DORÉ

Just recently, I was in Mexico City, meeting up with a couple to whom I’d been introduced on Instagram. We shared brunch and some small talk. I learned about their jobs, where they went to school, what they liked to eat in town, etc. Only 10 years ago, this meetup wouldn’t have happened.

I think that’s what I love most about Instagram. It creates innumerable opportunities to make new connections. Now, this is one of the more upstanding reasons I like Instagram. Another thing I love about it is the ability to share my daily minutia with a captive audience of around 1,200.

I’m guilty of posting thirst traps. I want people to know I’m doing something that I think is interesting. And, yes, I give a shit about random acquaintance’s opinion on the facial moisturizer I share on my story.

As a little experiment, I took a couple weeks off Instagram and anytime I had the urge to post something (usually on my IG stories, if you want to get specific), I wrote it down instead. Here’s my list. Judge me as you will.

– Frothing cashew milk with my new milk frother
– My lunchtime taco order from Taco Deli
– A poll about copal incense
– Asking everyone if they know were to score some decent copal incense in Houston
– A delivery notification from Uber Eats for the Thai I ordered
– The search for “cozy bunny house” on Etsy
– Subsequent Etsy discoveries, including a variety of “cocoon” houses for cats (I don’t own a cat, but was intrigued by these nonetheless)
– My adaptogen hot cacao mix (“Tastes like river water,” says my boyfriend)
– A festive patterned sock peeking out from my winter book
– Every song by Gabriella Cohen or Julia Jacklin
– Boy Smells Candle in Cedar Stack burning on my nightstand
– A poll: is burning candles in a small space toxic?
– Indie Lee Blemish Stick
– Rosehip seed oil from Whole Foods
– A screenshot of Mandy Moore’s backyard wedding with “this is exactly what I would expect from Mandy Moore’s wedding” as the caption
– An announcement for a guest oboist on a church bulletin in Kentucky (my home state)
– The plastic baggy of pumpkin spice latte creamers my mom keeps in her purse
– My roommate’s chihuahua, Oliver, that I thought I’d lost, perched on top of a pile of fresh laundry
– A gold vintage top I bought from a friend with very dramatic sleeves
– Varying hot beverages: coffee, tea, turmeric lattes…
– Our house Roomba dragging around a charging cord
– My hair after my roommate accidentally dropped a melted marshmallow into it during our holiday party

After all was said and done, I reaffirmed what I’ve always known about myself: I am an enthusiastic over-sharer. I will always outsource opinions to friends and even people I barely know. It’s who I am and I’m cool with it.

Maybe I’ll take another hiatus again in the future when I need a little break. For now, though, I am back on Instagram, over-sharing until further notice.