To Be Bored Is To Be Blessed

A guide to making LA feel like New York (another day in February)

It’s becoming harder and harder to write a Substack, mostly because I’m deeply self-conscious about who even wants to hear my thoughts. But that’s not for you guys to process — that’s for me to push through. And summer is for pushing through the things that scare us. So thank you in advance for opening this. I love a great open rate.

I just got back from New York and every time I return I have the exact same thought: LA in June is basically another day in February. The weather is always weathering quite well and that’s a fun fact in winter but in the summer it’s actually quite boring! I left behind the electric energy of the Knicks win, packed sidewalks, and a real heatwave only to come back to people doing their absolute best to manufacture World Cup energy and lining up for Trader Joe’s tote bags. Sure? I guess.

Every year more people in my feed have a European summer or an East Coast jaunt. I get it, sort of? What exactly is everyone vacationing from or for? But here’s the thing—if you’re still here, you’re forced to wrestle with the stillness. Carl Jung says that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.

He called it the nigredo—the stuck, boring phase before transformation. In Kabbalistic thought, there’s a concept called Yerida l’tzorech Aliya—descent for the purpose of ascent. You cannot rise higher than you were without first going lower (don’t worry it’s not about going too low, just enough to grow.) You don’t escape the hard part or the heat! THIS IS THE JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS!

Most of us spend enormous energy escaping it. I know I do. I’ve often used spiritual bypassing and even taking way too many long baths to do so. This summer I’m trying something different. I’m staying in the heat.

Because the truth is, to be bored is actually a blessing. It means life is, at least for this moment, ordinary. No emergency or crisis or election. No phone call you never want to get. And if you have ever had the blessing of taking care of a sick one, those calls come .

A year from now my life could look completely different. Yours could too. At least that’s what my manifesting app TO BE MAGNETIC promises. You could move cities for fun or for work. Change careers by choice or by forcing factor (not talking AI but not NOT.) Become a parent or lose a parent. You get it! Life can just sometimes happen to us but really for us.

Also, you could be very busy this summer and still be bored. Boredom isn’t about having nothing to do. It’s an unconscious need to expand. It’s the soul asking for more than what’s currently on offer.

I think we’re all feeling it. Look around. We’re suddenly obsessed with sports. We’re standing in line for little treats. We’re packing bookstores and bars and rooting for cities we will never even visit! We’re looking for anywhere that feels like people are gathering again. I guess thank you covid? It’s easy to make fun of all of it, but maybe instead of making fun of something, just join on in!

In New York I never waited to be entertained. I walked out the front door. I wandered. I said yes. I literally went alone to a Dream Press Baby Writing class in a Burger King! and shared!

Half the magic of that city is that you’re moving before you even know where you’re going. Maybe New York isn’t actually that different. Maybe I am just different in New York. That sounds Carry Bradshaw coded but I mean it. We all have those cities that bring out the version ourselves we want to be (and yes, Tokyo counts.) But this summer I’m going to try to be that version of me everywhere I go. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

So my solution isn’t to complain about LA. It’s to say yes.

If you’re an old friend and you text me to get dinner, yes (earlier side please.) If you’re a new friend and you want to grab coffee, yes (somewhere weird with foam top please.) If someone invites me somewhere random on a Tuesday, yes. I would do it spontaneously in New York, so why wouldn’t I do it here? I’m blessed to be bored, but I’m also responsible for making my own life a little less boring.

So here’s how I’m making LA feel a little more like New York.

My Summer List

• Find your sport. Pretend you like sports if you have to, who cares. We need that energy and it’s yours to borrow. Show up. Wear the hat. Find a bar with a lot of flags and watch the game. here are some options

  

  

• Go to dinner on the far east side or the far west side. That’s where the energy is. Anything in between feels random and dead. Go before sunset ! follow the eastsiderag for east side content and as for westside content, hmmm I guess just go to RVR> that’s all I know. But that is very worth knowing and my favorite restaurant in LA. worth the trek. again go at sunset!

• Mish Deli. I loved it. This is your mid city exception. It’s huge — like a Jewish deli meets Joan’s on Third. Order everything. Go with a group to get more things! Latkes were lovely, and the black and white cookie tasted chic. I plan on going next time and getting a foam top lemonade more on that trend another time.

  

  

• Cafe Stella reopened. It’s back, closed in 2024 and now it sounds almost like a nightclub for young adults. All age adults. My type of crowd. It sounds sexy and sceney and you don’t need to be in Paris in a heatwave to see hotties in slip dresses.

  

• Sqirl. The outdoor seating will make you think you’re in Dimes Square if you like that sort of thing. I do. I also loved their mini cocktails. On Glp-1’s drinking is sort of disaster but these drinks help .

  

• The new Geffen. LACMA. You may not be blown away by every piece of art, I wasn’t. The Matisse always a thrill but the brutalist building holds all the space you need to feel inspired. I plan on using this museum to wander and get my steps in and I guess get an Erewhon smoothie if i’m bored.

• The New York City Ballet is in LA and ends this Sunday. You can literally be in New York while staying in Los Angeles. A friend of the Substack Simone flagged this one for me and she is always absolutely right. → Get Tickets

  

• Walk. Walk. Walk. Silver Lake Reservoir, although this week it had a slightly eerie Boyle Heights fire scent to it. Walk up and down these streets. Larchmont La brea, Sunset, Montana . You get the gist. WALK WALK THE BLVD’s. Listen to this mix and wear these shoes for funsies

  

• Go to the movies. I’m seeing The Invite this weekend at Century City my stomping ground mall . Honestly, the mall alone is worth the trip. The food court sucks but there is Eataly, there is always Eataly .

• See a show. I’ve heard incredible things about SOPHIE BECKER the ventriloquist. A hot and smart ventriloquist, OK! It seems sold out, which honestly just makes me want to go more to things like this.

  

• We need more parks though:

  Here are some splash pads around LA though that might do the trick

  

  BUT…. I love that Glendale City Council just approved a new design

  

  The new bridge will span across the river at the intersection of Flower Street and Fairmont Avenue to reach Griffith Park because this is how it happens. Cities don’t become great overnight. They become great one public space at a time. One place where people can gather without having to buy something or do if you want! We can do it, LA. We can make it feel a little more like New York without the winter. Let’s try.

  Now tell me in the comments: what’s the thing that made your life feel bigger when you were bored? I’ll steal your ideas if you steal mine.

  To be bored is to be blessed. But only boring people stay bored.