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The next season is going to probably feel the most different.
We have big changes coming up.
Viff does too, just in different ways.
Wink, wink, wink, wink.
2024 was a lot of how do I settle this anxiety so that I'm ready to take that next step and start a new chapter.
As you said, no one teaches it.
There's also no blueprint.
And for as committed and definite as something is like marriage, it's like, and then what?
Okay, so we do this thing that everyone tells you to do, and sure we'll do it.
But then like what changes?
Does anything change?
How do I change? How does our circumstances change?
It's just more questions.
Marriage, starting a family, no one really talks about this actually.
There's so much that goes into making a decision like that.
and I don't know about you but my parents didn't talk to me about preparing for that I said in the beginning of the year I was like, if we can make it through this year I think we can make it through anything Awwww Yeah And that's perhaps our biggest lesson of 2024 Welcome back to Voice Hugs the podcast on being your best self and embracing all seasons of life with open arms, this is your hosts, Viv and Ro!
Hello everyone! Welcome to our last episode of the season!
Yes! While we made it here, we had 20 episodes in season two.
Impressive. And they were all recorded in person.
Amazing. Amazing! And we consistently posted every week.
I think we only skipped one week, which is amazing.
Yeah, season one, we were that little bit more sporadic with our posting.
But for season two, I'm very proud of us.
We were committed. Very committed, very consistent.
And we played around with different formats.
We played around with.
I mean, this is our classic duo episodes.
We had solo episodes, we had guests on and it was a great time.
It really was. Yeah, for this episode, as you've seen in the title, this is our last episode for this season.
And we wanted to just spend some time reflecting on the season, the year, as we wrap up 2024 as well.
And also what's in store for 2025.
Whoo! Season three.
So crazy. Very crazy.
I think like, okay, so the, no buts, But the cool thing is that because we're just kind of figuring things out as we go along, as you mentioned, season one, there were sporadic moments, but I feel like we were also very consistent, but like in a different way.
The only reason why it was sporadic, because at that time we didn't know we could do seasons, seasonal drops of, you know, maybe we put out 10 episodes and then take a little break and vice versa and regroup or whatever.
So I think now that we're wrapping up season two, This feels nice.
It was like very intentional.
We like both committed We're both in person which I think made such a big difference.
Oh, yeah for sure compared to talking to each other in the closet Yeah, all of season one.
Mm -hmm Yeah I think also the coolest thing about having seasons and now being at the end of season two is that because we have two seasons to compare and Though there were definitely similarities like the voice of voice hugs remained the same they also feel like such different, like we put out such different content that I'm excited to see for season three, how season three will feel different from one and two, yeah.
Before we get too ahead of ourselves and talk about season three, let's talk about season two.
Yeah, okay. So in season two, what was your favorite episode, most memorable?
It could be the guest ones, the solo ones or the dual ones?
I feel like in general the guest ones were really memorable because we both tried something new and something different and it was interesting having other people's POV on this podcast. I was like on this channel on this podcast also channel if you're watching this on youtube and if you didn't know all our episodes are available to watch on youtube and also on Spotify, you can find us basically everywhere, you listen to podcasts.
But anyway, I think like that was a very interesting experience that we both tried.
But if I had to pinpoint the most memorable episode, it would be I think three episodes ago, we talked about gratitude.
I just felt like sure, it was the topic that we talked about, which is gratitude.
And I think halfway through recording, we both realized we had the biggest smile on our faces.
because we were talking about gratitude and something that's like so special.
And when you're genuinely in such a grateful state, which we were as we were talking about it, it just, I don't know.
I just, I felt like it just exuded from us.
I also felt like that episode was kind of like a defining, it's not that it was a defining moment, but it's like everything we've done so far, everything that we've practiced, every time we would sit down and record and go through.
It's not like going through the motions because we're very aware, but like every time we would do it, we will learn something new either about each other, either about this process, either about ourselves, and the gratitude episode.
To share a little behind the scenes, we didn't prepare at all for that episode where like, what is the topic?
Gratitude. Right before a recording, we were like, what are some stories we can share?
What is the general high level outline of what we can talk about without even having an outline.
And we're like, okay, let's just wing it.
Like we got this. You know, I'm, I'm confident that like, we'll get there.
