Monday Matter: Te amo, Dr. Wu and a vibe shift

Your weekly Foreign Bodies roundup

Every Monday, we send subscribers and gift recipients of immigrant mental health and storytelling newsletter Foreign Bodies stories we recently inhaled and adored. This is also a chance to do some housekeeping and give shout-outs and all that jazz. Roundups are usually written by Fiza and edited by Farah.

First things first

A little housekeeping

A week without Prozac

It’s been a while since I took this much time off from my medication unintentionally and I’m going to be honest, it sucked. I felt unusually underwhelmed and exhausted, so unwilling to be spontaneous, so lax about washing my hair or writing in my journal or going on a date or vacuuming the buildup of pet hair around the house. Those few days I spent impatiently waiting for my refill reminded me of the funks I’d been in the years before my diagnosis, waiting for some hero to swoop in and save me from myself. I feel lucky to have found a concoction that’s worked for me, one that makes me feel alive—one I have access to, even if it means waiting a few days in between refills. Here’s what kept me going during my comparably rough week:

• Painting peaches for a new commission I’m stoked to ship out next week

• Honeycrisp apples

• spontaneous dinner dates with my girlfriend(s)

• how much the staff at my local pet supplies shop love Lady

• the way trees transform during golden hour

• newfound financial stability

• rainy days and leftovers

• meetings that end earlier than expected

• when young journalists come to me for advice on maintaining a work-life balance

• considerate neighbors

• all my animals <3

A musical start to your Mondays 🎧

One song to groove to, cry to, drive to and share

This week’s pick is Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy (or Океан Ельзи, which translates to Elza’s Ocean). Considered the country’s most famous and most decorated band, Okean Elzy is renowned for their live talent. The band's vocalist and front man, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, isn’t just a musician, according to his Wiki page. He’s also a politician and public activist who has vocally supported Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and Euromaidan protests.

Resource(s) of the week

Something helpful and interesting and cool (*storytelling opportunity)

• Mental health professionals give tips to find a therapist and get access to care: A video panel from The Seattle Times featuring therapist Ash Choi and clinical worker Gregory Whiting on how to find a therapist with limited insurance options, how to address stigma within your family and more.

• Know the Risks: A Guide for Journalists on Quoting Immigrant Sources from the Columbia Journalism Review’s Liz Robbins highlighting Define American’s toolkit on anonymous sourcing for journalists who cover undocumented people

• *Pigeon Pages’ annual poetry contest is open to submissions and the deadline is today! The contest is judged by Dreaming of You author Melissa Lozada-Oliva. Winner receives $250 and publication.