Ep. 21 My Trip to Europe Changed my Life

Ep. 21 My Trip to Europe Changed my Life

In this episode, I reflect on what it felt like returning to the United States after traveling through Austria, Germany, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia—and the strange disorientation of realizing I could no longer see certain things the same way. I talk about the Threads posts I shared this week, including: “Wanna know why people are so stressed in the US? Because they don’t have access to walkable cities, good quality food, liveable wages, community, culture, or peace of mind. And the US doesn’t care. It wants you to compete like the hunger games for those comforts. It wants you to pay handsomely. This is a survival state. It’s not really living.” And: “I feel like my world has been blown open since visiting Europe, and I’m seeing things in everyday life here in the US that I can’t unsee.” We explore the emotional whiplash of returning home after experiencing places built around community, walkability, public life, culture, and a slower rhythm of living. I reflect on the differences in quality of life, food, stress, and the normalization of survival mode in American culture—and how travel can radically shift your perspective on what’s possible. This episode is about perspective. About realizing that exhaustion is not always a personal failing, but sometimes the result of the systems we live within. And about the grief, clarity, and awakening that can come from seeing your own culture with new eyes. We explore: ✔ Walkable cities, culture, and quality of life in Europe✔ The psychological impact of chronic stress in the US✔ Food quality and the feeling of living in “survival mode”✔ Why so many people resonated with these reflections online✔ The emotional experience of returning home after travel✔ How perspective can permanently alter the way you see everyday life This episode is for anyone who has ever traveled somewhere and returned feeling changed. For anyone who has felt that modern life is asking too much of people. And for those moments when you realize another way of living might actually be possible. Thank you for being here. And thank you for listening. 🕯️ The best way to support the podcast is to become a patron of The Folklore Library Substack. And if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover, email me at insertwisdom@gmail.com. The Art of After Workbook: How to Turn Grief into Art [https://itskatehill.gumroad.com/l/theartofafter] Under the Same Sky by Kate Hill [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJY2DWRD/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=] 📖 Find me here 👇🏼 Email: insertwisdom@gmail.com Become a patron of the Folklore Library Substack ✍🏼 [https://insertwisdom.substack.com] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itskatehill] ✨ Ambiance Channel ✨ [https://www.youtube.com/@etherandink] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatehill?lang=en] ✨ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itskatehill/] ✨ Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52471695.Kate_Hill] ✨ Get full access to The Folklore Library at insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe [https://insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep. 20 Project Hail Mary + Artemis II's Historic Flight to the Moon

In this episode, I explore the strange, beautiful phenomenon of perspective—through science, space, and the quiet awe of being alive on Earth. I talk about the cultural moment surrounding Project Hail Mary and the Artemis II mission—the first human return to the Moon in over 50 years—and how both point to something deeper than innovation: a reorientation of how we see ourselves in the universe. At the center of this episode is the observer effect—not just as a scientific concept, but as a lived experience. The idea that the act of observing changes what is observed. That our attention, our awareness, our witnessing…matters. I reflect on the posts I’ve shared this week on Threads, how they reached thousands of people, and the responses that came back. The shared sense of wonder. The quiet recognition that something about being human, here, now, is far more miraculous than we tend to let ourselves feel. We move through the words of astronauts—those who have seen Earth from space—and the overwhelming shift in perspective that follows. Including the iconic reflection from Carl Sagan on the “pale blue dot”—a reminder of how small we are, and how precious. I talk about how our understanding of our place in the cosmos has evolved—from ancient handprints pressed into cave walls, to images of Earth suspended in darkness. From wondering where we are…to finally seeing it. This episode is about awe. About beauty. About remembering that this planet—this life—is not mundane, but extraordinary. We explore: ✔ The cultural resonance of Project Hail Mary and why it’s striking a chord right now ✔ Artemis II and the significance of returning to the Moon after decades ✔ The observer effect—scientifically and philosophically ✔ The “overview effect” astronauts experience when seeing Earth from space ✔ Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot, and what it asks us to remember ✔ How perspective shapes meaning—and how we participate in that shaping ✔ The quiet, radical act of letting yourself feel wonder again This episode is for anyone who has felt, even briefly, the pull of something larger. For those moments when the sky looks different. When the world feels alive. When you remember that you are here—not by accident, but as part of something vast and unfolding. If you’ve been craving a sense of perspective…of beauty…of meaning that doesn’t need to be forced, this one’s for you. Thank you for being here. And thank you for listening. 🕯️ The best way to support the podcast is to become a patron of The Folklore Library Substack. And if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover, email me at insertwisdom@gmail.com. The Art of After Workbook: How to Turn Grief into Art [https://itskatehill.gumroad.com/l/theartofafter] Under the Same Sky by Kate Hill [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJY2DWRD/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=] 📖 Find me here 👇🏼 Email: insertwisdom@gmail.com Become a patron of the Folklore Library Substack ✍🏼 [https://insertwisdom.substack.com] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itskatehill] ✨ Ambiance Channel ✨ [https://www.youtube.com/@etherandink] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatehill?lang=en] ✨ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itskatehill/] ✨ Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52471695.Kate_Hill] ✨ Get full access to The Folklore Library at insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe [https://insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep. 19 Why I'm Weirdly Optimistic About 2026 + What I Read in 2025

