Notes to Self

This episode moves through the places where music has helped me reach my inner world and translate it into something I could share. You’ll hear the first song I ever wrote, and we’ll revisit a 20-year-old playlist, early musical memories, and the ways sound has helped me regulate emotions long before I understood it. I open up about my middle school choir songs — the ones that alienated me from si...

In this episode, I sit down with Ash and Nassim to talk about the steady, deliberate work of grassroots fundraising — the kind that grows out of relationships, trust, and the conscious decision to stay engaged even when it’s difficult. Their Berlin‑based initiative* sells artisanal goods at markets around the city, using every Euro to support families they’re directly connected to in Gaza and, whe...

Here I trace the long, complicated arc of an identity crisis that began in childhood, in the misunderstandings and misreadings that quietly shaped how I learned to see myself. I talk about how hard it can be to unlearn the stories we never chose. The episode quotes Edward Said’s “Orientalism” to make sense of the context in which I was emerging and the larger forces that had already been shaping t...

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Raya and Mira from Turab Mutual Aid — a volunteer‑run, diaspora‑led initiative providing monthly financial support to five families in Gaza. Founded in October 2023, Turab is built on a simple but powerful commitment: offering families in Gaza a reliable, consistent stipend every month. Raya and Mira share how Turab came to life and the principles that shape the...

In this emotional episode, I give you a glimpse into my 7 attempts to reach the Dome of the Rock. It was my first time in Palestine as a diaspora Palestinian, and the closest I’ve ever been to something I’ve yearned for my whole life. Along the way, I stumble upon checkpoints, a “wasps’ nest” of soldiers, a far-right minister, and the strange tension between the privilege I hold and the things I’m...

Here, I explore the emotional and practical realities of unemployment. I break down what I learned from my job search (including an analysis of 40 rejection emails) and what those patterns revealed about the systems we’re navigating. Nina, Amber, and Louise join me to talk about privilege, purple squirrels, imposter syndrome, and pizza… and how all of it contributes to the way we move through work...

Episode 0 is an introduction to Notes to Self: who I am, why I’m making this, and the tiny, ridiculous, beloved memories that shape us — including a man in a Batman suit and two Pink Pony Club karaoke scenes I can’t seem to let go of. It’s a soft beginning to a podcast about the inner worlds we carry. Many thanks to Lou for providing feedback on the podcast concept and this episode, and to TorGado...