And we did. And it was a beautiful episode.
And I just felt like it showed how much we've both grown and how much more comfortable we've both become at our craft and also with relying on each other and trusting each other that no matter what happens like, I got you and vice versa.
And we can just continue showing up as authentically as we are without having to overthink as much. And I felt like that was a very wonderful moment.
Aw, I love that. That was a really sweet episode.
I think in some ways, I don't know, is it too crazy to say that gratitude is the answer to life?
Mm, kind of. I think it is.
Because like you can do it every day and do it, like, now, right?
And it instantly makes you feel better in whatever situation you're in.
and I think I agree everything leading up to that episode.
It was like, I don't know, that episode just felt like everything that we've learned, it shined through there.
It was like the pinnacle of voice hugs in episode form that like, we also felt as we were recording.
Yeah, I agree, yeah.
What about you? Favorite episode?
Most memorable. Of season two, most memorable.
And why? similar to what you're saying about the guest interviews I feel really proud of us for trying something new I definitely think that the guest interviews were really hard for me like I felt a lot more uncomfortable than I thought I would because guest interviews it's a completely different game than just talking about our feelings yeah and and talking like our friendship dynamic is established you know and so we're talking here and we're just turning on camera but when it comes to guest interviews there's so much more that goes on behind the scenes that I didn't realize it wasn't just
like hey like down to our voice studio and just let's chat yeah I have a new what is it called you found respect yes I have a newfound respect for people who interview for a living talk show host things like that because there is definitely an art to it and you're constantly thinking while you're engaged in the conversation so yeah i think i feel really proud of us for trying something new that's what i appreciate most about season two that we tried the solo episodes we tried the guest ones we we're even doing it in person now and recording and so it was really cool to see all these different
directions we wanted to try and did try my favorite episode though Hmm.
I think it was the anxiety episode.
Ooh. So I - On WE and anxiety.
I really like the gratitude one too, but the anxiety episode was actually the first episode I think we recorded where it was a topic and it was just us talking in the season.
I remember coming out of that episode thinking, wow, this is exactly what I love about talking to Ro about these things.
we find a topic, we share our stories and then like ways to overcome it.
It was a classic voice hugs template.
Maybe for me, I just felt so much more comfortable in that episode in comparison to just all the episodes in the past and realizing how much we have grown and what I appreciate about our friendship being able to just talk like that and share it and just so happen to record it.
It was probably because it was the first one that did this season that made it the most memorable for me.
Aww. I think the growth that we both experienced, I think it's just it's so special to be able to do this with someone you care so deeply about.
There's no other friend in my life who I can be like, oh yeah, episode by episode, we grew so much, and here is proof.
And here's how we did all of these things together.
It's crazy. Yeah, it's wild.
This reminds me too of the episode on friendships that we did.
Okay so that episode I remember reviewing it and thinking, Oh my god, there's so many good nuggets in here.
I'm always a little bit caught off guard when I review our episodes and I'm like, wow, I feel inspired.
I feel motivated. I feel encouraged.
And I remember thinking after reviewing that episode, I would want to listen to this one for myself again in the future.
Awww. That one's a really good one.
If you guys haven't listened to the friendship episode, we really broke down even our friendship dynamic and how we've overcome a lot of our interpersonal.
It's like, we're human.
We will have thoughts about each other.
And it's normal. It is so, so, so, normal.
So like how can we normalize that, shine light on it so that it doesn't fester and grow into like too deep -seated of resentments that you can't solve in the future.
Yeah, how to have uncomfortable conversations within friendships, because it's really hard. But that's also something that I feel very proud of us, cause we did a lot of that this season, and lots of growth.
I think with that being said, I think the most rewarding thing for me, as someone who did not create content as a full -time job is that, trying something new as scary as it is, wow, being able to look back from 2024 now to 2022 when we first started, it's so incredible how much you gain from trying something new.
And it's really encouraging to have a friend that, I don't know, she honestly makes it look so easy.
it's not. Maybe it's cause she's on we.
Yeah. Yeah. You make it look so easy.
And I think like having you as a partner and a co -host I feel so grateful and so lucky that I get to experience this with you.
Like what? We're holding hands.
We're holding hands.
