Life after 36
There’s a magnificent Turkish poet, Cahit Sitki Taranci, who said that 35 is “halfway through the road.” The poem that laments the loss of youth and recognizes the creeping existential dread that one feels as the concept of their mortality becomes increasingly real. Taranci’s verses address the physical changes in the mirror, the loss of feeling, the constant worry and day-to-day struggle, and the hard truths that one discovers as one ages. My favorite verse, and one I agree with: “I discover...
Life after 36
There’s a magnificent Turkish poet, Cahit Sitki Taranci, who said that 35 is “halfway through the road.” The poem that laments the loss of youth and recognizes the creeping existential dread that one feels as the concept of their mortality becomes increasingly real. Taranci’s verses address the physical changes in the mirror, the loss of feeling, the constant worry and day-to-day struggle, and the hard truths that one discovers as one ages. My favorite verse, and one I agree with: “I discover...
Salt and sunsets
Poems scribbled in <10mins, this one inspired by recent summer vaca in Turkey
Salt and sunsets
Poems scribbled in <10mins, this one inspired by recent summer vaca in Turkey
Cats and the defiance for Istanbul’s spirit
They say a picture is worth more than a thousand words. That’s exactly how I felt when I saw a picture from the ongoing protests in Istanbul: a single cat against a wall of lined and guarded police, immobile in their helmets. Amidst the barrage of facts, news, and opinions, the picture hit me with the emotional weight of a cybertruck. It was a perfect symbol of what was at stake: a stance for Istanbul’s (and the broader country’s) soul. Cats are the perfect representation of Istanbul: quirky,...
Cats and the defiance for Istanbul’s spirit
They say a picture is worth more than a thousand words. That’s exactly how I felt when I saw a picture from the ongoing protests in Istanbul: a single cat against a wall of lined and guarded police, immobile in their helmets. Amidst the barrage of facts, news, and opinions, the picture hit me with the emotional weight of a cybertruck. It was a perfect symbol of what was at stake: a stance for Istanbul’s (and the broader country’s) soul. Cats are the perfect representation of Istanbul: quirky,...
International Women's Day, and the women who inspire me
A few days before International Women’s Day, a colleague asked a timely ice-breaker question in one of our weekly standups. “Who’s a woman that inspires you?” I loved the question but didn’t have an immediate answer. One single woman didn’t jump out. I said the first name that came to mind (Joan Didion), but started to reflect. Who did I feel inspired by? Who had helped me, through their example, become a version of myself that I liked better? The answer is nuanced. I called out Joan Didion a...
International Women's Day, and the women who inspire me
A few days before International Women’s Day, a colleague asked a timely ice-breaker question in one of our weekly standups. “Who’s a woman that inspires you?” I loved the question but didn’t have an immediate answer. One single woman didn’t jump out. I said the first name that came to mind (Joan Didion), but started to reflect. Who did I feel inspired by? Who had helped me, through their example, become a version of myself that I liked better? The answer is nuanced. I called out Joan Didion a...
A simple mental model for marketing
I generally like to write about personal topics. But as I recently changed jobs, I wanted to take a step back and distill some of the key things I learned as a marketer on the Base team. It was a time of growth, personally and professionally. It pushed me to be more resilient and a better communicator. Base’s core values—working hard, staying optimistic, doing the right things even when it’s hard, and continuing to build—resonated deeply with me, and I will continue to uphold them regardless ...
A simple mental model for marketing
I generally like to write about personal topics. But as I recently changed jobs, I wanted to take a step back and distill some of the key things I learned as a marketer on the Base team. It was a time of growth, personally and professionally. It pushed me to be more resilient and a better communicator. Base’s core values—working hard, staying optimistic, doing the right things even when it’s hard, and continuing to build—resonated deeply with me, and I will continue to uphold them regardless ...
LA or New York?
A question that stuck with me for days after the two times I’ve visited LA: should I move here? While I was in LA, I experienced this question as a certainty. I belonged in LA. Everything about it fundamentally nourished me: from the sun to the coffeeshops where no one was in a rush, where people called each other by their name and healthy options were the default rather than something you had to seek out. Plus, there was Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Erewhon’s breakfast burritos and the palm-li...
LA or New York?
A question that stuck with me for days after the two times I’ve visited LA: should I move here? While I was in LA, I experienced this question as a certainty. I belonged in LA. Everything about it fundamentally nourished me: from the sun to the coffeeshops where no one was in a rush, where people called each other by their name and healthy options were the default rather than something you had to seek out. Plus, there was Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Erewhon’s breakfast burritos and the palm-li...
