This week Kate and Doree catch up after Kate's family trip to Disney World. Then they're joined by Forever35 icon -- and producer! -- Sam Junio for a chat about collecting Pokemon cards as self-care, setting boundaries after burnout, and getting real and intentional about big life goals.

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Transcript

Kate: Hello and welcome to Forever 35, a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. I'm Kate Spencer.

Doree: And I am Doree Shafrir. And

Kate: We are not experts.

Doree: No. But we are two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.

Kate: And before we do that, you can visit our website forever 35 podcast.com for links to everything we mention on the show. You can find us on Twitter at forever 35 pod, Instagram at Forever 35 podcast, and you can join the Forever 35 Facebook group where the password is serum

Doree: <laugh>. You said that. So Seductively

Kate: <laugh>. Yeah. I'm just trying to draw you in with my sexy voice.

Doree: Wow. Okay. <affirmative> <affirmative>. Kate, welcome back.

Kate: Thank you. Wait, can I just remind the people that if they wanna weigh in, you can leave us a voicemail. 7 8 1 5 1 0 3 9 0. And you can also text us there, send us those TMS that's short for text messages and our emails Forever 35 podcast@gmail.com. Okay, now we can get into it.

Doree: Sorry Kate. I was just so excited to get into it.

Kate: <laugh>. Well, you know what? We haven't talked in a while so I actually, No, I was away for a week and I was like Hanking to get on the horn with you.

Doree: I mean, I feel like there's a lot to discuss. You went to Disney World.

Kate: I did. And I feel like I can do kind of a larger breakdown of this if people are interested in Disney as selfcare. Although maybe they think I am not of sound mind as a Disney adult.

Doree: I think that you're either very into Disney as self care or you are not at all interested. There's like no in between.

Kate: Yeah. I mean, I kind of feel like I fall into the in between a little bit. And wouldn't you say you're in the in between? Yeah. Yeah. Or are you just married to it?

Doree: I'm married to it. I wouldn't do it. Well, it's different now. I think that I have Henry, cuz he does really enjoy

Kate: It. <affirmative>, <affirmative>,

Doree: <affirmative>. So it's different now. But I would not call myself a Disney adult.

Kate: I wouldn't either, but I do enjoy it. And I do think one, first of all, we have to break down numerous things about Disney. One, we live close to Disneyland, so that gives us physical access. Two financial privilege is necessary to even be able to afford going to any of these parks. The cost is ridiculous. And so I think that does need to be examined. But for the sake of this conversation, I did just get back from Disney World and it was a family trip that we had kind of planned for a while. And it was fun. It was fun. It was fun. What were the highlights? What were the highlights? Kate? Okay. Well, <laugh>, I mean honestly it was spending time together as a family. We really had quality family time didn't, Anthony didn't work. I didn't work our kids. We took them outta school and we just really were a unit and that was really special.

And we just did so much stuff together, like a little team. And it was really fun. And I don't know, it was really, we definitely created memories and I don't know if this is a trip we'll ever be able to take again. So I'm really glad that we did it at an age where our kids are old enough to be able to handle it and they can remember it. And then I would say, my other highlight was when I received a prescription motion sickness patch from my doctor ahead of time because I used to love being able to go on roller coasters. But I've, in the last 10 to 15 years, developed really bad motion sickness. So I got this patch that I put on, I think it's called scallop pin skull something, if you know what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about. It's a motion sickness patch that helps with motion sickness.

Well, I had a rare side effect from the patch that only three to 4% of people who use it get where I got very blurred vision. So about less than 24 hours after putting it on the, I put it on at three o'clock in the afternoon the day we got there. And the next day I was like, couldn't see anything. I couldn't read my phone, I couldn't read my app, my Apple watch. And I was like, Oh, I guess I really need reading glasses. And I started to kind of panic. I couldn't read anyth, I couldn't see anything. I went to the accessibility section of my iPhone and I increased the font size and I made it bold. And even then it was hard to see. And luckily my husband wears reading glasses, so he had them so I could use them to look at menus on, Cuz everything's QR code, but I could not see.

