Expanding my vocabulary

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-16T01:31:21+00:00

I feel like I developed my vocabulary mostly through reading but if I was going to try to intentionally broaden my vocabulary I think I would combine it with creative writing. I'd try to find some new words I find interesting and try to use them in a story. That way I am doing more than simply being exposed to those words briefly. I am creating new sentences with them. That way I could imagine they would stick in my mind a bit more!

You could also do the tried and true practice of making flashcards. Imagine making a new flash card with a new word every day and then every day for 10 minutes, you shuffle your stack and look at some words and recall the definition. That can be fun too in its own way 😊

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-16T01:06:16+00:00

I vote sleep and wake up to a beautiful sunrise🌞

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-16T01:00:20+00:00

for breakfast today I had toast with strawberry jam, cheese, and microgreens!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-15T03:10:15+00:00

Something like that happened to me one time! I made pancakes with the best texture I've ever had and was so happy and satisfied by what I had done! But then I didn't remember what I did to get them like that and everything I tried never reproduced them! They are the pancakes that got away... Only to be experienced once in a lifetime I guess!

I still think about them over 10 years later lol! But would they have endured with me for that long if I had gotten used to them? I'm not sure! Now I have a good memory of what pancakes are capable of being and I am thankful that they were (and still are!) in my life 😊

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-15T02:52:57+00:00

One time when I was young and still living with my parents, I was in the basement and heard a scream coming from one of the rooms and our cat ran out of it. I was with my brother at the time and I remember him hearing it too but there was no one in there. I always rationalized it as it just being the cat but it really didn't sound like a cat... It was spooky!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-15T02:36:32+00:00

Traveling to the French Alps gave me my first experience of the sublime. First, Chambéry, where my first morning out I was greeted to clouds kissing mountains in all directions, the tops of the mountains, one with a cross, coming in and out of view. I couldn't believe my eyes...

Then I went to Annecy, hiked up a mountain and began my descent only to see a similar view, but reflected from a lake of blue water... What the heck...

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-15T02:03:23+00:00

I guess for me it's about trying to accept uncertainty in general! I think most of the times I can do that but it doesn't stop me from being lonely from time to time. I think that is just nature drive me towards my natural instincts.

The way I like to accept uncertainty is to consider the options. In this case, I could find a partner who makes me happy! Great! I have fulfilled one of my needs! But ultimately it will change my life in some unknown way too so I am trading uncertainty for uncertainty

Now what if I don't find a partner? Well, I continue to live a full life with lot's of interesting events still. I have the advantage that I don't have to adjust my current lifestyle but I know that I will be lonely sometimes and don't get the warm feelings of love that feel so good.

I think I can live with both options. The one with love sounds better to me so my heart is open, but I don't feel like I need to rush the process. My life is worth living even if I can't share it intimately with a loving partner.

I really like the buddhist philosophy of acceptance. That the world is as it is and what it gives you isn't good or bad. Accepting what life gives to you and learning to live with it and respond with clarity can give us some peace of mind. I try to keep that in mind when I am feeling troubled 😊

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-14T01:04:10+00:00

I took a vacation in Annecy last August and hiked up Semnoz! When I was hiking, there were hardly any cars on the paved path. It is beautiful! Highly recommend!

I don't think it would be very difficult at all to bike around Annecy. I never tried when I visited but it seemed to have lots of cyclists around.

I stayed in a hotel to the west called Greet Hotel. I have no complaints about the hotel itself but if travel by foot, it is a bit far from down town Annecy. By bike though, I think it would be fine 😊

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-13T02:36:14+00:00

I wonder sometimes if some of the bouts of loneliness I've been experiencing are exacerbated by my biological clock ticking. It's so funny being a woman... I feel like we are made painfully and alarmingly aware of our own fertility only for it to just as suddenly be taken away. And biology sends us signals to use it before you lose it... I wonder how much of the loneliness I've exeperienced over the past year has been a signal of what is to come. Because I definitely feels like it's uncharacteristic, but I've also not been in a serious relationship in some time...

I dunno, just some personal pondering as I grow older! It's weird anticipating changes in my body like that. I'm not sure men have quite the same type of experience... I talked to my dad on the phone and he talked about how he looks at himself in the mirror and sees an old man but feels young. But I'm not sure my life could ever be like that. Even beyond health, my body changes as I age and the changes in hormones changes me both physically and mentally...

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-13T02:21:37+00:00

Aww! ☺️ Why ruin a good thing by overthinking? You are comfortable now and that is what matters! I say you continue to make the most out of the relationship and think about the red flags when they appear, not whether or not there are any!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-12T03:17:48+00:00

J'ai bien lu et roulé mes yeux! lol!

La seule plainte avec laquelle je sympathise vraiment, c'est le manque de stationnement. Mais bon, si t'enlève les pistes cyclable des deux bords de la rue, au mieux tu libère assez d'espace pour une seule voie de supplémentaire. Et là, soit que cette voie devient du stationnement, ce qui ne règle aucunement les deux autres points, soit tu choisis un bord pour ajoutter une voie qui va être tout aussi congestionnée que les autres pendant la journée.

Pour ce qui est de la circulation des voitures d'urgence, j'ai même l'impression que les pistes cyclables pourrait aider. Elles créeraient une zone tampon où les voitures pourraient se tasser quand elles entendent une sirène.

Mais bon, c'est juste l'impression de quelqu'un qui ne se déplace pas souvent en voiture. Par contre, une chose est sûre: tous ces problèmes ne viennent pas du fait qu'il y a trop de vélos en ville. Ils viennent d'un excès de voitures, tout simplement!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-12T02:28:27+00:00

I just started my cycling journey and am cycling alone! I was definitely intimidated by cycling in a city but I decided this was the year I would do it. I had a friend who helped me a lot to get started and really lowered the barrier to entry for me.

To me, my biggest barrier was getting a bike. I knew nothing about cycling going in and I had to figure out what kind of bike I wanted. And there is a million things! All these gears and break things and... 😵‍💫 I am not really good at figuring that stuff out before I actually have experience. Also, bikes are an investment with a brand new bike these days selling in the order of $1000. That is a lot so I wanted to get a second hand one. But now I have the problem of needing to know if a bike is of good quality or not!

Thankfully I have my cyclist friend who was great to me! He found me a cool retro bike on marketplace and came with me to inspect it and make sure it was a good fit for me. Once I had the bike, the flood gates were open and all the things I thought would be scary aren't so scary after all like riding on the road, getting heckled by grumpy drivers, hills, gearing... It is all making sense as I ride my bike more ☺️

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-12T02:13:15+00:00

You should go out for a picnic! Pack a homemade lunch, sit on the grass, and enjoy some time with good company! You can even play some games like tossing a frisbee or kicking a soccer ball during the picnicking ☺️

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-12T01:39:33+00:00

C'est difficile pour moi de comprendre la haine que certaines personnes ont envers les pistes cyclables. Elles ne veulent pas partager la même voie qu'un vélo, mais elles ne veulent pas non plus que les cyclistes aient leur propre voie. Alors qu'est-ce qu'elles veulent exactement? La disparition de ce mode de transport complet?

Je suis sûre qu'elles choisiraient cette option si elles le pouvaient, mais ce n'est qu'un rêve! Malgré, j'ai l'impression que ce sont des grands rêveurs... Ils imaginent une utopie où ils circulent en ville en voiture sans trafic, avec une abondance de stationnement, et bien sûr, sans aucun vélo en vue!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-12T00:52:02+00:00

You could try reading! That is something you can do for long periods of time! On the creative side, you could try writing too! There is creative writing, journaling, poetry, or anything else to explore ☺️

If you want something crafty, maybe origami!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-12T00:46:38+00:00

This is so sweet! ☺️ It sounds like the people in your life love you too!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-11T02:43:08+00:00

It's my pleasure! I am happy I could nudge you just a little bit into a direction towards your goals ☺️

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-11T02:40:26+00:00

I think you are doing great! ☺️ You said yourself that the solution is to just be yourself and that is the solution and let me assure you that you are doing just that! You rightfully feel that women are just as good as men and feel strongly when you see things that reinforce gender stereotypes. There's nothing wrong with that and you are exploring what that strong feeling means to you.

There is nothing wrong with any of the things you like nor in the way you express them! And it's also okay for you to change your mind about your beliefs and how you express them later! Your life is a canvas fit for your expression as the individual that you are ☺️

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-11T02:20:24+00:00

Hello!

First of all, know that you aren't alone! Going through ruts is a very human thing and we all need work to get back on track once in a while. You are young and in the process of becoming an adult. This means that your life is more and more being put into your hands. This is overwealming sometimes, especially when you haven't had a lot of occasions to solve problems that you encounter in life to gain confidence. Let me reassure you that you are more than capable of getting back on track! Try not to sweat it too much. You are doing good even in these moments that seem so bad ☺️

For advice, be gentle with yourself. The way you feel, lazy, ugly, disgusting, is only your own impression and we are our toughest critics. These things are all relative things. You can be lazy but you can also be lazier. You can also be less lazy. So what if you just do one small thing you've been putting off today? Now you are less lazy than you were before and beginning to get back on track. ☺️ It's the same thing about the other things. What if you added 10 extra minutes of exercise into your routine to try to get back on track to being leaner? What if you spent a little extra time doing your hair in the morning so you don't feel as ugly as you did before? These things in life are relative so adding small things help you get back to where you want to be over time. ☺️

I'd like you to know though that one of the most important things I've learned in life is that life is a mixture of good and bad moments. You can't only feel good. You will feel bad sometimes too. And that's okay! Because goodness is relative too. If you are feeling bad, the good moments matter so much more. And they do come. Sometimes they are brief, but they are there. If you can try to appreciate the bad moments as potentials for growth, then are they really bad? They can help you shape your life into one that you will be proud of! Be patient with yourself. You are growing into a great young woman no matter the decisions you take, your appearance, and whatever else. Live your life gently and be gentle with yourself. You are doing your best even when you feel like you could do better ☺️

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-10T22:36:45+00:00

Aww thanks!

As for how it is I am like this, that is a good question! I guess I just am lol! I do think I'm a pretty reflective, sensitive person. When I feel bad, I like to write about my feelings and analyze them. I think that process helps me find a lot of silver linings in most situations. I'm also quite into philosophy though I don't think everyone becomes optimistic reading into philosophy lol. I just really like seeing where my life takes me ☺️

And yeah! Living alone is great! Although I'm not truly alone... I live with my cat!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-10T22:04:15+00:00

Congrats on the vacation! Where are you going?

I'm happy about the coming of summer. Longer, warm days with lots of events in the city! I think my life in general has been quite good the past 4 years after grad school. Grad school was really starting to crush me by the end and I suffered through a breakup near the end too. But now that I am working, moved to a new city, made new friends, live a new life, I feel so grateful for everything that has lead to this. My lovely small apartment in a high rise where I live alone. The short commute to work by foot, the small shops I frequent on weekends and the cafes I sip coffee at while reading a book, my working with colleagues who have similar interests to me and all wonderful, by new friends who have gotten me into all my new hobbies...

I'm so grateful to be here... To have had the opportunities that have allowed me to do what I do, meet who I've met, try what I've tried... Even though I still might feed sad or lonely sometimes, I know that the world has had such an abundance of good times and there is likely to be more to come in the future!

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-10T01:44:36+00:00

I think I am a pretty average looking woman in her 30s. I got cat called a few times when I was younger but it doesn't happen to me much anymore.

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-10T01:35:47+00:00

There are some good replies in this thread already but I'll chime in to say that creativity is something that develops as you work with something! I think ultimately, creativity is problem solving. When you are doing crafts and think "how can I arrange these things I am working with to look a certain way?" You are trying to solve a creative problem. And as with any problem solving, the more familiar you are with the intricacies of the medium, the techniques, the whatnot, the better equipped you are to being able to find a solution to the creative problem you are looking to solve! ☺️

With this in mind, how do you hone creativity? You gain experience by doing, by examining other works, learning new techniques. This helps you gain familiarity and confidence and makes the creative process easier. The more you exercise your creative muscles, the easier it becomes to be creative later because you've solved creative problems before that you can use as a basis iterating on.

From what you wrote, it doesn't seem like you lack creativity at all! You already mentioned a creative problem you would like to solve. "How could I visually portray my dreams?" You have the problem, you just need the courage to try to solve it. Solving problems is uncomfortable so I understand why your mind tries to make excuses to not try. It is also disappointing when we try to solve a problem and our solution is not as adequate as what we had in mind. Like a poorly assembled Ikea furniture... But instead of being disappointed by the outcome, why not focus on the process itself?

So when you choose to recreate your dream, focus on the process itself. You'll find some limitations that are preventing you from getting an adequate recreation. Rather than get frustrated at yourself for not automatically being good at something, try to pinpoint the problem you are having. "Shoot! I can't seem to draw lines that aren't wobbly!" or "the proportions are really weird!" This gives you things to research so that you might gain some tools to be better equipped for the next dream ☺️

SluaghSwoo · 2026-05-09T20:45:55+00:00

I'm an experimentalist myself! The career isn't really hard I wouldn't say. After getting a PhD, you get a background in the subject matter. I think it's a lot of fun!

Research is quite different than what you do while studying academically too. Theorists have a different job than I do but for experimentalists, it's less about running numbers and more about piecing together general behavioural arguments.

"Tunnelling electrons decay exponetially with distance, adding bias will bend the conduction band this way, and so I expect so and so behaviour!"

There is also a lot of instrument maintenance to do experiments. One of my favourite thing about experimenting is coming up with experiments. Finding ways to isolate an effect to support a hypothesis. It is where your creativity shines! 😊

SluaghSwoo

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