Just when I think I've learned this lesson, I'm forced to take a day off and realize I've "overdosed" again on a thing making me miserable. Perhaps something else to consider along these lines:
One question I've recently added to my lexicon about life-matters, that I try to think about as much as I can, is "what lens am I using + how long have I been using it (for x amount of time)?" I'm one of those who has a knack for the details, but tends to get stuck in the max-zoom setting, and my world becomes scewed. I try to take a step back, or 5 in my case, just to remember I don't have to do x y z, that I choose/get to do x y z, and that it's not an end-all, be-all situation. More often than not, this shift solves all my problems, allowing freedom back into play.
wow, that was so beautiful, it was so good to hear and in an amazing way it was so comfortable, so smooth, and it reminds me of what my dad say, he always tell me to balance things, to this specif word, but you took a lot of the pressure out of it, by just saying: you learn the balance by having imbalance, i'll take this for life, you realize things only by living it and stepping away from it, thank u so much for that, I really appreciate it ♡
Ooooh this one hit just right! I've been grappling with similar ideas since moving to London to pursue an MFA in Scriptwriting after 3 years travelling in a van. The overstimulation is real. But god is it exciting when you're in the mood for it.
Sometimes I miss nature so much it hurts and I've discovered that if I lie real close to my window, the wrong way around in bed all I can see is sky and it brings me so much peace to just stare at the clouds pass.
I really needed to hear this! The same thing happens to me and my relationship with my home city, which is Madrid. I sometimes have the need to dig into all the opportunities it can offer, and other times I think about running away from all the stimulus.
I have been following you on multiple socials for a couple years, and one thing that i have always admired is how you don’t try to figure everything out right away, but you accept that as you grow you will figure it out along the way. I loved the last couple paragraphs. I strive to be more like that.
I looooved this piece – probably my favorite so far. This is phenomenal writing and thank you so much for sharing. Your thoughts on dosage I’m going to try to carry with me.
I like your conclusion near the end where you say "I'm going to let this relationship continue to evolve" rather than taking some big, drastic change in how you approach Paris or what you do day-to-day or anything like that.
I'm quite biased towards taking action when feeling discomfort. I'll rev into gear and step full throttle, going a million miles an hour towards some goal I deem "valuable". But instead of listening to the quieter voice and sitting with a feeling, I end up ignoring what I really need to hear.
So as I get older, I'm slowly realizing that change doesn't need to come from drastic big swings ALL THE TIME, but sometimes calm sitting and digesting emotions.
Aah Paris, the moveable feast! This was a delight to read. It brought me right back to the sights and sounds of the first city I traveled to solo, and where I learned that one can fall in (and out of) love with a place in much the same way as one does with a person. Looking forward to your Hemingway-inspired project.
While listening to the voiceover, I kept nodding along, just swapping Paris for London. After three years in London, I moved to Edinburgh in October 2022. A nice middle ground. Every time I go back to London, I feel this little pang in my heart—not bitter, just a quiet kind of longing. London will always have my heart, and I know I’ll always return to it—just not in the same way, at least for now (I’m always leaving the door open).
This really landed—especially the idea that “the problem isn’t the thing, it’s the dosage.” That feels like a quiet truth I’ve run into again and again, but didn’t have the words for until now.
Your reflection on overstimulation, not just from cities but from life in general—people, projects, even the things we love—is such an important reminder in this age of constant “more.” We often treat burnout like a sign we’re broken, when really, it might just mean we’ve lost the rhythm. Too much of a good thing becomes noise. Space gives beauty back its contrast.
Also, the line “to live well is to tinker with the recipe” is going straight into my notes app. Feels like the gentlest kind of wisdom: iterative, patient, curious.
Thank you for the reminder that we don’t need to figure it all out—just listen, adjust, and allow ourselves to evolve.
I loved this instropection. This resonated so much with me in relation to Lisbon. I spend most of my time in Lisbon and at times it's so annoying as it is full of people everywhere, the traffic rules are hardly followed and public transportation works very badly, the time when you are in a hurry is when a tourist is freezed in the middle of the sidewalk looking god knows where... And sometimes it feels overwhelming. But when I'm not there, I miss that rush, I miss tourists, the noise, everything happening at such a natural cosmopolitan pace, so many people with different lives and thoughts, it has some kind of magic that I cannot find anywhere else . I find that it really depends on my inner world too. The way I feel has a huge effect on the way I feel about this city. Just like you, I'm going to let this feelings flow naturally as I get to know myself in relation to the city.
