Pausing With My Cooking Club Girlies

Oh, hai, gals! 👋🏽 This is my monthly cooking club at last week’s high tea party. Aren't we fancy?

When things get busy and the days feel long, this new tradition has become a built-in respite.

There’s always a theme. Everyone brings something different. The kitchen gets loud, a little chaotic as we warm dishes and swap spices. "Does someone have such and such?" "Where does this go?" you'll hear as we plate and serve.

On a busy Thursday, at times, I go into my kitchen frustrated, thinking, "I don't have time for this. Who's got time for this?!"

But then I remember: It’s a reason to step away from my computer, make something with my hands, and be creative in a way that has nothing to do with productivity.

I love being in the kitchen. I feel good in the kitchen. It’s relaxing. It’s playful. No one, especially me (don't ask me about baking), is trying to get it perfect.

And maybe that’s why it matters so much to me.

It’s time together. Friendships that keep growing because we keep showing up for each other—not for networking or “outcomes,” just because we enjoy being there.

And ironically, those are often the relationships that end up supporting us the most when work gets hard. Tiresome. Lonely. Never-ending.

A good reminder that building a life outside of what keeps us busy isn’t a distraction from it.

Sometimes it’s the thing that makes everything else feel sustainable.

What have you been up to recently that gives you a breather from the pace of it all?