Hi, welcome back to Eat Your Crust Podcast.
I'm Crystal.
And I'm Jisoo.
Wow, how does it feel to be back in 2026?
I can't believe it's January of 2026 already.
Dude.
I feel like December just disappeared.
Wait, I completely agree.
I feel like December flew by.
I remember chatting with some coworkers and we were like, wait, December's like almost over.
Now it's January.
And if you think about it, at least by the time this episode releases, January is just about over.
Although I feel like January tends to be one of the longest months of the year, especially because it's the first time you're back in the office for a lot of people who take time off during the holidays.
So having to go in every single day really adds to how long the month feels.
Does it feel long for you?
I think so.
Like, how is it only the 9th?
I feel like it's mid-month already.
I guess that's true.
It feels long but also short.
Because even though it's not quite mid-month, about a week and a half has already passed of January.
I guess so.
I think I just feel like this past week has been three weeks combined into four days, you know?
I get what you mean.
I think January has felt kind of a little fast for me too, though.
I think just because I had some stuff coming up and I was like, wait, it's already here.
Damn, I feel like, you know, it's because you have travel coming up.
Travel is like a cheat code to making a month feel short.
I guess that's true.
But along with the travel comes deadlines.
And I was like, oh, God.
Facts.
And I feel like deadlines equals time X like five.
Yeah, that's true.
Deadlines creep up on you.
Well, remember how we said last year in one of our last few episodes.
We said that January is usually the quiet month, at least in social obligations.
Do you feel like that's true so far?
So far, yes.
And I have been loving it.
I actually sometimes find that having social plans on quiet months make the social plans more impactful.
So the few plans that I do have, I find myself being really excited for.
I think I have also happily not been asked to hang out this month.
I think it's probably good that we're having a nice and quiet start to the year because, as some of our listeners may know, 2026 is technically supposed to be the fire horse year, according to the Chinese Zodiac.
So what does that mean?
Why is it a fire horse?
So I did some preliminary research.
Okay.
And a lot of you may know every year in the lunar calendar is attributed to a zodiac.
So in this case, the zodiac is the horse year.
And apparently there's also something called a sexagenarian cycle, which means that on top of the zodiac, which is an animal, there's an element associated with it.
So for you and me, Crystal, since we were born in 1996, we are both rats.
And 1996, the rat cycle was in its fire element.
So we are actually fire rats.
Oh, interesting.
And there's five different elements that a year could be.
Fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.
And right now we are in the fire cycle, which is why it's the year of the fire horse.
Okay.
With this sexagenarian zodiac, I guess there's a lot of different meaning attributed to it.
So apparently the fire horse is supposed to signify intense energy, passion, and transformation.
That means there's going to be a lot of intense and potential change, sometimes leaning more towards chaos, in these years.
There's some weird stuff too.
Like I guess historically, sometimes this is tied with low birth rates in Japan.
Yeah.
Wait, why specifically in Japan?
Dude, I don't even know.
But if you literally Google fire horse and go on Wikipedia, on the page it says some people believe that this leads to low birth rates in Japan on those years.
Take it with a grain of salt.
But the sexagenarian cycle is about 60 years.
So this is the first time in 60 years that it's a fire horse year.
Wait, so it's supposed to be fire for like 60 years?
I think it's fire for two years.
The fire horse year starts this year.
And then I think next year it's like fire goat.
And then the year after it's two earth years, two metal, two water, two wood.
I don't know the exact order, but so on and so forth.
It like cycles through.
Wait, that's crazy.
Okay, this makes me very curious now because you said that we're fire rats from 96.
And my astrology sign is a fire sign too.
Whoa, triple fire year?
Wait, are you not also?
Oh, I am.
You're right.
Whoa, so we're both like double fire.
And then now this year is a fire year.
This is crazy.
Well okay, i did look into what the fire horse year means for fire rats.
Okay, because i did feel like the double fire, even without considering our other fire sign, was intense right yeah yeah, and it says that for fire rats, 2026 can be very dynamic and transformative And because there's two shared fire elements, there's going to be a lot of energy, motivation and opportunities for growth, which is kind of interesting because the rat horse rhetoric I've been seeing on TikTok has been like very negative, you know, like this is going to be a crazy year.
But it says that basically it's going to be an intense year, but with intensity there's going to be growth opportunities.
So stay adaptable, stay flexible and, just like, be prepared for everything that's going to come to your doorstep this year.
I see.
Yeah, I've also been hearing a lot of rat is literally the most unlucky this year.