And I panicked to the point where I emergency ordered reading glasses in the middle of Epcot from past podcast sponsor CADs, which I don't even think our code for them is valid anymore. And I was like, I don't care. I love their glasses. I am. So if you hear this CADs comeback as an advertiser, because I panic ordered your glasses, cuz I like them so much. So now I have reading glasses and then it <laugh>. But it turned out then after an hour of this, I Googled, I was like, what's changed in the last 24 hours? I started a new medication and I Googled it, and that is a side effect blurred vision. And I texted, my doctor, sent a chat and he responded and was like, Yeah, unfortunately it's a rare side effect. So I had to go off my motion sickness patch. But that was a real adventure for our family in which I like for a day I was panicking that something was seriously wrong. And then it was, we were

Doree: Texting a little bit,

Kate: Two days texting. Yeah, <laugh>. I were texting,

Doree: I'm so sorry. We were like, Yeah, I can't respond that much because my vision is blurred. And I have the text size turned up to the highest and I still can't see. And I was like, Oh my God, what is happening?

Kate: It was so bad. And I'm honestly embarrassed that my thought was just, oh, overnight, my vision got so bad that I need reading glasses now. I don't think it's that instantaneous, but I really kind of freaked out. So that was a journey that was exciting. I could do a whole segment on walking shoes, but we'll take the callouses that formed on my feet. I was walking 25,000 steps a day. I mean, it was rough. I think we can loop our guests into this conversation because I feel like they, what? As a sneaker model? <laugh>. Oh

Doree: Yeah, that's right.

Kate: We have today on the show a comedy producer podcast producer. Probably the most frequent forever 35 guest person who,

Doree: So

Kate: Yeah, a person who's been with us since the beginning when we met in a coffee shop and they came in with a coffee

Doree: That no longer exists, by the way,

Kate: Pre Covid world. But

Doree: Our podcast does. Our podcast.

Kate: Our podcast made it. We made it. Thank you. Thank you. In part to Sam Huno the producer of this podcast, who is stepping in as a guest today?

Sam Junio: Yeah, just riding in on a scooter just like the good old days.

Kate: Did you have a scooter in my fantasy remembrance of when we first met you in a coffee shop, you came on a motorcycle. But I know that's wrong.

Sam Junio: No, no, no, no. I had a scooter, but you can keep it as a motorcycle. Cause

Kate: Maybe you had a helmet.

Sam Junio: I did.

Kate: Okay. Okay.

Sam Junio: That's it. And the helmet could have been stored on the scooter, but sometimes I bring it in with me two places. So everybody knew that I came in on two wheels instead of

Doree: Four.

Kate: I, Wow. I admire scooter riders because it takes a certain level of bravery to scoot. And we're talking not a scooter, those bird scooters, we're talking like a Vespa.

Sam Junio: Yeah, it was a genuine buddy. 1 25.

Kate: Okay. So Sammy, are you a Disney adult? Are you attracted to Disney? Does it do anything for you? Does it stimulate emotion or nostalgia or just rage about capitalism, because that's also a valid critique.

Sam Junio: So when I was younger, my parents would do summer vacations and we would road trip from Colorado to LA to do Disneyland. And so I have fond memories of that. But as an adult, I have not been to Disneyland proper. I went to Tiki Sam's once, but that was it as far as I like the idea of it, but I feel like it's expensive and I'm grumpy and I have bad knees. And I would either, that's unfair to say because I'm also very excitable and I have a soft little heart. So I'd be very, very excited to go. But I think the road leading up to me getting to there is long enough for me to always talk myself out of it.

Kate: I think this is a valid feeling. I mean, as mentioned before you got on, there are a lot of roadblocks to accessing Disney slash once you're there. It doesn't necessarily was require spending, but you want to spend, right? I was like, do I need these ears in the Italy pavilion? Yes I do. <laugh>, I don't need them, but I got them. So there is, it does kind of suck your soul in your savings dry in a lot of ways. And I, I'm try to be critical in my examination of it, but I also just freaking love it.

Sam Junio: It's very easy to get swept up in that stuff.

Doree: Kate, do you have childhood Disney memories?

Kate: Yes, I do. I was fortunate to go to Disney World a few times. And I think it's just that I am a feelings person and so everything is emotional for me. So being at Disney World triggers childhood emotions of my childhood and smells like smells are a big thing for me that trigger feelings, that a and nostalgia. So I think it's just because I experienced it as a kid, it brings up a lot of feelings. I have attachment a chord. I feel like that's a thing that we talk about in therapy, those chords to things. Some the same way that I do of being in New Hampshire is being in Boston is emotion nostalgic for me. All those things bring up feelings, I don't know. So sensory enabled that I can't go anywhere without having it just trigger feelings, Triggers the wrong word. Launch. Launch feelings,

Sam Junio: <laugh>, launch. Are you a Disney guy?