Just when I think I've learned this lesson, I'm forced to take a day off and realize I've "overdosed" again on a thing making me miserable. Perhaps something else to consider along these lines:
One question I've recently added to my lexicon about life-matters, that I try to think about as much as I can, is "what lens am I using + how long have I been using it (for x amount of time)?" I'm one of those who has a knack for the details, but tends to get stuck in the max-zoom setting, and my world becomes scewed. I try to take a step back, or 5 in my case, just to remember I don't have to do x y z, that I choose/get to do x y z, and that it's not an end-all, be-all situation. More often than not, this shift solves all my problems, allowing freedom back into play.
wow, that was so beautiful, it was so good to hear and in an amazing way it was so comfortable, so smooth, and it reminds me of what my dad say, he always tell me to balance things, to this specif word, but you took a lot of the pressure out of it, by just saying: you learn the balance by having imbalance, i'll take this for life, you realize things only by living it and stepping away from it, thank u so much for that, I really appreciate it ♡
Ooooh this one hit just right! I've been grappling with similar ideas since moving to London to pursue an MFA in Scriptwriting after 3 years travelling in a van. The overstimulation is real. But god is it exciting when you're in the mood for it.
Sometimes I miss nature so much it hurts and I've discovered that if I lie real close to my window, the wrong way around in bed all I can see is sky and it brings me so much peace to just stare at the clouds pass.
The moon is the same moon and all that 🌙
I really needed to hear this! The same thing happens to me and my relationship with my home city, which is Madrid. I sometimes have the need to dig into all the opportunities it can offer, and other times I think about running away from all the stimulus.
As you said, balance is the key :)
“You’re never ‘balanced’; you’re always balancing. Why?.. Because life keeps happening”I thought of this quote when I listened to this one ✨♥️
…
Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re not balanced…until you do 🤷♀️ (Random thought 💭)
I have been following you on multiple socials for a couple years, and one thing that i have always admired is how you don’t try to figure everything out right away, but you accept that as you grow you will figure it out along the way. I loved the last couple paragraphs. I strive to be more like that.
I have noticed and admired the same thing, and I think that is a beautiful, humble approach to life.
I looooved this piece – probably my favorite so far. This is phenomenal writing and thank you so much for sharing. Your thoughts on dosage I’m going to try to carry with me.
You're relationship with Paris is a giant cookie 🍪
I like your conclusion near the end where you say "I'm going to let this relationship continue to evolve" rather than taking some big, drastic change in how you approach Paris or what you do day-to-day or anything like that.
I'm quite biased towards taking action when feeling discomfort. I'll rev into gear and step full throttle, going a million miles an hour towards some goal I deem "valuable". But instead of listening to the quieter voice and sitting with a feeling, I end up ignoring what I really need to hear.
So as I get older, I'm slowly realizing that change doesn't need to come from drastic big swings ALL THE TIME, but sometimes calm sitting and digesting emotions.
So yeah.
Thx for the reminder.
Much luv.
Aah Paris, the moveable feast! This was a delight to read. It brought me right back to the sights and sounds of the first city I traveled to solo, and where I learned that one can fall in (and out of) love with a place in much the same way as one does with a person. Looking forward to your Hemingway-inspired project.
While listening to the voiceover, I kept nodding along, just swapping Paris for London. After three years in London, I moved to Edinburgh in October 2022. A nice middle ground. Every time I go back to London, I feel this little pang in my heart—not bitter, just a quiet kind of longing. London will always have my heart, and I know I’ll always return to it—just not in the same way, at least for now (I’m always leaving the door open).
Your narration works so, so well with the music you attached haha!
This really landed—especially the idea that “the problem isn’t the thing, it’s the dosage.” That feels like a quiet truth I’ve run into again and again, but didn’t have the words for until now.
Your reflection on overstimulation, not just from cities but from life in general—people, projects, even the things we love—is such an important reminder in this age of constant “more.” We often treat burnout like a sign we’re broken, when really, it might just mean we’ve lost the rhythm. Too much of a good thing becomes noise. Space gives beauty back its contrast.
Also, the line “to live well is to tinker with the recipe” is going straight into my notes app. Feels like the gentlest kind of wisdom: iterative, patient, curious.
Thank you for the reminder that we don’t need to figure it all out—just listen, adjust, and allow ourselves to evolve.
"The dose makes the poison"
I loved this instropection. This resonated so much with me in relation to Lisbon. I spend most of my time in Lisbon and at times it's so annoying as it is full of people everywhere, the traffic rules are hardly followed and public transportation works very badly, the time when you are in a hurry is when a tourist is freezed in the middle of the sidewalk looking god knows where... And sometimes it feels overwhelming. But when I'm not there, I miss that rush, I miss tourists, the noise, everything happening at such a natural cosmopolitan pace, so many people with different lives and thoughts, it has some kind of magic that I cannot find anywhere else . I find that it really depends on my inner world too. The way I feel has a huge effect on the way I feel about this city. Just like you, I'm going to let this feelings flow naturally as I get to know myself in relation to the city.
Mentre stavo leggendo, ho pensato che il "troppo" per me sono i miei pensieri, la mia parte razionale intendo.
È un fiume in piena tutti i giorni e riesco ridimensionarlo e a starci bene solo quando faccio qualcosa di nuovo, che non conosco.
Forse cambiare casa o città mi aiuterà ancora di più.
Il tuo approccio alla vita sembra quasi un laboratorio alchemico.
Grazie per questo articolo!
Tiziana