If you watched, if you listened to previous episode.
My hands are sweaty though.
Dude, they just got significantly sweatier it was literally five seconds.
my hands just got really sweaty.
love that for me! no it's cute.
before we continue with the episode, we want to drop in and share something very special we've been working on for the past year.
we designed a set of greeting cards with a hope to spread more hug hugs around the world one handwritten card at a time.
having written each other warm and fuzzy happy tier -inducing birthday cards for the past decade, viv and i realized how meaningful pouring our hearts out by hand this heavily digitized world can still be perhaps it's the intentional act of sitting down and trusting ourselves to share deep gratitudes or even feelings we've yet to properly express in person.
Either way we want to encapsulate this hugs personified feeling for us all.
Our first collection includes five stinking cute thoughtful and creative greeting cards that can be sent to your loved ones throughout any season of their lives, wink wink.
You can find these cards on voice hugs podcasts .com Back to the episode.
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Hey there travelers, Kayleigh Cuoco here.
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So don't just dream about that trip book it with Priceline Are there any fun behind -the -scenes Moments that we can share with our listeners that come to mind for season two We maybe have talked about this before we maybe haven't talked about this before but I think Because we do see each other on a weekly basis to record and or to work.
I Actually I don't see many people on a weekly basis other than obviously James because I live with him But like friends since I moved back like I don't know there's okay There's this thing that I shared with you earlier this week of how it's a real I hate referencing reels because I'm turning into that girl but it's okay a real of someone being like did you know that your love language is what is it?
If you are someone who.
Your toxic trait. Yeah, your toxic trait is like the opposite of your love language.
So for example, if you are quality time, when you are like, not good, you just isolate yourself.
Right, and then it's so funny because the real cuts off, it like gives two examples.
And then Viv's like, she left me hanging.
What about words of affirmation?
Do you say mean things to people?
Just my partner. But do you, like, Do you think, because that, I don't know, off the top of my head, that's the opposite, right?
Of if you want to receive, and when you don't, you kind of like...
I can see that, I don't think I ever say it out loud, but maybe in my head, yeah.
Interesting, because for me, quality time and isolation, it goes hand in hand, and the reason why I brought it up, it's like, I don't know, at this age, I don't think I'm purposely isolating myself, but when I was in New York and even when I was in college and depressed like I for sure was I like self like self isolation was like something I prescribe myself and like I just didn't want to go out and see the world but anyway that's not the point that was that was a really big but I just thought it was really interesting to like for us to all kind of think about but like for us to have been able
to see each other so consistently throughout the whole year having done long distance friendship for so so long it was just like such a blessing and at the same time it's like now that I am also pregnant just to see Viv's surprise and shock every time she sees me.
She's like, your belly.
Every time she comes over now it takes us five, ten minutes to get situated because she's just like, baby, wow.
And she's just observing me and smiling and watching me walk around the room.
And I just think this is so precious because no other friend has experienced that.
this is just kind of like a byproduct of like us doing this podcast together but at the same time like it's so precious!
yeah I think especially because in your career you don't oh actually no for beauty within you had an office but like coworkers right I know that's the only other time you would but you would never see your friend on a weekly basis and watch them grow baby in their belly Yeah.
No, that was definitely a really, really cool behind the scenes for me.
As Rose shared, every time I come over I'm like literally just watching her move and I'm like wow, her belly grew like another inch. Oh my gosh, this week she's starting to wobble.
Or like every week, it was just so different.
Like one week she'd be really tired, another week she's like super high energy, eating a lot more than usual, and then other weeks she'll have like specific cravings and so yeah that was beautiful.
And now I'm huffing and puffing just walking around turning on the cameras.
Yeah um another fun behind the scenes was there are so many moments in our episodes where she reveals the gender of the baby and we're like reel it back.
Reverse! Yeah but that was cute.
Or like sometimes before I announce the pregnancy I'd like talk about it and we're like, oops.
Yeah. Can't, yet. Yeah.
Yeah. Any other moments?
Nothing comes to mind behind the scenes.
No, it's just as you shared, like it's been really cool to see you all the time and like as someone who...
think that I'm like a needy person.
And I like spending time.
I think, like the isolation.
I actually don't. I feel like I want to be around people.
And when I isolate, it's so unconscious when I do it.
But I definitely feel so much more energized when I'm with people.
But I will say that I feel the most energized when I'm with Ro, like I always feel inspired or like extra motivated and so that's awesome to feel all the time, you know, when you get to see your friend and so, yeah, I really enjoyed that this year.
Me too. Yeah. Me too.
Okay, shall we shift to most personal no, not most, shall we shift to more personal questions?
Yeah. About 2024. Yeah.
As a whole. What has been the most challenging and rewarding?
it could be two different things part of the year for you.
I don't think I've really gone in detail about this this season but I think the most challenging thing when it comes to closing out a season in your life and like you're about to embark on a new chapter and I'm sure you obviously can relate to this right now she's literally about to embark on a new chapter and I'm pointing at her belly.
I know that in 2025 there's a lot that is in store for me and a lot of life changes that are going to happen and I think 2024 what was challenging is for me as someone who I think I struggle with anxiety and anxiety as you shared is thinking about like the what ifs of the future right 2024 was a lot of how do I settle this anxiety, so that I'm ready to take that next step and start a new chapter.
Yeah. I guess I can be a little bit more specific.
We love specifics on voice hugs.
Um, okay. I think marriage.
And we kind of talked about this before, but like, marriage, starting a family, no one really talks about this.
Actually, there's so much that goes into making a decision like that.
I don't know about you, but my parents didn't talk to me about preparing for that.
And so I think in my late 20s, or like even early 30s, it was like, the next step is getting engaged like the next step is getting married.
But what exactly does that mean?
How exactly do I want to build my life with my partner?
What are the fears that come with that, what's some of the resistance that I feel too?
And I think I've mentioned before where vulnerability is really tough, and intimacy.
Letting go. Letting go of your guards is really, really tough for me.
So I actually didn't realize in 2024, until the end now, that that was what this year was.
It was having conversations that I've never had before, nor did I know how to have with my partner.
working through that together, also figuring out what exactly is marriage?
I still don't know, really.
What is the L word?
What is love? You know, what does it mean to accept love from someone?
What does it mean to give love to someone?
Why is there fears in doing that?
And yeah, it was a lot of those types of thoughts and questions in 2024 which, that was challenging.
it's a lot yeah and nobody teaches this and I think it's also so personal to you right not everyone will have the same thoughts as me but taking that next step where now your life is going to be joined with someone else and you're building a family you're like you're building a home all of that was what was in my mind 2024 I think it's as you said no one teaches it there's also no blueprint.
And it's actually for as committed and definite as something is like marriage, they're also it's like, then what?
Okay, so we do this thing that like everyone tells you do.
And sure, like, we'll do it.
But then, like, what changes?
Does anything change?
How do I change? How does their circumstances change?
It's just more questions.
Yeah. Because I was talking to someone about this where I was like, Oh, like getting married is nothing changes.
You just sign a piece of paper.
Literally nothing changes, but then why won't I sign the paper?
If it's that simple, what's my resistance then, and I think that's when I realized, no, marriage is not just signing a paper.
There's so much more that goes into it that I have never thought about and I need to think about now.
Yeah. Because it's not just signing a piece of paper for me, at least. Yes.
Okay. Yeah. Excited to unravel that more in 2025.
In season three. TBD.
So on the flip side of that, what has been the most rewarding?
I think in the same way like that has been the most rewarding.
Yeah, I will say in the beginning of the year, I would not have said that was rewarding.
I would say this is really tough.
I don't know, these conversations are really hard to have, but yeah, being able to come out of it with your partner and I truly think, I feel like that's what a relationship is, It's that you have these ups and downs but overall you always feel like you come out of it stronger or you come out of it either feeling more yourself like something better comes out of that tough time and yeah, this was a tough year for us because we were living at home with my parents and the environment was definitely not conducive to healthy, just independence And yeah, so I'm really really proud of us for I Said in the beginning
of the year. I was like if we can make it through this year.
I think we can make anything And I think I may have mentioned this in a previous episode Maybe the gratitude one when we're talking about how much we actually love and appreciate you in others It was just like an episode gasping them on and he's sharing why we love them so much But I think as like a friend who's been there and like Obviously because we've had all these check -ins throughout the year if I think back to viv beginning of 2024 whenever I would ask you about future relationships, it's just It's like it's just things that we talk to each other about anywhere.