Doree: Not really. I do have some fond memories of going to Disney World. Kate and I both grew up on the East coast, so Disney World was where we went not Disneyland. And my grandparents lived in Florida, not especially close to Orlando, but there were a couple of times where I flew to Florida, I saw my grandparents, and then we drove to Orlando. And I do have some fond memories of that also. It's really funny, just as an aside to look at photos from our Disneyland trips from when I was eight and the park looks deserted. There's no one around. I'm just hanging out with characters. And now everything is so crowded, it's just crazy. And so that is something that is just funny to me when I look at these old photos. But until I moved to LA and actually until I started dating Matt, we went to Disneyland on an early date of ours.

I hadn't been to a Disney property. I know I hadn't been to a Disney property since I was like, I don't know, 10. Wow. So yeah, it wasn't really part of my life for a very long time. And actually, Sammy, we were saying before you jumped on that, for me, it's a little different now because of Henry who has gotten into Disney and really enjoys going to Disneyland. So I have a little bit of a lens shift, if you will. Sure. Because of him. But left to my own kind of devices, I don't find the current incarnation of Disney to be especially enjoyable. It's so crowded and often so hot and yeah, I just feel like they nickel and dime you to the death. I mean, it had always been bad, but now it's even worse. And that just kind of depresses me. So

Kate: There's also, there's a weird thing too that I've noticed, and I think this is happening everywhere, and tell me if you two see this where when we, even 10 years ago, I didn't go to Disneyland 10 years ago, but even as kids, I don't remember families dressing up and matching outfits or matching t-shirts every day. And I think be since the introduction of social media in which we are producing our lives for other people, something like going on a family vacation and let's, like people now coordinate family outfits for every day they're at a Disney park because other people are going to see it. And I think this exists outside of Disney too. I think this exists in all over the place. And I'm kind of fascinated by it because I participate in it, obviously because I'm a human. But do you know what I mean? There's a bit more of we're producing ourselves and because we know that other people are gonna see, It's like when people made holiday cards in the eighties, but now it's like we're sending holiday cards a hundred times a day.

Sam Junio: Yeah.

Kate: I don't know. Whoa. Sammy, what is your self care practice of late <laugh>? Let's just get out of this Disney Hall that I've dug us in. Where are you now? We've been talking to you on this podcast for, we've talked to you quite a few times. What is your self care practice today in 2022?

Sam Junio: In 2022, I accidentally got into collecting Pokemon cards.

Kate: Wait a second.

Sam Junio: Yeah, I know

Kate: What, Wow. Okay, that's very cool. There's nothing again, I just talked about going to Disney, so there's nothing, there's no shame here. Don't hide your head

Sam Junio: Or I'm going to It was because of TikTok and my specific brain chemistry, which I definitely know that I'm not alone because there are other people who have fallen victim to this. But there's these things called rip and chippers where you put an order in and the person is live streaming. And so they'll get your order. You see they open the cards for you and then they send you the cards that you bought.

Kate: Wait, Sammy. Oh, this is a classic old MLM

Sam Junio: Sammy tactic. <affirmative>,

Kate: Yep. This is what I use. Got sucked people. Pearls

Sam Junio: <laugh>. Yes. Yep.

Kate: Oh wow. So you put your, Okay, this is amazing. So there was a time in my life where I used to stay up at night and watch the videos of people shocking clams or oysters, and then people would buy the pearls.

Sam Junio: Yeah. They're all on

Kate: Top videos

Sam Junio: Of the people,

Kate: By the way, scooping gems on TikTok. So this is essentially similar to the, So there's like an anticipation for you, an excitement of what you're gonna get.

Sam Junio: And then I'm like you, I'm very sound motivated. That feels weird and probably inaccurate. So the sound of the cards, the pack opening and then handling the cards feels very, very good. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I have a little bit of synesthesia where I can taste sounds. Not all of them, but I can taste certain sounds or combinations of sounds. What happens is I can feel the sound in, go into my nose and then kind of rest in my mouth. It's super silly.

