead of finishing with 36 books, I only had 32. Oh well.
I did an export from Goodreads to be able to follow up more accurately, and while I was at it, I fed it into Claude and asked it to give me a reading wrapped. Sharing here, with some creative liberties taken (Claude would obviously never be this judgy).
Let’s take a look!
I aimed for 40 books. Note that I don’t take this too seriously, but having a higher target always pushes me to read a bit more than I would otherwise.
Helpful for me, might not be for everyone.
Good job, me!
Rough estimate. For context, I’m a mood reader and if it doesn’t resonate at the time, better put it away and try again later.
This surprised me. For some reason I thought I read more male authors, but that was definitely not the case this year.
Fierce Intimacy The only audiobook I listened to this year (and I did it twice). The best I’ve read on relationships so far. Can be used for yourself, or as a workshop with your partner.
Rejection A collection of short stories about rejections, slightly interconnected, and it’s truly a work of modern art. I laughed, I cringed, I will read again. Commonly referred to as the first incel-novel.
Educated I think I’m the last person on the planet to read this? Well-written memoir on the power of education.
Soldier Sailor Intimate, beautiful and incredibly immersive on the early days of motherhood. Could not put this down.
Stacken Swedish book about a group of outsiders living in the woods, from their origin stories to the cult like pattern they develop. Perfect book club book, lots to have discussions about.
This summary was pretty on point, Claude.
Next year my goal is 45 books, so maybe that will finally take me over 40!
In true Lisbon fall fashion, this is the season where one cannot leave the house without an umbrella, regardless of how sunny it may be. Yesterday I got a hair cut and by the time I was back in the office (11 minutes by bike) I had the lovely look of a drowned cat.
Anyway, final countdown now! 🛫🎄🛫🏖️
This week
... I'm focusing on client work, still, getting things done before Christmas. Got sick with a cold last week and that did not help my productivity.
… I’ll send out the last Nuggets of the year. Got a few interesting tidbits to share!
... I'm readingKatabasis, R.F. Kuang's latest, at last! Two graduate students decides to pop down to Hell and rescue their professor. I have a soft spot for dark academia.
... I'm officially starting my first volunteer assignment! I've been wanting to do something for a long time, but it's been tricky finding something that works remote. This opportunity showed up in November and made perfect sense. I'm nervous, but excited.
... I'm looking forward to being on the road again. Packing has started!
Last week
... I finished reading Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. I like the author, but this just wasn't for me. When following multiple characters I often like the characters are fabricated for the story more they are real people. Maybe it's a me thing.
... I co-hosted the last Deep Talk Writing meetup of the year. It's been so much fun to be able to create the event we wished existed.
... I went for a last ocean cold plunge of the year. Which may have contributed to the next point.
Sunset dip.
... I got sick with a cold and had to prioritize rest. But managed to hang out at our Kompis Christmas Drinks for a bit, before heading home to the couch and Netflix.
... I finally got my new AirPods. I lost my right Airpod two months ago and thought it a good opportunity to detox from podcast listening. One month later I ordered new ones, but they never arrived. Ordered replacement, which got delayed and delayed, and finally, on Saturday, I got sanity restored in my life.
Two months without sure makes me appreciate them more.
On the 20th we leave for Christmas holidays and a week later, onwards for tropical weather! I've mentioned this before, but my sweet spot of time being home is about three months. Now it's been over four and all I can think about is riding my scooter up and down the familiar roads, swimming in the warm ocean and waking up to the sound of birds. Ugh, I can't wait.
This week
... I'm focusing on client work, getting things done before Christmas.
... I'm readingBlue Sisters by Coco Mellors. I really enjoyed Cleopatra & Frankenstein by the same author, but so far, I'm not convinced by this one. I'm reminded of another book that covered sisters, and it seems like writers often try a too hard to distinguish them from each other, creating a bit of a caricature? Most sibling groups I know have quite a bit in common with each other too. Not to forget that they are all epically successful, of course. But let's see where it goes!
... I'm looking forward to a few things!
Co-hosting another Deep Talk Writing meetup at Kompis. This will be our third edition and it's so much fun nerding out about writing with other writers.
Organizing Kompis Christmas Party, if enough people can make it.
Probably start packing for our annual winter escape, because why not?
Last week
... I tried pottery for the first time! I will not be quitting my day job, but had a great time. We went to Disco Wheel, which is a whole experience and includes delicious wine (which may or may not assist in your creation). Worth checking out if you're in Lisbon!
It's a cup/vase/something to hold things?
... I finished Stacken by Annika Norlin and it was a fun read! Can't wait to have a discussion about it.
... I got back to work on my essay about masculine and feminine energies. It's taking shape, slowly. Love that everyone has an opinion on this topic when I bring it up.
Honest Greens with the creative non-fiction writing group, a Wednesday highlight.
... I went to the adventure park and did all the things! Including the bungyjump swing thing that was terrifying.
Stood here for ten minutes before I could get over myself. 🙃
... Spotify Wrapped was released and to nobody's surprise, Sabrina Carpenter was my main obsession. Team Sabrina.
