2026: The Year of the Horse and the Exercise of Clearing

2026 is the Year of the Horse, and it feels like the right time to move forward. I’ve spent the last year digesting the closure of my businesses, reevaluating what I want to see in the world, and learning to face things I never had the space to process while running a company.

One thing that came from this solitude is a new resolve. I’ve realized it’s okay to reframe my role and become a pillar for myself; holding a foundation rooted at home, in my health, and in the mindful rearing of my daughter.

What’s interesting for me is that I saw so much of myself in my mother once I stepped out of the hustle of brick-and-mortar life; she was very revolutionary in her own right (save for another entry). Most people don’t know that Myriam and I lost her soon after the pandemic, at the height of Ode to Babel’s business. I was torn between keeping the shop running smoothly and going to her house to cook and clean. In hindsight, the business “saved” me from the hard realities we were dealing with personally. When she transitioned, I cleared her home, put decades of items away, and went straight back to work.

It wasn’t until I closed the spaces permanently that I literally and figuratively finally had to sort through it all, the business and the items hidden in storage that belonged to her. It was a silent, challenging exercise in clearing.

It’s easy to get so busy in the moment that you forget moments are fleeting.

It is vital to step back and see the whole pie before diving back in. I realize now that I wasn’t doing that, and it was a disservice to my family, myself, and the community we collectively shared.

Those physical spaces were an act of love for us. A pushback against a city that made me, ironically and dishearteningly, question if I belonged, even if three generations deep. We held that space, those spaces, together. I am beyond proud of that moment in time. But it was just that-  a moment. I will never replicate it, and that’s where the beauty lies. I am blessed that we all experienced it together. Truly a lived IYKYK moment. Upward, onward.

What’s next?

I miss my people. I miss seeing familiar faces dancing, laughing, and being in pure joy together. Even as the dumpster fire state of world affairs feels par for the course, I know how important it is for us to experience communal peace. To hold each other collectively, on a cellular level.

I’m figuring out how best to continue gathering. For now, I’m reconnecting more intimately, creating space to come together in ways where we can laugh, dance, and meet new friends in real life. Alongside this, I’m beginning to do smaller, intentional activations as a consultant, working with brands that “get” us. The focus is the same as it’s always been: culture, connection, and creating spaces that feel alive and human. If you’re curious about collaborating or want to be part of that process as it unfolds, I’d love to connect. It’s still very much about gathering, returning to intimacy and thoughtfulness.

I also plan on hosting with my friends at Majestic Disorder. Fun fact: they hosted their magazine release party, one of Ode to Babel’s first events, back in 2016. We’ve become close friends ever since, and I’m excited to bring you along on our trip to Morocco this summer.

What is on your mind as we ride into this year of the horse?

Share your thoughts with me. email me here or via our substack