Kate: Oh, that's so cool. Wait, so is that why you love post a lot of soap cutting videos on your Instagram when you're on? Do you taste that? Those sounds?

Sam Junio: Not all of them, but certain ones absolutely. Crunchy ones I can taste, but it doesn't have a, Oh, it tastes like soap or whatever. It's not necessarily a taste, but it's a feeling inside my mouth.

Kate: I've never heard of this before, so it's kind of as smr, but taste a SMR

Sam Junio: In my cheeks. <laugh>

Kate: Cheek. A smr. Okay. So how often are you going on to TikTok and is it every day you go and watch these things and feel that kind of cozy comfort?

Sam Junio: Yeah, so I watch every day, but my favorite channel Baker breaks. He only live streams like Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and sometimes Thursday or Tuesday. So I'll watch. And I don't necessarily buy stuff every time I watch, but I did before. And that is just, I shouldn't be able to access my own bank account. <laugh>. But it's not necessarily cozy. I think it's the anticipation. Yeah. Cause it is a little bit like gambling too. I was gonna say it's a swamp machine for it. Exactly. Exactly. And I do have that in my brain stuff too. So it's obviously I'm still losing money. It is gambling but sometimes <laugh>, you just get cool stuff.

Kate: What do you do with the cards once you have them? Are you collecting them or do you trade them?

Sam Junio: So there are specific cards that I have collected that I've pulled myself. So I now buy my own packs and pull them myself. But then there are specific cards that you can just buy from eBay that people have pulled already, so you're not spending hundreds of dollars opening the same thing and then you're getting a whole bunch of extra cards. But yeah, so all the extra cards that I have, I'm constantly sorting them. So I them once a week, which is also a very soothing thing because again, it's the sound and the feeling of the cards, but it's also both of my hands are busy, so I cannot touch my phone at all. And I've been seeking more activities that take me off of my phone because when I'm on my phone, I'm TikTok watching these things or just wasting my life away. So it's Pokemon cards. And then also I've started to do lock picking stuff. So I'll just sit on my couch. Oh, my locks that I bought. Yeah.

Doree: Okay. We need to take a break but Sam, when we come back, we need to hear more about this lock picking. How did you get into lock picking?

Sam Junio: So lock picking came about when we were in literal lockdown <laugh>. And I don't remember if it was something specific that was just like, Hey, this is something that you should do. Or if it was me remembering that I wanted to do it or learn how to do it it was probably an Instagram reel.

Kate: That's fair.

Sam Junio: <affirmative>. Yeah, <affirmative>.

Kate: And so wait, you buy, do you go to the hardware store and buy door locks?

Sam Junio: Yeah, so I got the initial kit that I have came with two practice locks and a lock picking set. And then I went out and bought a package of Master lock deadbolts and then two, Oh God, like doorknobs locking doorknobs.

Doree: So what I'm hearing is that when I lock myself out, I can call you.

Sam Junio: You can call me. It'll probably take me a lot longer than a locksmith, but I can do that.

Doree: Okay. I'll pay you. I mean, I'm not asking for your free labor, I'm just saying I would rather give you my business than a shady locksmith.

Sam Junio: Sure. Yeah, 100% I can do that. Wow, okay.

Doree: It's a new business. I have another question. <affirmative>. I feel like there's a lot of congruency between getting into lock picking and getting into magic tricks.

Sam Junio: Yep. <laugh>. Yep.

Doree: I'm not wrong, right?

Sam Junio: No, you're not. <laugh>

Doree: Not wrong. Ok, thank you. <laugh>.

Kate: Wait a second. Wow.

Doree: Are you also nailed that <laugh>?

Kate: Are you learning magic, Sam?

Sam Junio: So when I was in lockdown and there was a time where I had to be extra isolated <laugh>, I started doing card history or practicing card history. But it's so intense

Kate: With your hand card hand sight of hand

Sam Junio: A little bit. But I was only doing the shuffling stuff.

Kate: Oh gosh. That stuff is so intense.

Sam Junio: Ridiculous. But yeah, it was just stuff to keep my hands busy. So yeah, it was artistry. And then <laugh> block picking Doree. What a read.

Kate: <laugh>. Wow. Doree. That was good. That was good. Doree Detective work.

Doree: Thank you. Thank you. Whoa, thank you so much.

