Hi again, my lovely readers!

Since last week, I have a new appreciation for our New Yorker of the Week section. Since I don’t have a lot of data about what happens after the profiles are posted, I honestly was unsure how many people it was helping!

Yet I asked folks to share how the Joy List helped them last week, and I got some LOVELY responses.

One common theme that I didn’t expect: people reached out to a New Yorker of the Week who they had already met IRL!

Seeing them featured in the newsletter gave them the boost of confidence they needed to know that this person was, in fact, open to new friendships and/or love. Some rekindled, multi-year friendships have started this way!

You have a very good chance of being featured, especially if you:

• Give thoughtful answers

• Are specific about who you’re looking to connect with

• Include a quality photo

• Have fun with it!

Ready? Submit your New Yorker of the Week profile here.

Now, onto the GIF and the good stuff:

Looking for a delicious meal delivery service?

Oh hey! It’s Jillian, The Joy List lady. I’m here to share that I have discovered a DELECTABLE meal delivery service, called CookUnity. I’ve tried others before: Factor, Daily Harvest, and Blue Apron to name a few. But they all made my tastebuds sad.

CookUnity is the one that I’ve actually stuck with for MONTHS. You get:

• Chef-cooked meals that you can heat up in minutes

• Options for dietary preferences, like low-calorie and high protein

• New meals every week, so you don’t get bored

Curious? Use my link for 50% off your first week, and 20% off the next 3!

Gatherings

Double check details before you go, and contact the organizers with questions! The Joy List does not run these events.

Monday, June 1: Bryant Park Read on the Lawn Day

​Reading Rhythms is a series of welcoming reading parties designed to make it easy for people to gather and read socially. We invite you to bring any book you want and facilitate silent reading periods, as well as 1-on-1 breakouts, and group discussions to pull on the threads of the books that everyone is engaging with.

​In a world that can often feel devoid of interest and meaningful connection, we bring readers together to reconnect with our love of learning, to experience the wonder of beautiful venues and curated music, and to gather amongst all of the people who want to be in that very same room.

Free. 6 to 8 PM. Bryant Park. Info here.

Monday, June 1: Open Level Yoga + Monday Picnic

Join us in Prospect Park for an outdoor yoga class, followed by a casual park picnic! BYO items to share. All levels welcome! Book class via link. Come solo and make a friend!

$23, 6:30 PM. Prospect Park. Info here.

Tuesday, June 2: Othership Runner's Night x Vivo Barefoot

8:00 PM – Arrive at Othership Williamsburg and drop off your belongings

8:15 PM – Head out for a 3-mile community run led by Vivo Barefoot's Head Celebrity Coach

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM – Return to Othership for a 2-hour Runner's Night Social featuring sauna, ice baths, connection, and recovery

Use this link for an exclusive $35 rate. 8 to 11 PM. Othership Williamsburg. (And a reminder that you can use code JILLIANRICHARDSON for an 11% discount on packages!)

Tuesday, June 2: The Art of Fantasy Building

Miss Bloom will guide playful, interactive exercises designed to help you finally answer the question: "What are you into?" Most of us were never taught how to understand or communicate our fantasies, so together we'll explore the deeper architecture of desire—tension, anticipation, symbolism, sensory detail, and personal meaning. Whether you're starting from "I have no idea what I'm into" or want to deepen and refine desires you already know, this workshop is designed to help you explore and express your inner world with more clarity and confidence.

$45, 7pm, 120 Walker St floor 6. Info here.

Wednesday, June 3: week night's Collaboration Lab with StoryTell NYC

Every community has a story. What happens when two communities decide to write one together? The Collaboration Lab (or Collab Lab if you like rhymes) is a working session for community builders who want to team up with another community on a future event. We'll start with a short discussion on best practices for collaborations, then open up the room for builders to meet potential partners and start planning a new event!

Free, 6:30pm–9pm, Beltane, 10 E 16th Street. Info here.

Wednesday, June 3: Tech Week Connection Hike

This experience is designed for founders, operators, investors, and startup leaders looking to build meaningful, authentic relationships while enjoying movement, conversation, and nature in the middle of the city.

Unlike traditional networking events, this walk prioritizes conversation over pace. Throughout the hike, BusinessOutside® will facilitate rotating discussions.

Free. 9 to 11 AM. Central Park. Info here.

Thursday, June 4: Wine & Einstein Lectures: Could you be an NPC?

We all think we are the main character of our story but how do you know you aren’t an NPC in someone else’s simulation? