Mini-Ep 410: The Truth About Stingrays
Elise goes viral on TikTok and we hear from a therapist who says don’t become one! Listeners also write in about beach tips for stingrays, Peloton shoe stretching, and camp counseling at Water Country.
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Transcript
Doree: Hello and welcome to Forever35, a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. I'm Doree Shafrir.
Elise: And I'm Elise Hugh. We're just two friends who like to talk a lot about serums,
Doree: And this is a mini episode where we hear from you, we share your comments and your thoughts, and we answer your questions to the best of our ability. But please remember, we are podcast hosts. We're not experts. We always encourage you to seek support first and foremost, from a medical and or mental health professional as needed. So Elise, we have made some big announcements lately. I just wanted to
Elise: Changes.
Doree: I don't know if everyone listened to our episode on Monday or reads our newsletter or subscribe to our patron or follows us on Instagram, but surely one
Elise: Of those touch points has reached you.
Doree: I mean, look, I now never take anything for granted because we had people being like, where'd Kate go a month into you being on the show? So yeah, you're right. There's
Elise: So much competing for our attention.
Doree: There's so much. Yeah, people just miss stuff, and I don't blame them for it, so I just, I'm like, let me just reiterate this several thousand times. So anyway, Elise's staying on, which we're so excited about, yay, excited, and we're going to do kind of an official relaunch in the beginning of October, but we wanted to sort of preview everything now. And as part of that, we also had our logo redesigned, which is super exciting.
Elise: And we know that, or research has shown that you can't suddenly just change the art on your podcast feed or in your podcast platform. People are podcast like, what is this? It's very jarring. It can be very jarring. So we are doing our best to signpost. To give a heads up, our Patreon subscribers actually helped choose our new logo. We had gotten down to three finalists and our new logo, which we just revealed is the overwhelming favorite of our most core Patreon subscribers. So thank you all for
Doree: Helping. Well, and also, as I said in the newsletter, our Patreon subscribers chose the logo that Elise and I both liked the best. Thank you. That also helped. We're all aligned. We were all aligned. It was beautiful. It was a beautiful thing. And we're also, as a little celebration, we are opening up our Patreon annual subscriptions briefly. We don't normally offer those anymore, but we are doing it again. So if you've been thinking about joining the Patreon, now is the time. There's a 15% discount if you sign up annually. So that's over the price of the monthly subscription. So instead of paying, if you pay $5 a month for our $5 tier, that's $60 a year, but right now you can get it for $51, that's a 15% discount, and the $10 a month tier is $102 instead of hundred 20. So little savings, love a discount in celebration, so, so all of those things are happening more to come and yeah, we're just excited for this new phase.
Elise: And if you are just joining us in our new era, this is a mini app. Mini apps come out on Wednesdays. They're on everybody's feeds for all subscribers. And then, or anybody who wants to listen wherever you listen. Mondays are our full S, so that's our schedule. Monday's full s with a guest, Wednesday mini apps. And then Friday we do a casual chat, just Doree and me and those casual chats are available to our Patreon subscribers. So we're coming at you Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Doree: Yeah, a lot happening. Elise, you and I had been talking about career pivots. We were like, journalism's dead and dying. Should we become therapists? We had both sort of been like, Hmm, we like talking. We like listening to people. We're good at interviewing people. And we heard from a therapist about this plan.
Elise: We did,
Doree: Yes.
Elise: Oh, I'm so excited. She needed to track us from my idea.
Doree: Well, she said, Hey there. I had to laugh at the end of Pod three 16 where you all mentioned wanting to go back to school and being therapists, as every therapist I know is dying to change career fields and become writers or start a podcast, grass is always greener. Every therapist I know that counseled through Covid feels emotionally burned out and stuck there because of student loan debt. The debt is real. Maybe we should all work at Trader Joe's or Costco.
Voicemail: Wow.
Doree: I have some bad news about that, which is like Trader Joe's and Costco are onto us. They do not want the former therapists or the former writers just showing up and being like, I can do this job. They think we're all going to quit in six months. They want people who are going to be there for a long time, and I don't blame them. Also, a lot of therapists and writers don't have any retail experience, and I get it working at Trader Joe's and Costco is a career too.