And I'm like, dude, are we just fucked?
Oh, God.
I feel like we're going into a big exam or something.
I know, right?
It makes me a little nervous.
Okay, but good to know that it's not all negative.
It's more like we need to roll with the punches and adapt with the change.
Yeah, capitalize on a year where a lot of things are happening and just use it as a growth opportunity.
I think wow, that's so interesting, though I wonder how astrology and zodiac ology mixes.
I would need, like an expert to come and explain how my year is gonna look.
I know right, I've always been really curious about those like professional I don't know like fortune tellers or like Zodiac readers in Asia.
And I've always wanted to ask them a few questions, I guess.
Dude, my greatest fear though is like hearing something that I can never unhear, you know?
I feel like I'm so easily swayed by things that people say.
So they could say something completely made up and I would just carry that with me till my deathbed.
Yeah.
I mean a lot of people in China I know use it to like help come up with names as well as determine dates.
Any special date such as weddings or anniversaries.
I think they'll even try for birthdays sometimes.
Like this date is good to, I guess, try to conceive.
I don't know.
Yeah, you know, I feel like the way that I've thought about this kind of stuff whether it's zodiac or superstitions in certain cultures, like all of these things I feel like when I was younger I would be like well, it's not real anyway, so what does it matter?
But the older I get, it doesn't even matter that it's real or fake or whatever.
I feel like the intentionality behind these things, sitting down and thinking about oh, what are ways that I could bring myself more fortune?
Or like, would this help?
And just having the general positive mindset in itself could be so beneficial.
So I think in my late 20s, I'm like, wait, reading about this stuff is so fun.
This is awesome.
Wait, I actually totally agree.
Because I guess I don't pay as much attention to the years where they're like oh, this year is hella good for Rat.
Maybe because it hasn't happened recently.
But I feel like knowing that this year might be on the more unlucky side, low-key just lowers expectations.
So I come into the year, and yeah, I'm definitely also not super superstitious.
But coming into the year, I'm like, oh, okay, well, it might be a bad luck year.
So I guess if things go wrong, it's not even my fault.
It's just the will of the external forces or whatever.
Yeah, I feel like it almost absolves you from having these unrealistic expectations for yourself and for the year.
And it's also just like grounding to think about all the elements in my life that I can't control, you know.
Sometimes I feel like, especially in January, we get so fixated on like what can I do to make this year good?
But it's not always something that you can choose.
Yeah, like there's definitely things that are just, like you said, way out of our control.
I feel like another pro is that we're going into this year expecting like oh, it might be a hard year.
And then when we finish this year, we might be like, oh, wait, that was not bad at all.
I guess it's too soon to say, but so far January has been treating me well and hopefully it has been treating you well.
So you know, maybe the warning is just a good to know, but not necessarily something that will come true barely two weeks into the new year.
Hey, i'm just staying positive.
And you know honestly, one month is just four weeks.
So you know oh, but i guess also, if you think about it, it's actually not the year of the horse yet.
Oh true, lunar new year's is like end of february, i think, this year like mid-feb.
Maybe these are our last few days of good luck.
Oh no, moderate luck.
You're so right.
No wonder it's been so peaceful.
Well, Fire Horse year aside, do you have any other general expectations, or maybe goals for the new year?
Actually, I do have one.
The reality is we're getting older.
I've been talking about this a bit last year, too, to our friends.
I don't remember if I ever mentioned it on the podcast, but basically I read somewhere that women are much more prone to osteoporosis, which is like brittle bones and like weak bones.
So to combat that, you should try to be more active.
And some really helpful activities are like weightlifting, just things to like put more pressure on your bones so that they like grow stronger.
So last year I started to kind of put some more effort into being more active.
And so this year, I'm doubling down on it and I'm trying to do things while keeping in mind to like, not make it hard.
Basically choosing the path with the least resistance, while also being able to accomplish things that help the ultimate goal.
So what are some examples of ways that you make it the path of least resistance?
Yeah, so one example is that I'm very aware that I have bad self-discipline.
So if my goal were to just be I need to go to the gym three times a week, there's just no way I would accomplish that, because I don't have the self-discipline to convince myself to go every time.
And I know this through like my whatever years of life.
But what I do know is I respond well to group classes or something that almost forces accountability onto myself.
So on Wednesdays I have this workout class which I was like damn, I have to pay some money for this.
But because I'm paying money, I know I'll always show up.
Wait, I know exactly what you mean.
Now it's real and tangible.
Yeah, exactly.
I'm like, okay, I will keep this.
