Rumspringa
“a time where youth are allowed more freedom to socialize, travel, and experience things beyond the traditional [Amish] lifestyle.”
pausing for a breath
It’s been about 6 weeks since I left Denver, corporate, friends, … sold most of my things, … dyed my hair, … and began galavanting around the Lombardy region of Italy, Swiss Alps, Albanian riviera, and Paris. I’m writing this from a flight to NYC that I needed to take to get my French student visa … a moment to sit and reflect
I’ve been off social media so unless we’ve texted or called, we haven’t really caught up. I owe most of you a call or text so I’ll be in touch when things settle down :)
I’m writing this for the both of us - keeping you lovely humans updated on my journey and for giving myself an outlet to look in the mirror. Hope we can each realize something from the time spent here … this will be long-form content that is thoughtfully written
FAQs
elephant in the room: Why did you dye your hair?
Other than the fact that I look sick AF? … it is my physical representation of veering from “the path”
In professional spaces there is a lot of judgement against self-expression. We like to think that we’re accepting cultures, but if you try to dress differently, change your facial hair, or paint your nails, people give looks & make charged comments
I don’t vibe with that culture & it’s been consistent since middle & high school, Umich (Ross specifically), NYC, & Denver
I shouldn’t have conformed earlier but now is a chance to begin seeking authenticity
what’s your rough itinerary?
July - Aug: based in Italy with scattered trips across Europe
Sept: a couple weeks in Michigan
Oct - Mar: taking culinary classes in Paris
best way to talk?
WhatsApp my US number. SMSs aren’t going thru & IG is deleted for now
i’m visiting Europe this summer/fall/winter, can we hang?
Maybe … Reach out but tbh I’m not gonna travel much once fall starts - going to squeeze all the juice from my tuition and life in Paris as i can
welcome to my headspace
Now that we’ve covered the essentials, I’ve jotted down my thoughts & themes from the month. All of this is written from the heart & personal:
life lately
After some time well-spent with family and friends, I’m just beginning a couple weeks to decompress by myself. I sprung into my travels right after leaving my job (literally the last day of my work I flew back to Michigan, then 3 days later was on a flight to Milan). I spent 2 weeks with my Dad and Michael exploring the towns around Lake Como. Also, we took a road trip to Switzerland (Schweiz and Stoos - just south of Lucerne). We’ve been eating well and enjoying the slow European life!
In Italy there is a concept called “passeggiata” which is the art of leisure. It’s about taking in the moment, appreciating what’s around you, tasting your food, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, laughing with company or even just taking a stroll alone with your thoughts. Slow dinners and swimming have never felt better
going back in time
In the spirit of “passeggiata” I’ve decided to “look up from my phone and see my life” (s/o Garden Song by Phoebe Bridgers)
The Italians and Swiss seem to be doing the same. One thing I always notice here is the lack of smartphones at the dinner table. People aren’t taking photos of their food, they’re not checking notifications, they’re present. I was at this town festival a few weeks ago with live music and kids running around - I only saw one person taking a picture, the rest were living in the moment. Quite the opposite of the crowds in the U.S.
In a lot of ways it feels like going back in time 20 years ago before smartphones. I’ve been living mostly without Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, dating apps, etc for a few weeks now. It was definitely hard at first to not have the constant dopamine hits from notifications, but after a while I started feeling normal again. I’ve even been leaving my phone when going out-and-about which has been gratifying. Hoping I can keep it up, at least partially, when rejoining the working world
thinking about
French: I started learning French from the very beginning using Pimsleur - special thanks to Dadler for his advice!
Books: I just finished reading Tuesdays With Morrie again, which I read originally in 8th grade. Such a beautiful story, I highly recommend it for anyone who likes soft-hearted books and life lessons. Currently reading another book written by my NYC neighbor Skye which I’ll write about in another newsletter
Active: Since March I’ve picked back up running and I’m about to start training for the Philly Marathon! See you on Strava :)
Projects: I’ve been working on some personal projects, including this newsletter. I’ll share some videos and short stories here as I finish them
Music: Below is a link to my Rumspringa playlist which I hope you give a listen to! 10 songs that give a mood of excitement, confusion, growth, and appreciation
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peace and love everyone, always,
robert
lyrics that matter
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lyrics that matter 〰️