Elise: Speaking of hourly wage workers. I had this crazy thing happen yesterday when I pulled up to Chick-fil-A around dinnertime to get Chick-fil-A for everybody. The guy who was taking my order at the window ghost, were you at Starbucks this morning? And I was like, yes, yes, I was. And he had taken my order at Starbucks in the morning too. So he was on his second shift of the day. He had worked at two different places that I had been at in one day, and I was just like, man, Victor, you should just have one job.
Doree: So Elise, I meant to mention this, but I know this already because I think you're going viral on TikTok.
Elise: I noticed this morning I woke up and I had a ton of comments, but I'm just in my banners. I don't ding and I don't really have ding notifications. I just have a banner notification, and I think I am that one post about running into Victor twice. It's just a photo of me and Victor, because I was like, we got to get a picture. And he's like, girl, of course, I've never gotten so many
Doree: Because comments when I opened up TikTok. Yeah, when I opened up TikTok this morning, it was the first video that came up for me. I'm my for you page, now I follow you. But still, usually the first video it shows you is something that's either super viral or is going viral. And I noticed how many likes and comments it had, and I was like, oh shit. Elise is going by. I wonder if she even knows. No, I didn't.
Elise: I'm posting mundane stuff at a regular clip. Totally, yes. You just don't know when the algorithm decides, oh, this is a thing we're going to show everybody.
Doree: Exactly. So I'm curious, so we're recording this a few days before it airs. I wonder if by the time it airs, you will have been on Good Morning America with Victor. Oh man. I also love that he recognized you. You know what I mean? He was like, wait a second. I know you. Yeah. It's not like you had been at Chick-fil-A twice in one day. It was at a totally different establishment. Totally,
Elise: Completely different context.
Doree: Yeah. Oh my gosh.
Elise: But we will tell Victor that the therapists say, don't go become a therapist that will lead to burnout.
Doree: And the writers say, don't go become a writer
Elise: Because the profession will leave you. It's not that I really left journalism. I felt as though journalism was leaving me. I still consider myself a journalist. It's just not an institutional one.
Doree: Right, right, right. I think when I left Buzzfeed, it was because we had started February 35, but I had been sort of, I don't want to say deeply unhappy at Buzzfeed, but I was just, I felt like the job had sort of run its course. I was there for six years, which is a long time, but I remember in the last couple years being like, but where would I go?
Elise: Yeah, you write about that a little bit in your memoir.
Doree: Yeah. I had just started feeling like, oh, there's nothing in journal. There's nothing in media that's really out there. That is an exciting next step for me. And I feel that even more now. I mean, it's pretty grim out there. So I don't know, man.
Elise: I feel very privileged that we get to podcast and to kind of be our own bosses.
Doree: I agree. I wish it could be a full-time job. Maybe it will be. Maybe we will manifest that anyway. If anyone is currently working in a lucrative field that does not require several years of expensive education to pivot into, please let us know. This text from this therapist just reminded me of when I would meet people in New York who worked in finance or were lawyers, and they were like, oh, I'm working on a book, or, I always wanted to be a writer. I think I'm going to, when I retire, basically I'm just going to be a writer. Or people say that about teaching. Oh, maybe I'll just go teach. And I feel like maybe therapists are starting to feel this too, that people think they can just become therapists. You know what I mean? When it's like, no, that's not really the case. Anyway, if you have thoughts on this or anything else, call or text us at (781) 591-0390. Email us at Forever35 podcast@gmail.com. We also have a website Forever35 podcast.com. We have links there to everything we mentioned on the show. We're also on Instagram at Forever35 podcast, and we have a newsletter at Forever five podcast com slash newsletter. Alright, we are going to take a short break and we will be right back.
Alright, we are back and we have a travel question. Do you want to take this one, Elise?
Elise: Great. I'll read it. Hey Doree. Elise, I've been catching up on the last several pods and with all the talk about one bagging, I thought I'd ask for a recommendation. I've got two long weekend trips coming up in November, one to Boston and one to Las Vegas. I'd really like to one bag if I can make it work. Have either of you tried any of the garment duffle bag combos? I'm being targeted heavily on Instagram, but not sure if it's the right choice over a suitcase, especially since there's no way to roll it. And then she links an option for reference.