Like, so, how's this how's that?
How are you navigating this?
How are navigating that?
How are you feeling about this?
How are you feeling about that?
In the beginning it was like a lot of i'm gonna hurt him Or there's a lot we need to talk about but then at the same time it's like but like how do we talk about it I don't know, and it just seemed like, well, obviously, right?
Everything starts off as like a bunch of question marks, not just like in your relationship, it's like in every relationship, until both people kind of talk about it or like find the courage, timing, whatever.
But then now even hearing you talk about it in this way, and for the past few months, I feel like it's just, I don't know.
You have turned a new leaf.
You both have turned a new leaf.
There's just this sense of like even without you saying it the way that you talk about I'm sure everyone listening can feel the sense of like groundedness and Acceptance and peace that you would wish upon all of your girlfriends when it comes to something like this and so That's a very special Thing to witness as a friend Thank you.
And it's beautiful that something that was so challenging can also be what ends up becoming the most rewarding.
And that's generally, not always, but that's sometimes the case in life.
Yes, I agree. We'd love to hear about your challenging and rewarding moments or memories of 2024.
Tuck my hair back, let me think about this.
Roll up my sleeves.
well I think one of the more challenging things this year was just it's interesting because it's like similar to you where it has to do with the movement in life right like the the the getting things done and all of that obviously we're having a kid we got a house we did all of these things but kind of like leading up to that the decisions you've had to make along the way I just lost my train of thought this is pregnancy brain in full process in in full bloom um I think it's like just dealing with a lot of the unknown that is what I was trying to say even when you do do those things right even
when you do check off those boxes and you do move along with your life you do make the commitments that you made, there's still so much unknown that honestly can be crippling.
Like you know you want to get a house, but you can't just walk up to a house and just buy it.
There's like so much things involved, so much paper work, so much process, so much emotions.
You know, my family love them.
They're amazing. They helped so much, but like, because everyone, like my mom and all her sisters are all in real estate, there was like a lot to juggle.
A lot of emotions to balance.
Obviously, it's something that I'm very grateful for.
And like, it is a privilege to have people to be able to help us.
But at the same time, it can also be true, like it's a lot.
And like also, just not knowing a lot of things of thing, like pregnancy really humbles you in ways that nothing else can because you really don't know what kind of kid you're gonna have, you can have like the smoothest pregnancy you can have, it cannot be smooth, it could be smooth, but no matter what it is, and you can have these wishes and dreams of what your kid will be like, but until the kid really comes down, like you just don't know.
And I think one thing that really helped me, while many things helped, I think the inner work that I've been doing for the past decade it's like so crazy that it's the thing that will help the most for this new chapter.
I didn't know that, but like obviously it makes sense.
All the inner work you've been doing, all the letting go, all the self -reflection, all the trying to understand yourself, all the accepting of life and the fact that you know you can't control things, all of those things I think it's kind of like coming to a inflection point where it's like this is kind of, it feels like this is why you've been doing everything you've been doing so that it's preparing you for this moment.
And what is this moment?
I think a huge part of a woman's pregnancy journey is like birth, right?
And I'm like, okay, well, you know, I would like to have a natural birth, I would like to try to do things in a way that I would like to if everything else is fine, and the baby's fine, and all of that.
But there's still fears, and there's still unknowns and there's still pain and there's still all of these things that you like that I still think about till this day.
One book that I've already referenced before, it's called Transformed by Birth, the main thing it talks about for like the first half of the book is just you have to let go of control.
Whether it's control that you want a natural birth, whether it's control of you want a medicated birth, and like to get an epidural, like no matter the spectrum, no matter your personal beliefs, no matter what you want for yourself and what you don't want for yourself, just know that you can have preferences but at the end of the day life will take its course.
It will happen the way it's meant to happen and you are just along for the ride.
