Connection and peace—sometimes that's what I think that's all we're searching for daily.

In this episode of Half Bloom, I’m coming back in a more casual, unedited way—just me on my veranda, brewing coffee, and letting my thoughts land where they land. I share a bit of closing my cafe, maybe not the full personal story, but the real shift underneath it—how I never wanted coffee to feel like competition, and how I’m trying to return to coffee as connection.

Then we go deeper into the season I’m in right now:

What does it look like to rebuild your mind after living in survival mode?
Why do I feel both obsessed with languages and afraid of them?
And why can’t “learning more words” fix the fact that everyone still speaks their own emotional language?

I've been obsessed with the new Netflix K-drama Can This Love Be Translated?, so to relay my thoughts regarding it, I wrote a journal entry and read it to you on this episode on the fear + love of translation, and reflect on how language, identity, and relationships are way more tangled than we think.

And because I needed something concrete to hold onto, I share the one thing I’m choosing again: reading—how books saved me as a kid, and how they’re saving me again now. (Including a quick takeaway from Be Your Future Self.)

☕ Today’s coffee: Come to Rest “Oh Rosie” blend—strawberry-forward when hot, rose tea as it cools. The perfect amount of intensity, balanced and comforting.

💭 This week’s questions:

Where in your life do you feel like you’re stuck “translating” yourself to be understood?
What would peace look like for you this year—like, practically?
What’s one struggle you’ve had while learning a language?

If you’re in a reset season too, I hope this episode feels like a soft place to sit—and a reminder that it's necessary to alter and rewire our brains again

And also, here's the link to subscribe to my newsletter!
https://nadiaxcoffee.beehiiv.com/
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I hope you can find the segments we go through to ignite some sort of softness, playfulness, hopefulness, and kindness in our lives.

Timestamps:
0:00 intro
0:59 after closing down my cafe
2:49 let's brew some coffee (feat. come to rest)
5:57 going to cafes--should I do cafe tours?
6:50 learning about myself and finding peace
9:01 back to the coffee flavor notes real quick
9:30 talking about "can this love be translated?" and my deep thoughts on languages and communication
13:21 reading my journal entry post on my thoughts of the drama (on substack so feel free to follow along: https://nadiaxcoffee.substack.com/p/fear-of-languages-of-translation)
18:20 reflections and motivations stemming from the drama (connections, reading)
19:56 story on how books saved my life
23:43 books I'm reading (be your future self now, breast and eggs, sekai kara neko ga kieta nara) and the life lessons I've gotten from them
31:41 ending thoughts and questions for you

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See you all next week!

Listen to my podcast 🎤
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And also, here's the link to subscribe to my newsletter!
https://nadiaxcoffee.beehiiv.com/

for happiness, always
Sincerely, Nadia