It’s summer here in New England, which means longer days and (hopefully) more leisure.
Pretty ideal for a bit of rest and a healthy dose of play, right? And yet, I know I’m not the only one who starts itching for an overhaul when this time of year hits. You know, like dreaming of taking a trip, picturing life with a different career, fantasizing about moving to a new place...
If you missed it, here’s the last one.
What’s happening?
July 2026 edition:
Itching for novelty.
The latest from Unobstructed.
A quick question.
1. Itching for novelty.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s something about letting your imagination take the wheel every now and then... but what is it about sunshine and a little more breathing room that surfaces a pile of hard-truths for us to wrestle with??
In honor of looking before you leap, maybe give these pieces from the archive a gander and sit with what you find for a bit. Perhaps in a nice sunny spot?
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2. The latest from Unobstructed.
From Kickturn, a daily column on pivots and new perspectives:
I remember this one time, when I was maybe ten or so, a group of kids from the street were playing “pickle” aka “rundown,” a game mimicking the scenario in baseball where a runner’s caught between bases. Then my neighbor’s dad got home from work.
Keep reading.
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From Unobstructed Weekly, the flagship column on finding clarity:
What We Hope A Good Friend’s Willing To Say
On any given day, I’m caught somewhere between wanting to take a trip with no return ticket and wanting to just go take a nap with no alarm to cut it short.
More and more I’m finding myself in that in-between space of “do the most” and “do the least.”
It’s knowing I still have to find time to go food shopping and it’s the giant fucking sigh, clenched-jaw, and feeling of resignation that shows up every single time I remind myself to look for gratitude in the hope of taking the edge off of my stress. It used to work.
Keep reading.
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From Breaking Trail, a monthly column on trying new things:
Don't Yuck My Yum
“I’m sick of following my dreams. I’m just going to ask them where they’re going and hook up with them later.” — Mitch Hedberg
Go to your feed, scroll for 5 minutes, come up with what you think the average household income is for the friends, family, and influencers you saw.
Odds are, the number you landed on is quite high, yet only 18% of Americans make over $100K a year. On social today, we only get to see what people have oh-so-carefully curated. And it’s never a real look into their day-to-day.
Keep reading.
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From The Unobstructed Podcast, monthly conversations on navigating daily life:
Episode 35: “Facing Death And Embracing Grief With Michaela Kellogg”
This episode of The Unobstructed Podcast is about grief, empathy, and learning how to talk about death instead of tiptoeing around it.
We’re joined by Michaela Kellogg, a creative director, writer, and the voice behind The Near Death Project. After the unexpected death of her nine-year-old son, Ben, Michaela had to figure out how to live a life that made space for gratitude and grief at the same time.
Keep reading.
3. A quick question.
Unobstructed is growing and we'd love to know what you'd like to see more of before we just take off running. So, let's hear it. Seriously, no wrong answers!
Cheers to you.
No, really. Whether you’re itching for an overhaul this summer or just enjoying the change of pace, thanks for being here.
It means a whole lot.
onward.