The book basically talks about how can you as peacefully as you can ride the waves of what's about to come including like the contractions and everything and so when I that I was like wait this is so beautiful because everything this book is talking about is literally just life right like you can want to do this with your life you can want this for your career you can want this for your future you can want this for your significant other and or yourself but at the end of the day if things will just happen as they're meant to the best that we can do is just to go along with the ebbs and flows of life
and i think as someone who is a j from the Myers -Briggs and for as someone who like needed to know what was gonna happen, how it's gonna happen, when it's gonna happen.
I think over the years I've been able to shed more and more of that but at the same time it's still something that was really hard this year of trying to manage and navigate so many different emotions especially with James too of...I don't It's just they're the person closest to you and sometimes you just snap and or yeah, there's just disagreements from time to time, right?
But I think at the end of the day, similar to you, the most rewarding thing is also like the other side of that, where I am now at a place where I am confident that I don't know everything and that I never will and that things will probably surprise me and then this baby will probably surprise me from birth and beyond like from the point of birth and beyond but it's okay like we'll figure it out me and the baby me James and the baby my whole family James and the baby like well we'll figure it out and we'll do our best and we'll try our best and that everything will work out the way it's supposed
to. This need for control as humans, I just burped.
It's such a double -edged sword. Yeah, no, I totally resonate with that.
And I think in a lot of ways, it's really reassuring to hear from you as well as someone who, like what you shared about how no matter what stage you are in, even if you've already gone into the school or you've gotten the job or you've gotten married, or you're pregnant.
There's always going to be unknown.
Even when you've gotten to that destination, there's gonna be more unknown after that.
And so learning to accept that and to let go of that control, this need for control, cause I totally resonate with that, I'm like, I need to know exactly how I feel, exactly how I'm going to solve this, what's going to happen.
And it never really pans out that way.
But with both of what we shared, it's a nice reminder, too, that when you are going through a really challenging or tough time or uncertain time, that what can come out of that is that this actually becomes something that is so rewarding for you to be able to overcome, especially when you're able to overcome it with someone else.
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So when it comes to the year, the whole year, now that we're at the tail end of it, when you think back to how the year panned out, is there anything you would've done differently or changed?
I'm not gonna say no, you know, I feel like the answer is like, no, because everything that happened led me to this moment and I am who I am now because of my experiences.
No, I won't say that for this answer.
If I was to do something different, I think I would have What if the answer really is no But the thing is like I feel like I couldn't have done it it differently right?
Like it's still ended up But if you could and I could I would have had conversations earlier in the year like not been afraid to but I think part of the process is that I had to learn about what were the things that made me feel anxious and like nervous about the future.
And when I say like have these conversations, I'm mostly talking about like talking about it in therapy so that I can learn about myself faster.
Because I think for both of us, we are kind of let's get things done and let's get things moving.
It's that need for control and that need to like move things along.
and I don't... Just need for certainty.
Yeah. I don't like feeling uncertain.
It gives me a lot of anxiety not knowing how to take control of my life.
And I think in the beginning of the year there was a lot of uncertainty within myself of like, again, what do these things mean to me?
What does a future look like?
I couldn't even really understand what I wanted for myself.
And so I hear this often people who are older than me they're like you're doing it right you're starting the self healing journey earlier in life and so you're gonna be much more prepared than I was because I didn't even have these conversations or realize these things about myself until later on.
In some ways like I'm very glad that we have been doing this for I would say 10 years close to 10 years yeah and earlier, what you're sharing about how like all of the ways that you've looked in word that has led to the moment of you about to become a mom, that is actually the reason why I've been doing this.
So like, I've intentionally been thinking like, I want to do this so that I can build this family for myself, this feeling of family and this feeling of home and knowing how to navigate life.
Yeah, I kind of went in a different direction.
But I always want to do more faster and sooner.
So I guess not really, but if I could, it would be nice to just overcome those fears and overcome whatever internal resistance I had in order to move forward. Yeah, because I feel like even though you wanting to have the conversations is to get a bit more clarity uncertainty, I I actually don't think there's anything wrong with that.
It will be different if you're like, oh, I wanna have a conversation because I want this as the outcome, which isn't what you're saying, right?
You're just being like, I just wish I could have had these conversations a little earlier if it were possible, if it were in the books, just so that I would have more clarity in general and I think that is totally valid.
Because I think being in the unknown and being in that period of like, oh, what's gonna happen is so uncomfortable And I wish I felt less of that.
