#0: Why are we sitting in a tree?

Hello and welcome to my new favorite place!

I’m currently in that epoch of life in which it feels like a revolving door of choices— some petite and insignificant, others gargantuan and life-altering. The latter being much more nuanced than can be discussed in the parameters of an Instagram caption or a quippy 90 second TikTok. 

All the decisions/choices that have been taking up the majority of the real estate in my head and dominating the conversations between my friends and I these days are not bite-sized and easily consumable on social media. There is no tying up the complications of the kid decision in a pretty little bow and packaging it up in a “5 ways to help you decide if you want kids or not” Reel. I’ve been hungry for a space where it feels like one of those 3 hour dinner dates with a friend, during which you wade all over the place in an ocean of complex decisions and happenings in our lives that tend to come to the forefront your 30’s. 

My 20’s were largely filled with figuring out I even had preferences and identifying those wants and needs, navigating career paths, wondering if that guy was really worth the drama (he’s not, but alas, it’s a canon event), and walking towards the illusion that once we arrived at the turning of the next decade, we’d have life figured out.

A lot of those things (finding love, finding a job, etc) that are largely framed as the finish line in some societal marathon, are actually just the beginning— just like moving into an empty house.

In your 30’s, the new questions begin. What are you going to fill your house with? Will you hate that ottoman the instant that you put it in your living room? Do you actually like mid-century modern, or did West Elm decide for you? Are you an L-shaped couch person or does the coziness of a loveseat call your name? Do blank white walls bring you serenity or do they feel like an anxiety-producing blank canvas that you feel the urge to infuse some color in? 

There’s that falsehood those most of us born in the 80’s and 90’s were fed: Girl and Boy were sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Girl (Why is it always the girl? Rhetorical question… this whole thing is ultra heteronormative anyway 🙃) with the baby carriage.

Even though, yes, I found love, and I just got married, I feel like I’m sitting in the tree, staring at the next steps ahead and wondering what parts I want to participate in or abstain from.

Career paths, passions and hobbies, dating nowadays, relationships, friendships and how they evolve, family complexities, marriage, the baby decision, the unprecedented political and economic landscape of our generation, identities transformed by all those things and rediscovering yourself, the greater world we live in; making sense of it all seems more exhausting than ever, but also riper of possibilities to navigate it with intention and clear eyes. Life is anything but linear, so I think it’s about time we stop treating it as such. That’s what you’ll find here. I hope you’ll come sit in this tree with me to talk about it all. 

About This Newsletter

Now let’s go over some of the technical aspects of this newsletter you should know:

1. This is a paid newsletter, because it will firmly remain ad-free. 

   • For the record, I have nothing against ads, but after being in the creator and blogging industry since the beginning about a decade ago, I’ve been craving a space that is purely focused on my words and thoughts, entirely uninvolved of advertisements. That being said, I firmly believe that everyone deserves to be paid for their work, and this is an endeavor I have and intend to continue pouring my heart and time into. 

   • Becoming a paid subscriber will give you access to the full archive of newsletter issues, so even if you’re joining us later in the game, you’ll be able to read and participate in it all.

   • If there are ever discount codes I share here, I do not get any revenue share or payments from those, unless I clearly disclose it in those very rare cases (and that revenue will also be dedicated to then non-profits below)— these discounts are just a little, “thank you / please save yourself some dollars",” from me to you, for being a part of this community!

   • All Amazon links are affiliate links, and 100% of my Amazon affiliate revenue from here goes to the non-profits of I contribute to ongoing: ACLU, NAACP, and a variety of local dog rescue organizations (Queen’s Best Stumpy Rescue for Corgis is a personal fave)— along with major disaster relief funds when those arise.

2. In addition to diving deep into some of these nuanced topics, I’ll be sharing all the things making my brain, heart, and body sing:

   • A weekly *REPORT* (what I’m currently Reading, Eating, Playing, Obsessing over, Recommending, and Thinking About [an reads roundup, if you will])

   • More detailed personal shares (finances, life happenings, etc.)

   • Various other joys from the internet and IRL, to hopefully add value to your life in whatever form that may be. Get ready to ping pong all over the place from skincare, finances, reads, nerdy health science, recipes, voting, and more.

3. New issues will land in your inbox every Thursday!

About Me

My name is Minna Lee Jamison (she/her) - and my name is pronounced Me-na (not Min-uh). I’m almost 33 years old, and after 14 years in New York, I currently live in Southern California with my new husband and our 3 year-old son, @bennybthecorgi.

I’ve worn so many different hats throughout my career that I almost lose count sometimes, but it all really makes sense together when you think about it. I am and was a personal trainer + nutrition coach, wellness entrepreneur, creator, photographer, and writer.

I’m a first-generation Korean American. I have Endometriosis and Hashimotos. I’m a double Libra (rising + sun) and INFJ. I care deeply about this shared world we live in. I’ve always been a writer, and I’m so excited to share this space with you.

My joys: coffee, being by a body of water, spicy mezcal margaritas, making kimchi, going to the park with my boys, curling up in fresh sheets with my kindle in silence, film photography, illicit eating of cheese despite my body’s protests, hanging my head slightly outside a window while a car is moving, and the feeling of typing away furiously like Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty when I have an explosion of thoughts.

I’d be forever grateful if you spread the word! Questions, feedback, thoughts, requests for what you want to hear about in here— just reply to this email to share it all with me. ‘Til next Thursday, take care of your bodies ❤️ Minna