Doree: So I have not used one of these myself. The closest I got was a suitcase that had a built-in, it wasn't really a garment bag, but it had a little hook for your hanging things, and then you could sort of fold them up. It was like a sort of a garment bag within the suitcase. But I've not used one of these, but I took a look at the one that this listener linked to from half day travel, and it's pretty cool, I got to say. But I did note that in the photo of the bag, the way they have it, they do have someone carrying it just as a duffle, but then they also have it on top of a suitcase. And I feel like probably a lot of people use it in addition to a suitcase.
Elise: That's exactly how I was going to answer the question. I do have a garment travel bag, and I almost never use it anymore because I use it in addition, or I previously used it in addition to a suitcase, and now I've just gotten intolerant of bringing more than one bag, and so I do not use it anymore. But if you can find a way to keep it lightweight and it's a good solid bag and then your clothes don't get wrinkled, then give it a try and then report back. Let us know. But I am now just a roller bag gal. I'm a roller bag girly.
Doree: Yeah. I mean, the way that they have this stuff packed in is very interesting. It does look like it holds a decent amount, but I don't see any space for shoes really.
Elise: And then shoes add weight, so then you're
Doree: At weight
Elise: Having to lug that around.
Doree: Totally. You want to lu that around. Wait, they have a premium duffle. So duff, the garment duffle is $108, and then they have a premium garment duffle for $158 and they do show that one with someone packing shoes. So maybe, oh, I see. There's little shoe things. Interesting. I mean, look, I think this is a very clever idea. I just agree. Lugging it with no additional suitcase feels heavy.
Elise: Yep.
Doree: It just feels happy. Alright, we have a voicemail.
Voicemail: Hi, do Elise. First and foremost, I want to say welcome, Elise. It's been so wonderful hearing your voice and your energy just brings such a nice mood to the podcast. I really appreciate it. I comment on the latest episode where Doree was talking about water country. I live in Massachusetts and I was one of the camp counselors that brought children to water country. And when I tell you it was the most hellish field trip ever, trying to wrangle 10 small children who are so excited to go on water rides and then the whole water component, it was very, very stressful and I was always exhausted at the end of it. But also I now as a parent am pretty firm in the fact that I will not bring my child to water country to that experience. I also really appreciated your last guest perspective on being really empathic when people say the wrong thing.
I frequently have to do that. And I work in a hospital very frequently with older people who ask inappropriate questions that we're not supposed to ask. Are you pregnant? Are you married? Do you have kids? And as we know, those can be really delicate and difficult questions to answer. And just coming from it from a place of they do want to know and they want to share in your life is kind of how I look at it as well. So it's just really nice to hear someone else in the world kind of appreciate that. I don't think there's enough of that that goes around these days. So thank you again for the wonderful podcast and all that you do. It's such a breath of fresh air and I really appreciate it. Thanks. Bye.
Elise: Wow. An actual water country counselor. Yeah.
Doree: I was trying to remember because I was a camp counselor at a sleepaway camp in New Hampshire, but I don't remember where our bunk went on trip day. I remember going to water country as a camper, but I don't remember if we went there as a counselor. Maybe I've just blocked it out.
Elise: But that was a very sweet voicemail. Thank you so much for listening and sticking with us. And that referenced to our previous episode was the one with Nain Farad, the comedian from last week. So if you haven't heard that one yet, check out the Nain Farad episode. The one where we were joking the quips come at you fast, but she was also very thoughtful about how she deals with haters.
Doree: Yes. Yes. Alright, Elise, do you want to read the next?
Elise: Yes, we'll stay on the topic of water adventures.
Doree: Yes.
Elise: Hello from Panama, where stingrays are super common. Welcome to the tropics. What you've said about shuffling your feet is true and also a common local recommendation here is to avoid going into the ocean during low tide since stingrays are more likely to be encountered. So yes, high tide and no low tide. Hope this is helpful. Best, Patricia, and what an important lesson that Rob had to learn the hard way after being stung boy, and they called Baywatch and everything they did, the flashing lights,
The sirens to bring him hot water because once you have been stung, one of the ways to immediately quell the pain is to basically put the part of your body that's been stung in steaming hot water. So that's what the lifeguards can do for you and to avoid getting stung. Listen to Patricia's advice. Yes, high tide, no low tide, and shuffle your feet because stingrays, I mean, as we talked about in the casual chat where I told the story of Rob getting stung, stingrays don't want to be stepped on randomly. I mean, you wouldn't want to be stepped on your belly or your back.