Yeah, and that's also when we are the most in our heads So I think we've been talk about this all the time But just shining the light taking the step back and shining the light on all the voices in your head to just be like You're fine, girl.
Yeah, exactly. Yes and yourself Question why would you do different differently?
I don't know. I think I I don't know like maybe like I wish I was more open with sharing about the things that was happening in my life in More like real time rather than now like with the baby about to come out to be like, oh, yeah But the way I'm pregnant and let me catch you up on everything that's happened because now it's more of kind of like a reflection And recapping rather than more like capturing things in real time but I also feel like it was a reflection of kind of Where I was and how I felt about social media and the social media landscape and how you know Everything is so public that there
are things worth keeping private.
I don't know I go back and forth I'm not really the type of person who would necessarily like go back and watch things but I Think it would have been nice to have as like a little record and I remember you You texted me earlier this weekend about what we bought for Black Friday.
Yeah you mentioned you got a vlogging camera because?
Cause I used to make videos a lot ever since I was little.
I think I've always been the kind of person to document life whether it's journaling taking photos like ever since elementary school I was the first one of all my friends to have digital camera.
My first camera was a Barbie Film camera.
And I just love documenting friends events.
I was the girl with the Facebook every single event that we went to our every party we had there was an album of photos.
She's like the historian.
Yeah. And then I stopped literally when I started doing my like self -healing journey, I think around 25 -26.
Do you still journal?
sometimes sometimes yeah but not not as much and not documenting like I used to put 1 through 30 or 31 what I did every single day because I don't know I I like looking back at those things and more recently I rewatch some of these home videos that I made with my cousins and my grandma was walking in those videos and I was like oh my god that's so crazy because my grandma has been bedridden for two years now and to be able to see my younger cousins they were like little babies and my grandma was walking and we just all look so much younger I was like okay in 2025 I want to document more and I
think the hard thing about documenting I don't know if you feel this way is that there's the aspect of documenting for yourself and then there's also sharing it those two things get really blurred and I think that's what made me feel very paralysed in the last few years of like am I documenting to show people or am I documenting for myself?
And I think because I was kind of stuck there, I just didn't document at all.
I was like well no, I don't need to show anyone what I'm doing.
Maybe I don't even need to remember these things, what is life anyways.
I was just going through a phase.
It's better to be present anyway.
No but that's actually exactly how I felt and why I didn't.
And then now when there's too much thought that goes into posting and sharing and yeah I think after watching that video of my grandma I was like no this is what I want to look back on I want to see old videos of Charlie as a puppy or like Louie as a puppy and get into the habit of documenting again because I want to do the same for when I have kids and documenting just like life for myself and then this would just be or at least for family stuff is just private anyway, yeah.
I think yeah, this is such like a 2024 and onward problem of like before, we grew up in an era of share everything and Facebook had that, tag all your friends and little did we know that was literally just training AI for like facial recognition.
But we're like so enthusiastically like tagging every single friend, yeah every single party whatever and then i think kind of as everything has involved and everything is so over shared online we're at this phase where i think a lot of us are also questioning like what is the real reason why especially if you're like more of a public person of like does it matter like is this helping people i mean i don't know those are like the things that come to mind does that answer the question oh my gosh is there like a deeper reason why?
there doesn't need to be a deeper reason i'm pretty sure there are but we do yeah we can we can circle back when when the the answer becomes more clear as to why yeah but i think i would similar to you i wish i got over it faster because now i'm at a place where i'm like yeah like excited to create again long form short form got over the hating short form part i'm just like short frame content is like not meaningful it's not deep it's kind of like it was to me like small talk of like it's fun, it's fun, it's surface, it's light -hearted which is fine, and the world needs it but like I didn't think
it was adding real value but like sometimes not everything has to be that deep, you know?
So I think it's just like this - I've yo -yo'd back and forth a lot and I'm finally out of place now at the end of the year when the baby's about to come out to be like I'm ready but then there's like that's so much time has passed it's so ironic we're just like we need to learn to accept we take what life gives us and meanwhile both of us are like we wish we learned our lessons faster we wish we got over these things quicker ultimately if we just didn't live in our heads per usual then we would just do the things that we want to do that make us happy.