Kate: I Sammy, do have you ever been to Magic Castle?

Sam Junio: I have, yeah. Okay.

Kate: Here in Los Angeles, there's an actual place called the Magic Castle, which is a magician's membership only club that us non magicians can get access to if we know somebody and go and they have magic shows. But then also magicians just hang out at the bar and it's also an actual castle and

Doree: They'll just sit down and they'll do some card tricks.

Kate: And I love it because I love magic, but I love it. If I had endless cash, I would buy myself the non magician membership to the Magic Castle. So are you doing tricks or are you still just kind of working with card? What did you call it? Card artistry. Oh, like artistry. But artistry.

Sam Junio: Yeah. I mean, it was one of those temporary hobbies where I learned how to do some things good enough, <affirmative>. And then I just forgot about it. But when I was younger, I, when book orders still existed, there was a subscription box magic kit. And so I got one of those. And for four months I had magic Kit sent to me and I learned them, but I was too shy to ever perform the tricks, so I would do them for myself. <laugh>. Oh, Sammy. Yeah.

Kate: Oh,

Sam Junio: That's my journey. <laugh>.

Kate: Wow.

Sam Junio: Yeah.

Kate: I love all of these great self soothing practices. And what's so interesting, they're all so tactile, <affirmative>, so much of it is, this is motor skills. Yes.

Sam Junio: <affirmative>.

Kate: But there's a real soothing that comes for some people from using their hands. Well, and Kate, if I may Sam used to be a massage therapist. I know, it's true. I literally think about this all the time. I got a massage the other day and I was like, every time I get a massage, I'm like, Sam was a massage therapist. <laugh>. I just think about it and just then it just looks away. Yeah. I think about my friends I know who are, or were massage therapists every time I thought about another friend too, it just, I don't know. Have you massaged anyone lately? Sammy?

Sam Junio: I was about to say that I got <laugh>, I got too drunk on a Tuesday, couple, couple weeks ago, and we were hanging out and there was a new person in the group and Oh wow. One of my friends called me out and said, Oh, Sam's a massage therapist. And I was just drunk enough that I was like, Well, cuz the person, when somebody says like, Oh, or somebody finds out that you're a massage therapist, well you guys don't know, but this is what happens. Somebody finds out that you're a massage therapist and then all of a sudden, whether consciously or subconsciously, they'll start being like, Oh, my shoulder hurts. Or they'll start pressing the parts of their body that are sore. And so this person started doing it and I was like, Do you need me to rub on your bones? Stop. And then I did it at the bar, not the first time either. Oh boy. <laugh>.

Kate: Wow. Okay.

Sam Junio: Just the shoulders.

Kate: Oh

Sam Junio: Wow. When you need it, you need it.

Kate: Yeah. So you massaged somebody drunk. Okay.

Sam Junio: <affirmative>.

Kate: Wow.

Sam Junio: I did do that. Yeah.

Kate: It's interesting you, You're in service a lot.

Sam Junio: Yeah.

Kate: Not to psychoanalyze you, but Oh, please. It's kinda interesting. Is that a common theme? I feel like in the work that you do, I don't know. You're always helping.

Sam Junio: That's why we're here right now,

Kate: <laugh>. Yeah, let's talk about it. Sammy has stepped in as a very last minute guest on this podcast. <laugh>, truly we should acknowledge truly saving the day. <laugh>.

Doree: Yes, indeed. In many ways. Many ways. Sam, what is going on for you lately, professionally?

Kate: Oh, good question. Doree.

Sam Junio: I finally quit my evening job at Dynasty typewriter.

Kate: Oh my gosh. This is news to me

Sam Junio: Because I have just gotten too busy. And I think juggling both jobs became just too much. And there's other stuff going on. And I was just like, I think that at this point, I may not be dropping the ball now, but I'm going to. And I really didn't wanna do that, especially because their programming is really picking up in October, typewriter.com/calendar <laugh> good pl good play. So I didn't wanna be a potential disappointment to a place that I really did love, do love being at and enjoying. So I was like, I think it's time also, I will be departing Los Angeles next year. So it's also a step into doing all that

Kate: Stuff. I'm so stressed about this.

Sam Junio: You stressed? I'm

Kate: Not, because

Doree: This is the news. News that this is definitely happening is news to me.

Sam Junio: Oh, I thought I, Okay. It is definitely happening. That's

Kate: The big deal. So you're move. Yeah. Now are we allowed to also share that you work for ew?

Sam Junio: Yeah.

Kate: Okay. So Sammy is, what would be your technical title over at the Entertainment Weekly?

Sam Junio: At The Entertainment Weekly? I am the senior audio producer.

Kate: Okay, Look at that. So you'll be able to this in New York

Doree: City? Based in New York

Sam Junio: Where they do have an office over in New York. I mean the staff, the staffers are split between LA and New York. So it doesn't seem like it's going to be a big deal that I move. We'll see if it will be a big deal. <laugh> that I move.

Kate: What's making, What's drawing you to the big Apple? Is it the book I wrote in a New York Minute?

Sam Junio: Yeah, actually I printed out every page and it's wallpapering my apartment. <laugh>.

Kate: Yeah. I was gonna follow that book around and see what happens. But No, but seriously, what has made you called you to the East Coast? I mean, I can see you in New York as your friend, but I'm curious what's drawing you?

Sam Junio: I think it's like, well, when I visited the first time with Otco and Orion, I just really fell in love with it. And when I was in school in high school, I really wanted to go to NYU for school. I didn't have the marks to do it, but it has always been a goal for me to be there. And so when I finally went and I fell in love with it, I was like, Oh, this feels very nice. And then I started going more frequently as I was like, Oh, I think this is where I should should be now. I think I've been out here in LA for 11 years, everything is going great, but there are a few things that I'm missing out here that I feel like could be in New York. And if it's not, then maybe it's just a me thing, trying to find that community rather than waiting for things to come to me. Because that's kind of how LA has been for me. And I'm not dismissing the amount of work that I've put into everything that I do, but it does kind of feel like I was just around and things have just come to me.

Doree: So what I'm hearing is that you are ready to have a little bit more agency in your professional and perhaps personal life. You don't want things to just happen to you anymore, Sam. Yeah.

Sam Junio: You wanna make Definitely

Doree: Things

Sam Junio: Happen.

That's actually exactly it. I had an epiphany driving home from Las Vegas visiting my parents, and I was in traffic for eight hours, which is double the normal commute. And I had a lot of time to think to myself and I turned off the music and I was like, You gotta sit with yourself cause you never do. And that was the epiphany of, I want to start actually putting myself out there and doing things that I want to do and seeing how that goes. And I feel like in LA I could do that, but I think that there's kind of a new slate feeling that I would prefer to have.

Kate: There's something too about setting yourself free in that way of really cutting the cord <affirmative>, as previously mentioned, <affirmative>

Sam Junio: <affirmative>.

Kate: And taking a big risk in that way. I believe we need to take another break.

Doree: Yes, we do. Okay. Okay, we're back. I am really loving this journey for you, Sammy.

Sam Junio: Thank you.

Kate: It's almost making me emotional because when we met you, you weren't even 30.

Sam Junio: What? Well, yeah, I'm 33 now and it's been a while. Yeah. Yeah. Holy mo,

Kate: You were in your late twenties. Twenties been,

Doree: We met you five years ago

Kate: On a scooter.

Sam Junio: Wow.

Doree: Yeah. Jesus. But yeah, it's funny, that was not something that you sought us out for. You came recommended from someone else, <affirmative>, and we approached you and were like, Hey, do you wanna edit? Wanna help produce this podcast? And we all got along and vibed and everything. But yeah, I mean, just to kind of continue on this theme, it wasn't something that you had sought out. So yeah, I'm really excited to see where this takes you.

Kate: I mean, also,

Doree: As long as it doesn't take, I mean, Well, you know what I was gonna say, As long, it doesn't take you away from our podcast, but I wanna revise

Kate: That We have to, if

Doree: It takes you away from our podcast Yeah. We have to set you free and that's okay. Yeah. If that's part of your journey, then that's okay.

Sam Junio: I am sewing myself onto you too before

Kate: I, You say that. But truly, if you love something, set it free. And I do feel like, mm-hmm. <affirmative> the time I come when you need to spread your wings and be like, I am not. Get me out of this podcast booth.

Sam Junio: Yeah.