Every time I think about stopping it.
I'm like this is the most consistent I've ever been, because I'm paying money to like attend this thing.
What's great about this class is that it's a group class, so it's like not super expensive.
And then also I can ask my trainer to focus on certain movements that might help in other things.
So like recently I've been focusing on movements that will help in golf.
The other part of this issue though, was that this class is on Wednesdays, and I go to the office on Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday.
And I was like well, this class is on a Wednesday, so I don't want to work out on Tuesday beforehand, because then what if I get sore and then I have to suffer on Wednesday?
And I don't want to do Thursday, because what if Wednesday makes me sore and that causes Thursday to be more painful?
Yeah.
So I managed to find a class on Mondays and Fridays.
And I was like okay, all I have to do is attend the class at least on one of those days, Monday or Friday.
And if I'm feeling good, I should do both.
And this class is much closer to my home.
So I don't feel like I have to be at work to be close to the class to be able to attend it.
Oh, yeah, that works out nicely.
Do you feel like going to these classes and just weightlifting more in general makes you feel differently.
I don't know.
Actually, maybe because I started these Wednesday classes maybe like halfway into last year.
And I do feel like I've gotten a little stronger and I feel like my golf balls go a little farther.
That's like my only measurement.
I feel like, at least for me, I'm so someone who needs gratification.
So the long-term benefits of weightlifting you mentioned are like bone strength or like adding muscle mass, but I also need that short-term gain, right?
True, true.
So I'm happy that you have a short-term gain, aka golf benefits.
That is actually a really good point.
I think it's hard when you don't see short term gain.
You're like, why do I keep doing this?
Yeah.
So maybe that's another thing.
I'll have to think about what is a good way of reminding myself that there's being progress made.
I mean, I think with weightlifting specifically, there's so many ways to track that.
One is, are my lifts going up in weight?
And then another one is aesthetic gains and whatnot.
And I feel like, as someone who has obsessed over my body for so much of my life, I actually find it really cool and almost inspiring that what you look for and want to gain out of exercise is not purely aesthetic.
It's kind of mind-blowing for me, you know what I mean?
Yeah.
I mean, don't get me wrong.
There's definitely an aesthetic benefit to it.
But ultimately, yeah, I'm just trying to not wither away in our old age.
It really is the year, though, where I feel like you just stop taking health for granted.
It's kind of been like a downward slope since our college years.
But yeah, there's so much more like intentionality behind exercise and whatnot now, too.
I'm always like how do I balance wanting to strengthen my core with wanting to lift heavier, with wanting to like, gain more cardio fitness?
And how do I fit it into a seven day week?
Right.
So true.
I'm like, I need rest days too.
I know some people just like power through that.
I am not one of those.
I think it's been fun though.
One of my exercise goals this year has been to exercise in like a more holistic way.
Let go of just wanting to exercise for weight loss or like my looks, but also wanting to improve certain things for myself before I become a mom one day.
Whoa.
It's actually improved my relationship with exercise significantly, because I want not just visible gains, you know.
Yeah.
I feel like another factor to all of this is, as we get older, the people around us get older too, right?
So I feel like just suddenly everyone around me is hurting their backs more.
You know like experiencing injuries more.
And so I think that is also a factor that freaks me out a bit.
So I'm like, oh, I better like up my mobility.
Dude, sometimes it's like the inverse too.
All the people who are older than me and are fit, I realize actually exercise a lot.
And I'm like, oh God, like how much exercise do I need to do to look like that when I'm your age?
Oh my God.
I know, right?
Because I also don't want to like change my life because some people get really into it, right?
And they like calorie count and they, I don't know, measure out how much they need to exercise.
It's like every single day, multiple times a day.
But I'm like, dude, In my heart, I'm a couch potato.
At my core, you know.
I feel like if I try to make too big of a change at once, there's just no way I would be able to follow through consistently.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
My learning has been moving from a very like pleasure seeking life and learning to redefine what pleasure looks like and feels to me, and also not fighting things that are good for me.
I think when I was younger it was almost like a spectrum of things that are good for me and things that feel good.
And it was like opposite ends.
And now I realize it's more of like an overlapping Venn diagram, where there's tons of things that feel good and also are good for me.
And I shouldn't cast things off because I don't like crave it.
And especially something like exercise or like eating better or going to sleep earlier.
These are things that I can learn to enjoy more.
So I've been trying to do so.
Yeah, I think that's a really good way of looking at it.
Why am I fighting this when I know when I do this, it actually does feel good.
Yeah, I guess this is what every adult goes through.
And then we all become adults that week about like 5am.
Oh, okay.
I don't know about that part.
I mean, I'm not even close to being there, but I'm just, I feel like I can see my future.
What?
I will stay waking up at 9am at the earliest.
Oh man.
I remember one time we were texting and I was like dude, like I have to wake up so early for work tomorrow 8am or something.
And you were like, what?
I should really remember my roots because I used to find it so hard to wake up for like 9am classes.
Dude.
I literally dropped out of all of my wait, I think.
When I was signing up for classes I was like why am I signing up for these 9 AMs?
I should be signing up for these 5 PMs.
I think that has also been a learning for me too, because with exercise or just a lot of things that I've had on my plate, I used to block out on my personal calendar go to the gym at 5am before work and then do this assignment at 8 to 10pm after work.
And then I would be forced to like move these things over to the next day or like to next week, because I'm like I don't have the time or energy to do these things anymore.
And then only now am I realizing okay, maybe if I feel like I can't or won't want to do this, I shouldn't schedule it like this.
You know what I mean?
Like maybe I should be realistic about what my body can handle.
Yes.
Actually, I can totally relate though.
I think I have that problem too, where I expect more of myself maybe is like a good way to put it.
I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm going to get this task done three days early because I have time.
And then when it comes down to it, I'm like, wait, I don't feel like it.
Move to next week.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's always good to be ambitious and like want a lot for yourself.
But I just realized sometimes it just comes at the expense of other things.
I could wake up at 5am and go to the gym, but then I'm going to be really shitty and like a zombie at work.
Afterwards, I'm just going to nap, wake up at like 8pm feeling like shit.
I was like, I need to be strategic about my own life.
Yeah.
We need to like be able to trick our minds into wanting to do everything.
Yes, totally.
Okay, this is kind of unrelated to 2026, but it is related to aging.
I realized that a big part of aging means that you don't heal as quickly.
I only noticed this really recently, because I like fall or like scrape my elbow or scrape whatever.
A lot right.
You do?
A lot?
I mean, not a lot, but at least like once a quarter, I'll like fall.
Oh my God.
So then I usually have like some sort of scab on my knee.
Okay.
In Q4 last year, I fell early November or something.
And that scab stayed on for, I swear to God, three weeks at least.
I feel like those scabs would go away within like a week or two at most when I was younger.
And I was like, oh, it's kind of weird that it didn't fall off, but it's on my knees.
So like who gives a fuck, right?
Yeah.
But in December, I went to a class and I was like putting my stuff in the locker.
And when I was reaching in, I scraped my hand, right?
And it bled a little bit, but it wasn't that big of a cut.
So I was just like, whatever, it'll heal, right?
But then it scabbed and the scab stayed on for three and a half weeks.
And once the scab fell off, it started scarring.
Oh my god.
It's kind of intense.
Yeah, you can see it through the scar sticker, but it's red.
If I don't put this scar sticker on it every day, for however long it heals, I think it'll permanently scar like that.
So I think, because it's such a visible scar on my hand and I look at it 20 times a day when I'm washing my hands, typing whatever it's like such a visible sign of my mortality and age?
Oh my god.
Wait, Jisoo, I didn't know you fell like once a quarter.
Okay honestly, maybe once a quarter is like an exaggeration, but I do always have like scabs on my knees.
I was like, oh my God, when is this happening?
Okay.
But I think that's a good estimate because like, if I think me personally, I probably also hurt myself.
You know, once a quarter or something, even if it's a small scratch like what you just described, or I don't know walking into something or something like that.
Yes, but yeah, I feel like you're right.
That thought is always in the back of my mind too healing slower, and I have this theory actually.
Okay, this is so random, but the other day I was experiencing a bit of, like lower back soreness and I was like, oh my god, is this pain from being old or was it just from working out and I just haven't used these muscles in a while?
Right, And so I started.
I'm a bit of a hypochondriac.
So I started looking at like lower back pain, like what could it mean?
And then recently, one of my parents' friends got like sciatica.
So I was like, what are symptoms of sciatica?
And I was reading it.
And then I was like wait dude.
I feel like when I was a kid I might have had sciatica, but I didn't think about it because it just healed in like a week.
Oh, dude, honestly, I feel like that could totally be true.
Right?
I feel like we probably got injured so much as kids, but half the time we didn't give it a second thought because maybe it was an injury that would be slightly more serious now.
But because we're young and healing so fast, it was just like oh, this is just another scrape on my knee, or whatever.