In this episode, I talk about why I’m feeling unexpectedly—almost stubbornly—optimistic about 2026, and why optimism is often misunderstood as naïveté instead of quiet power. I explore how cynicism has become the default posture of our time, and why choosing optimism now feels less like denial and more like rebellion. This episode is about building an inner world that can sustain you regardless of what’s happening outside—because the external world cannot be the authority over your joy, your creativity, or your sense of possibility. I share why I keep returning to the idea of do whatever you want in 2026—not as escapism, but as a reminder that we are living inside a strange, beautiful, cosmic soup where meaning is something we get to make. I talk about why I’m excited to keep creating on Substack, Threads, TikTok, and beyond, and why continuing to enjoy your life is an act of resistance. I also reflect on my reading year: the 35 books I read in 2025 (down from 75 the year before), and what that shift taught me about consumption versus creation. I unpack how this year felt less about ingesting endlessly and more about letting what I’ve already absorbed finally do something. I reference Ray Bradbury’s idea of feeding yourself with beauty until it explodes into creation—and how that’s shaped the way I think about art, work, and attention. I share my favorite and least favorite reads of the year, the themes that dominated my reading (self-help, financial wisdom, and fantasy), and why this mix feels telling. And I invite you to reflect too: what you read, what fed you, and what you’re excited to create next. We explore: ✔ Why optimism is often mistaken for ignorance—and why that’s wrong ✔ How to create an inner world that doesn’t collapse under external chaos ✔ The difference between consumption years and creation years ✔ What my 2025 reading habits revealed about where my energy was going ✔ Ray Bradbury, beauty, and letting what you love finally speak through you ✔ Why 2026 feels wide open—and how to claim it as yours This episode is for anyone who feels quietly hopeful but hesitant to admit it. For those who are tired of letting the world dictate their inner weather. For the ones who want to keep creating, keep enjoying, and keep going—even when cynicism feels louder. If you’re feeling the pull toward a life that actually belongs to you, this one’s for you. Thank you for being here. And thank you for listening. 🕯️ The best way to support the podcast is to become a patron of The Folklore Library Substack. And if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover, email me at insertwisdom@gmail.com. The Art of After Workbook: How to Turn Grief into Art [https://itskatehill.gumroad.com/l/theartofafter] Under the Same Sky by Kate Hill [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJY2DWRD/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=] 📖 Find me here 👇🏼 Email: insertwisdom@gmail.com Become a patron of the Folklore Library Substack ✍🏼 [https://insertwisdom.substack.com] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itskatehill] ✨ Ambiance Channel ✨ [https://www.youtube.com/@etherandink] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatehill?lang=en] ✨ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itskatehill/] ✨ Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52471695.Kate_Hill] ✨ Get full access to The Folklore Library at insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe [https://insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep. 18 How I Learned to Let Go