Kate: I will say this, not to sound like a total goofball, but you are one of, I feel like your work ethic is, I know you're like, things happen to me, but you also, your work ethic is really intense. You have a very clear to me, get stuff done. If someone like you, I've never ever, and I, we've dropped a lot of balls in your lap, a lot of last minute balls, including today. And I've never been one time where you've been like, No, sorry, you, and you set boundaries, I think, but you also work really, really hard and are really good at what you do and are very self taught. And you're, you're a self-made person. You went to massage school like 18, did you not?

Sam Junio: Yeah.

Kate: Yeah. I was not doing that at 18. I was a piece of

Sam Junio: Shit. Thank you.

Doree: Yeah. And you have a friend community in New York, right? Yeah,

Sam Junio: I think so. Three, four or five 12.

Kate: Now, just so the people who live in New York know when will you be moving?

Sam Junio: I will not release that to your fans quite yet.

Kate: <laugh>. Okay. That's fair.

Sam Junio: That's fair.

Kate: Cause they're all gonna try to either befriend you or date you. So buckle up. Yep. Okay. So I have a question. It sounds to me like you are leading a very intentional life right now.

Sam Junio: I'm

Kate: Trying to, And I'm curious if that came organically. Was it something like, you mentioned talking to yourself in the car on the way to Vegas. Are you getting I dunno, getting a little bit more upfront with yourself. Have you been pushing yourself out of your comfort zone or is this just where you are and who you are?

Sam Junio: Well, I mean, great question, Kate. As you mentioned earlier, I have, I'm always in service and yes, I have problems with boundaries and stuff. And I think as of lately, it has taken a toll on me being in service and really realizing I haven't had a day where I wake up and I feel like I'm for myself in ages. And I don't know if there was something that triggered it or if I just hit the end of the rope of I don't feel like I'm alive for myself. And I think that needs to change.

Kate: Wow. That's deep. Yeah. I love that. I think that's such a great thing to carry with you is you move on to this next phase of your life being a New Yorker and just, I dunno, kind of it, it's interesting in your thirties where you kind of, it's not just, I focus on my career, but it's really kind of, I get a little more real with myself about my shit and what I want. There's a little bit more self honesty I think, as you age.

Sam Junio: Yeah, totally. Yeah. And it's tough though, cuz I think to get to this point, I had to really be run ragged, which sucks that that's what happened. But also I'm happy that it did

Kate: Have, Are the practices that you mentioned earlier also part of managing burnout and getting run down? Or are there other things that you have done to take care of yourself in that way?

Sam Junio: I think the Pokemon card thing is kind of buying into a bad habit or a bad I don't wanna say bad, but a certain characteristic that probably shouldn't be fed into, which is impulse control. <laugh>. I dunno, that's a good question. I dunno how to answer that actually. Those things that I'm doing now are,

Kate: It's ok. You don't have to answer, you don't have to know.

Sam Junio: Thanks.

Kate: But you do have to tell us though, are you continuing to add to your skincare routine

Sam Junio: <laugh>? I have purchased, Oh shoot. Super goop face sunblock. The stuff that feels like Matt.

Kate: Yes. Love it. Oh my gosh, what is it called? I just was wearing it. It's the weird sticky feeling where it kind of feels like almost rubber.

Doree: The unseen sunscreen.

Sam Junio: Yes. Yes. Where it feels, you put it in your hands and then you touch it, but it feels like you're not touching anything. Yes. Fantastic. Yeah. So I have that. And then I'm also face creaming my neck as well.

Kate: Okay. Mid thirties, it's

Doree: Coming out. Oh, here, it's

Sam Junio: Ok. Yeah. Some keels action. Well, did you guys see that meme? Or maybe it was just a photo of a person who was only putting sunblock on their face and not their neck? Yes,

Kate: I saw it. I saw it.

Sam Junio: And then the resulting meme of that picture of that person has made me do more for myself than any dare class or whatever. Cause it was a very much, very stark contrast between what you were protecting and what you haven't.

Kate: So I saw that photo and I realized I don't think I've been moving my sunscreen all the way down. So every time, every morning I think of that photo. Now Doree, this could have been a photoshopped, who knows what this is. But yeah, it's of a person who their neck, neck looks sun damaged and their face does not. Well,

Doree: There are always those photos or things of truck drivers who the left side of their face is totally sun damaged and then the right side is not or is not as sun damaged. And yeah, I mean that's something that, especially in LA driving, I've tried to be very mindful of. So I

Kate: Mean, you wear driving gloves up to your shoulders. I mean, you are really thoughtful about it.