Yeah.
Well, and then you have those injuries that I feel like happen in a really short moment when you're young, and then they just stay with you lifelong too.
Oh, true.
Yeah.
I remember I fell on my left wrist when I was young and I was biking.
I think this was maybe like junior year in high school.
And then I had sprained my wrist, but it healed within a month or something like that.
Now to this day, it's really hard for me to do push-ups or stay in that push-up pose because my left wrist hurts so bad.
And I'm like wait, how come I didn't have the young person buff for this injury and it didn't just automatically heal perfectly?
I actually do have a thought for that part.
Maybe because we just didn't give it too much thought about like how to heal.
We didn't do the proper care routine because sometimes for sprains ankles wrists whatever, you have to do a bit of PT exercise.
But then we're just like, whatever, like it'll heal.
Dude, honestly, fair.
We thought we were invincible.
I know.
Dude, this actually also reminds me of, what was it, like, early last week?
You texted me, you're like, how are your joints holding up in this cold weather?
It's such an old lady text, and we're like 29.
Dude, it's been cold again today and yesterday, and I was like, my knees are aching.
Oh, God.
I wish our listeners knew to what extent our knees were fucked up in college.
It was so bad.
Like a huge event at least once every two years, if not more often.
We would be like limping for a month.
Oh, dude.
And those were sometimes from falling.
Yes, exactly.
Oh my god.
I remember one time when my knee was really fucked up in college and I think you were like Crystal, do you want to come get dinner with me and the guys across campus?
And I was like, I'll see how my knee is feeling.
Oh my god.
Or the time you and our housemate Jessica broke your legs.
Not broke your legs, but definitely heavily injured your knees and you were both on crutches.
I literally asked her, I was like, Jessica, are you done with your crutches?
Do you think I could borrow them for a day?
And she's like, oh yeah, I like just got off them yesterday.
Dude, household crutches is crazy.
We need a pair now.
Well, besides exercise and being healthier versions of ourselves for this new year, do you have any other thoughts or feelings about coming into 2026?
Well, I think you and our longtime listeners would know this about me, but I am very much like a long-term planner.
So, as I talk about every year and more recently, like the last six months or so, I am in full preparation of having a kid.
That's not to say like we're trying or anything right now, but it's like.
I know I'm going to want a kid in the next two years or so two, three years which means I need to enjoy and live the next two to three years as much as possible.
Yeah.
Like I need to fully savor what it means and feels like and what my lifestyle can look like when I'm not a mom, so that when I am a mom I will have no regrets.
Yeah, so i'm trying to like really live it up, and i'm not sure what that means yet me.
Maybe two, three years ago would have envisioned this as partying a lot, but me right now, i just want to get as healthy as possible, like as fit as possible, as mentally healthy as possible, and travel as much as i possibly can, and also prep financially at the same time.
We'll see how to balance all of that.
I'm not sure how you can really fit that in into like two, three years, but I think my best effort would still be good enough.
Wow.
Wait, I feel like that's awesome, actually.
I love that you've taken it as like a big reminder for yourself to like do the things that you want to do, but also, of course, be healthy and want to be healthy too.
Yeah, I think my secret goal is I want to be one of those pregnant people who work out really hard still through their pregnancy.
I heard it helps a lot with like symptoms and delivery and whatnot.
And probably just for your mental health, too.
It's really good.
And I feel like to be able to get there.
I need to be really, really into my workout routine when I'm not pregnant.
True, true.
Like this is the easy part, right?
Yeah.
Knowing that hard and challenging and difficult things like pregnancy and being a mom are awaiting me, my non-motherhood life feels so easy and fun.
Do you remember that movie back in the day, What to Expect When You're Expecting?
I've never seen it.
Oh my god, you should watch it.
I mean, I don't know if it'll actually help with any real information about pregnancy, but it's just like a rom-com.
And, you know, I'm a sucker for rom-coms.
There actually is a funny scene in there, or maybe it's like an arc about one of the moms who is expecting.
She's like super fit and she like has the easiest birth ever.
Oh, dude.
Goals.
Yeah.
I will say though I feel like I've always been parroting the same year and age that I'm going to have a kid, to like everyone I know.
But recently, I feel like a couple of people that I know have had kids themselves.
People our age.
And I have to say, it has like shook me to the core.
Yeah.
How so?
You know, when you want something for so long it becomes like a fantasy, something unattainable almost, because it has always been in the state of something that I want.
It has never once been something that I have.