Doree: Right.
Elise: It could trigger a
Doree: Reaction. Right. It's not like they're out there attacking.
Elise: No, no. They're stepped on. They're just
Doree: Responding. They're responding to being stepped on, which I can empathize with.
Elise: Empathy for the stingray.
Doree: Yeah, exactly. Okay, we are going to take another short break and we'll be right back.
Elise: We'll be right back.
Doree: Okay. We're back. Quick text response to mini up 4 0 8 convo about teen stars and what seems like a Hollywood curse for actors. If you're interested in more on this topic, I would highly recommend the podcast. Dear Hollywood by Alison Stoner. It's a thoughtful, critical, and hopeful perspective of this topic from someone who has been in it and somehow came through it, although not completely unscathed. It's honest and real. There's definitely a balance between cultural criticism and the reality of knowing that it's a bigger system that everyone is involved in. Somehow. It reminds me of convos y'all have had about beauty culture, diet, culture, et cetera. Thanks for being one of my favorite podcasts ever. I'm a day one listener and turn Forever35 in February.
Elise: Yay.
Doree: Amazing.
Elise: I have just subscribed or followed and yeah, this is pretty new. Thank you for the recommendation. It just came out at the end of 2023, and these are very compelling episode titles, A child's body Open access, that's one of them Kid influencers behind the 8 billion industry. I can tell it's a big lucrative industry though because of some of these kid flus that I met on set with my daughter. I could not believe how many followers they had, how much they have to work. They are constantly producing content and putting themselves in front of the camera, commoditizing their exteriors. Yeah, it is part of a really tangled web of capitalism and consumerism, and I'm interested to hear this podcast, so thank you. Thanks for the Rec.
Doree: Yeah, thanks for the Rec. Okay,
Elise: We have one final one
Doree: We do, and I just want to note that you never know what topics are going to resonate with listeners, right? I mean, sometimes you're like, okay, this is something I know a lot of people are going to want to weigh in on, and then other times you don't. And people just have a lot of thoughts and a lot of suggestions and cycling shoes was one of those topics.
Elise: Yes. The Peloton Shoe of 2024, the Peloton shoe issue of 2024 has endured.
Doree: We continue to hear from listeners, and I love that we continue to hear from people about this. We got this email from a listener who said, good morning ladies. I was so excited to hear this topic being covered because I have also had this problem and searched the internet. I had a free Peloton bike and shoe check. Everything was in the right place, and two pairs of shoes, but the same issue. I've finally resolved it by buying a shoe stretcher. I was too cheap to buy two, so I alternate shoes. It's taken a month, but my last one was the first ride I've taken without any issues. Definitely worth trying. And that is from Suzanne who says that they think they are our biggest fan in Stockport uk.
Elise: What's up? Hey, Stockport, shout out to Stockport. Hello to Stockport and to Panama, our earlier listener who reached out about the Stingray. I love that. This is such an international Forever35
Doree: Community, so great. Okay. A shoe stretcher. I hadn't have to admit I hadn't thought about that, but actually now that I'm thinking about it, I'm wondering if there's a couple pairs of shoes. I think I've mentioned this, that one of my feet is a quarter size larger than my other foot, which is just large enough to make it slightly annoying, and I'm wondering if I should use this on a couple pairs of shoes that are just a little too snug in my right foot.
Elise: Oh, that's a perfect idea. Yes. We're always learning from our listeners. We're
Doree: Always learning and growing, I would say. Well, Elise, any final thoughts?
Elise: Just that you all keep weighing in with your comments, your recommendations, your questions, and we're so excited about this new era. Thanks for being so welcoming to me.
Doree: Yeah. Yay. Alright, thanks everyone.
Elise: Bye.
Doree: Bye.
*Transcripts are AI Generated.