Doree: Yeah, I do. I didn't wear them. I was driving a bit today and I didn't put them on and I was like, Oh, I should put them on. And then I just didn't, I forgot

Sam Junio: How elegant <laugh>.

Kate: I mean, I did wear a big SPF hat around Disney World, so I get it.

Doree: It's kind of like it's a Carella Deville situation, but I'm okay with it.

Sam Junio: I love it. Do you take them off starting with the fingertips?

Kate: Yes.

Doree: <laugh>,

Sam Junio: Very central <laugh>.

Doree: Yes, exactly.

Sam Junio: That's hot. That's hot what

Doree: I do. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Kate: Well, I have a question for the group, if you will. Cause it's kinda a special episode. I was away, so we kind of missed a week of our intentions. But if you were setting off to do something this week, if you were setting an intention for yourself this week, and Doree, I'll pose this to you, in fact, I'll pose it to myself. Sam, I'm gonna pose it to you first. What is are your intention of the week? What are you just conscious of? How are you moving through the world? What is a goal that you're setting? Perhaps it's setting no goals.

Sam Junio: Well, lately I've been trying to do things with without multitasking. So if I'm doing one thing, I'm not looking at my phone, I'm not editing something else. I'm trying to be whole assing things. And so my intention is to whole ass the rest of the week.

Kate: I smell a name of this episode with this whole assing with Sam. That's great. That is really hard to do.

Doree: That is really hard. And that is something that I need to work on too.

Kate: Yeah, thank you. Thank

Doree: You for bringing that up.

Sam Junio: You're welcome. It's tough.

Doree: It is tough. It

Kate: Is. Well one, because we're expected to do it and also because we're now so trained, it's almost feels weird to focus solely on one thing. I can't watch TV without also looking at my phone or Googling the actors or,

Doree: Yeah. Huh. Yeah. My intention is kind of something that I don't have great control over, which is I'm doing the thing where I'm waking up in the middle of the night again and it just sucks because I, it's often hard for me to get back to sleep. I often don't fall back asleep until six, which is only an hour before I wake up. And so I'm getting bad sleep and then I'm just tired and it's just not a good cycle for me to get into. And I went to bed early last night hoping that that would help. Then I still woke up at four. I'm like, Oh, that's just, Oh, sucky. So I don't know. My intention this week is to try to get some good sleep. Question

Kate: <laugh>

Doree: Shoot. So we'll see how that goes. How about you, Kate?

Kate: I posed this question and now I'm like, Oh, great question. Well, I left. I sure did. Kindle, I left my Kindle on a plane. So if anyone works for Southwest or at the airport in Dallas and happens to find a Kindle with a dog bite in the upper left hand corner, and a lot of really smutty books on it, that's my Kindle. And so my intention this week, rather than hopping in and ordering another E-reader right away, is to read some of the many paper books that I have. I have a huge TBR two be Red Stack of books that I would love to read, but just have not gotten into yet. So I'm gonna pick up a paper book. Paper book Week.

Doree: Nice. Do you know what you're gonna pick up?

Kate: Yes, actually I do. I'm going to read a Dear Friend and past and feature Forever 35 guests, Nora McInnis, New book of essays, Bad Vibes Only Baby. That's what I'm starting tonight.

Doree: Oh, I'm so excited for you. I can't wait to read that too. Actually. I have to read it pretty quickly.

Sam Junio: <laugh>. Yeah, she's Monday. Spoiler

Doree: <laugh>. Wow. Well, this has been such a delight as always. Sam, if you know, I know you don't wanna encourage Parasocial relationships with our listeners, but if our listeners want to follow along with your work, is there a public place where they may do so?

Sam Junio: Twitter is at it. Underscore your underscore Sam. Or buy a t-shirt at sam junia.com/store.

Doree: Oh, right. Okay. Oh, don't mind if I do nosy on over there, <laugh>.

Sam Junio: Oh, you're gonna be so upset. They're so stupid. <laugh>.

Doree: Before we go, we do need to remind everyone that Forever 35 is hosted and produced by me. Doree Shafrir and Kate Spencer. I'm producing, edited by Sam Junio. All three of us are here together. Oh, look at Sami Reed is our project manager, our network partners, Acast. Talk to you all soon. Bye.