Everything Is Romantic

How to make ordinary life feel like a hug

Valentine’s Day always seems to come with a very specific aesthetic: flowers, reservations, grand gestures and plans.

But lately, I’ve been thinking about a quieter kind of romance.

The kind that looks like staying in on a weekend night because your body needs rest.
The kind that feels like soup simmering on the stove, clean sheets, a book you can’t put down. The kind that isn’t about being impressive but rather being cared for.

I had a moment in a session recently that gave me the idea for this newsletter.

A client said something simple but also quite profound: she was starting to view food less as something to manage or withhold, and more as a way to take care of herself.

That shift showed up in small ways, such as eating earlier in the day instead of waiting until she was depleted, prioritizing nourishment before stressful events, choosing foods that actually felt good in her body instead of just foods she thought she “should” eat.

And it reminded me: so much of wellness isn’t about discipline. It’s about devotion.

About approaching your choices with the quiet intention of:
I’m going to take care of myself today.

So this newsletter is a little Valentine’s collection of things that feel like that to me lately. The stories, meals, cozy favorites, and reminders that romance can live in the everyday.

Everything is romantic, if you let it be.

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The Cozy Thing I’m Reading

Book: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (winner of the national Jewish book award for debut fiction and shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize)

A soft, moody ache of a book about intimacy, memory, and what we hold onto. It’s set in the years after WWII, but don’t let that deter you if you’re not in the mood for historical fiction; it’s not a wartime story. The era is more of a quiet backdrop to a deeply human, surprisingly relatable, and unlikely romance.

Reading is such an embodied experience, and I’ll always recommend a real paperback over digital. It feels infinitely more intimate and cozy. Perfect for a winter weeknight in bed when you want a little escape and something to unwind into.

• A line that stayed with me: “There isn’t a version of me that could’ve looked away from you.”

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The Story That Left Me Sobbing

Watch: Hamnet by Chloe Zhao

I did not know what I was signing up for when I started this movie. I also have a bad habit of half-watching movies while on my computer or scrolling on my phone - ahem, ADHD - but about two minutes into this film, I put everything down.

From the cinematography to the quiet, profound acting, it’s genuinely one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to outshine Paul Mescal, but Jessie Buckley was absolutely mesmerizing - heartbreaking and magnetic in her role as Shakespeare’s wife.

The last scene stays with you long after it ends. I was slow-crying for the final 10–15 minutes. There are so many themes and metaphors to sit with, in a way that reminded me of reading Shakespeare in school. Zhao somehow turned a film into something that feels almost literary. Just incredible.

• A line that stayed with me: “He’s got more inside of him than any man I’ve ever met.”

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Little Things That Feel Like a Hug Lately

A running list of romance-as-care:

• Warm Fond bone broth in the afternoon

  • Tip: I choose the “FODMAP” friendly ones, which contain no garlic or onion.

• Cooking easy but nourishing recipes, so you can spend more time enjoying than preparing. Like this Meditteranean scallop recipe or my favorite way to make japanese sweet potatoes.

• A friend/yoga practitioner/health guru (with incredible luscious hair) recommended this Anima Mundi hair oil. I’ve started to use it in my roots before bed, a shower, or a workout and have already noticed a difference in the shine and health of my hair. Plus it smells like a spa <3.