And it's like, it's just not that easy because we live in society.
We live with other people and there is judgment, right?
Like that's just the world that we live in.
But ultimately, like when I really, really, really think about it, it's like, you just do the things that make you feel happy.
And if you know this makes you feel happy and if you know you want to do it then just do it.
Yeah I feel like that's my biggest. I hold myself back all the time, yeah.
I'm the only one that holds me back.
And that's perhaps our biggest lesson of 2024.
Stop holding yourself back.
Stop getting in your own way and I'm saying this to myself.
A hundred percent. I agree.
Wow. I feel like we always have the same like, We are always in sync.
Yes and I think that's why this always works, right?
Otherwise there's no way we can have 20 episodes up as talking.
Like we're not on the same page.
Even though the journey itself is different, the destination is so like eerily similar.
Yes, I agree! I wonder if you all feel the same way.
Like maybe every year there's just these universal lessons that we're all meant to learn in our own ways, but they're universal.
You know, I love when you guys comment and And you're like, oh my God, this came exactly the moment that I needed to hear it.
How did you guys know?
It's like you're like reading our minds and I'm like, yeah, it's that feeling.
We feel the same way.
Wow. Yeah. What a year.
What a year. So bittersweet?
It is. I can't believe that we're at the end.
Yeah. As we wrap up the year, is there anything you're looking forward to in 2025?
Oh my goodness my life is about to change with the kid and everything.
Sorry our life is about to change oh yeah this baby is also my baby.
Yes our lives are about to change for the better forever and I think yeah to just talk a little bit about season three to be completely honest it is undefined at the current moment just because we don't know what life will be and I think this goes perfectly with everything we've been talking about, in this episode.
Maybe I'll give birth, and the day after, I'm like, Viv, come over, I'm turning the mics on.
We're talking about it.
Maybe it'll be a month, or two, or three, after.
Hopefully not that long, but it might take some time for me to recover, and get back in the swing of things, and start feeling like myself again, but just talking to friends that have had kids, it takes a little while to feel like yourself again, but that's not the point.
I think the point is we are both still so so so excited about voice hugs and this podcast and we just want to take it at a reasonable pace and to set reasonable expectations and just kind of take life as it comes because we you know I just I don't know.
No I think that's exactly right and I think that's how our approach with voice hugs has always been.
It grows with us and it's a make sense for the both of us, if it makes sense.
And I think that's what I'm also very excited because the next season is going to probably feel the most different.
Yeah, we have big changes coming up this does too.
Just in different ways.
Yeah. So I wink, wink, wink, wink.
So I'm really excited to experience that.
And, yeah, I think in some ways voice hugs is so go with the flow, even though it's not.
It is because it is our life and we can't control it.
And it is like, the topics that come to us is the topic of our week or like, of our month.
And so season three is going to look different because we will be in different places.
And I'm excited that we get to continue doing that and that we get to share it with you.
Yeah. So I think, tentatively, we can say, spring if not sooner spring if not sooner for season three, let's do it and we will be in a different space as we've said physically like literally physically will be in a different space.
This is our last episode here.
Yeah I'm moving out in a week.
It's so crazy. So wild.
So wild. But also very, very exciting.
We went from the closet to an apartment.
Yeah to a to our home.
And yeah maybe in season 3 you'll hear oh my god yes yeah so very very excited and also just so thankful and grateful for all of you of course to our day ones to anyone who has joined along the ride in 2024 we would not be here without you and we truly appreciate your presence like you being here your life crossing with ours this season was very special it was from all the aspects mm -hmm I don't know why there's so much spit in my mouth for yeah we hope it we hope you felt the sparks and the magic to throughout it all and we can't wait to continue experiencing life together the sparks and the magic.
Yeah, as always we want to send you an extra extra big hug because this is the end of the year and if the season we hope that you guys had an awesome 2024 again thank you so much so much for being here we appreciate and love all of you and we're sending you the biggest warmest voice hug wherever you are in the world.
Voice hugs! Oh, and if you guys have any suggestions for season three topics questions Anything let us know yes, we're down to try new things.
Yeah Absolutely Just let us know Your word is our command.
All right Voice hug Love you Love you Oh, can you tweet or just say yay?
Bye. amazing. Yay!