But to watch people our age who lived just similar lifestyles to us last year become parents, it's mind-blowing to me.
I'm like, what do you mean you just had a baby?
You're my age.
What the fuck?
Okay.
And have you seen them transition from, for example, someone who maybe goes out and hangs out with friends a lot, to something else?
I feel like I haven't seen it happen yet, but I imagine it.
Imagine what it looks like in my mind.
Even just the imagination is shaking me to my.
Actually, I did have a very interesting experience speaking of people around our age who have kids already.
So there's this Friendsmas that I usually go to every year, and it's me and a few of my high school friends.
This year when we went, there were actually three children missing.
Oh, wow.
Three is a lot also.
Yeah.
One kid was like not even a year old.
And then two of the other kids were a little older.
I think everyone was under five.
Being there and watching this happen, I was like whoa, this is like the start of what our family friend parties look like.
Don't you think?
Like having children there.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, it's interesting because I guess by the time my family had family friends, we were already older than five.
You know what I mean?
So it's like so weird to imagine family friend parties where there's like an infant.
Okay, yeah.
Actually, that's very fair.
I think similar.
When I met my family friends, we were like almost junior high or something.
Mm-hmm.
But it was very cool and it was very interesting.
You can watch as all your friends interact with the toddlers.
Yeah.
You see like a different side of them.
Aww.
Yeah.
That's actually very cute.
Do you feel like you envision each of your friends as parents when you watch them interact with kids?
Oh, actually, no.
You're just like, this is cool.
Yeah.
I'm like, oh, this person I can tell is good with kids or this person really likes kids.
But I guess I don't imagine them as parents.
Just the cool like aunts and uncles.
That makes sense.
Yeah, I guess because not a lot of people our age are parents right now anyway.
That would be like a big step.
I'm jealous though.
I've been wanting to be a parent for so long, but I'm really awkward around babies.
Hmm, something isn't adding up.
Okay, well, first of all, they're so small.
I'm not even sure how you're supposed to be able to hold them.
I get so scared when I'm near one because I'm like, you're too fragile.
And second of all, babies just have this energy about them because they don't know anything yet.
I feel like that makes them really fearless.
And as a very fearful person, their lack of fear scares me.
Oh, okay, I see.
Dude, I mean, isn't that like one of the top conflicts between children and their parents?
Oh, that is true.
At least you're self-aware.
Yeah, I mean, I guess that's fair.
Because we had been talking before recording this, about when was the last time one of us held a baby.
Really long time ago.
Back when we were still fearless.
Now I'm like, I can't touch your baby.
I'm sorry.
You're going to have to get insurance for that.
Dude, but like if it helps, babies are just like 90% cartilage.
Oh, you're right.
We just talked about this.
They'll regrow.
Their skulls are not even attached yet.
It's just like floating plates.
Right.
There's nothing to break.
Right.
No, but you're right.
I feel like that should make me feel less scared.
But for some reason, it doesn't.
They were born insured by soft bones and cartilage.
They're liability-less for now.
Well, hopefully someone near and dear to you has a child and forces you to hold them.
Yeah, I need someone to ask me to babysit or something.
I need some hands-on experience.
I want an apprenticeship.
Honestly, I think that is a really good point that you bring up though, because if you think about it prior to motherhood, unless you have a niece or a nephew, that not only is the right age, but also lives near you.
You're probably not interacting with that many babies yet.
On a regular day-to-day basis.
Yeah, and you start a new job, they give you a training.
Like you go through like a week-long orientation and then you get like a four-week hands-on training with your boss.
You know what I mean?
Like I feel like this motherhood should be something you get training for as well.
You need a class to teach you how to hold a baby.
Exactly.
Do all the mother things like heat up formula or store breast milk or pump.
Yes.
All of that stuff.
I feel like people just kind of learn on the fly, huh?
I cannot say that's one of my strengths.
As more people our age have kids, go through pregnancy, etc.
I feel like it'll be a really cool learning journey, even just to like watch and ask questions on the side.
Hopefully in the next two, three years, I get some part time apprenticeship experience.
All right, I'll send anyone who I see with a baby your way.
Send me their LinkedIn.
Well, I feel like there's a lot to look forward to in 2026, a lot of which I'm sure we'll be talking about on the podcast over the year.
I'm excited that we're back.
Definitely looking forward to releasing more episodes in 2026.
So if you enjoyed this episode and you want to keep up with us for 2026, then don't forget to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
We upload new episodes every other Wednesday morning.
Thanks for listening.
And don't forget to eat your crust.