In this episode, I talk about what it means to finally—quietly—learn to let go. This morning, the phrase I think I’m learning to let go arrived in my mind like a whisper from somewhere older than me, and in this episode, I unpack how I got here: through radical self-acceptance, the law of assumption, and the slow reclamation of my own power. I explore the inner shift that happens when you stop gripping your life with white-knuckled fear and start trusting your inherent worth instead. I talk about the moment a woman becomes self-possessed—not performatively, not intellectually, but somatically—and why we need more women living from that place. Women who are rooted. Women who are sovereign. Women who are not begging the world to choose them, because they have already chosen themselves. We explore: ✔ What “letting go” actually means when control has been your survival strategy ✔ How the law of assumption becomes embodied instead of conceptual ✔ Why self-acceptance—not self-improvement—is the true beginning of empowerment ✔ The rise of the self-possessed woman: grounded, discerning, impossible to ignore ✔ How letting go creates abundance, ease, and magnetism without effort This episode is for anyone who has spent years gripping life too tightly—out of fear, out of habit, out of trauma. For the ones who are exhausted by their own vigilance, who crave softness but don’t know how to unclench. For every woman who feels herself on the edge of becoming someone freer, braver, more rooted in her own power. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to finally stop fighting yourself, this one’s for you. Thank you for being here. And thank you for listening. 🕯️ The best way to support the podcast is to become a patron of The Folklore Library Substack. And if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover, email me at insertwisdom@gmail.com. The Art of After Workbook: How to Turn Grief into Art [https://itskatehill.gumroad.com/l/theartofafter] Under the Same Sky by Kate Hill [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJY2DWRD/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=] 📖 Find me here 👇🏼 Email: insertwisdom@gmail.com Become a patron of the Folklore Library Substack ✍🏼 [https://insertwisdom.substack.com] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itskatehill] ✨ Ambiance Channel ✨ [https://www.youtube.com/@etherandink] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatehill?lang=en] ✨ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itskatehill/] ✨ Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52471695.Kate_Hill] ✨ Get full access to The Folklore Library at insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe [https://insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep. 17 Pantone's New Color & The New Frontier

In this episode, I talk about Pantone’s new Color of the Year—more specifically, the collective rejection of it—and what it reveals about where we are culturally, creatively, and spiritually. Instead of embracing the chosen shade, people across the internet gravitated toward a luminous, grounding green…and I unpack why that matters. I share why I think this spontaneous, collective shift says something deeper about enjoyment, desire, and where we’re heading as a society. I read a thread I wrote about the “new frontier,” which isn’t about more technology, more convenience, or more products, but about people simply enjoying their lives again. I explore why meaning, simplicity, and inner richness are becoming more magnetic than consumerism, and why everything you truly need has always been within you. We explore: ✔ What Pantone’s rejected color reveals about collective desire ✔ Why a single shade of green resonated more deeply than anything “official” ✔ The new frontier: enjoyment, presence, and living from the inside out ✔ How the world is shifting away from consumerism and toward inner wealth ✔ Why nothing outside of you can give you what you’re searching for This episode is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by “more.” More products, more noise, more expectations. For the ones craving simplicity, authenticity, and the kind of wealth that doesn’t come from buying anything at all. If you’ve ever wondered what the next era of life looks like, not in terms of tech or trends, but in terms of meaning, this one’s for you. Thank you for being here. And thank you for listening. 🕯️ The best way to support the podcast is to become a patron of The Folklore Library Substack! And if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover, email me at insertwisdom@gmail.com. The Art of After Workbook: How to Turn Grief into Art [https://itskatehill.gumroad.com/l/theartofafter] Under the Same Sky by Kate Hill [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJY2DWRD/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=] 📖 Find me here 👇🏼 Email: insertwisdom@gmail.com Become a patron of the Folklore Library Substack ✍🏼 [https://insertwisdom.substack.com] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itskatehill] ✨ Ambiance Channel ✨ [https://www.youtube.com/@etherandink] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatehill?lang=en] ✨ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itskatehill/] ✨ Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52471695.Kate_Hill] ✨ Get full access to The Folklore Library at insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe [https://insertwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]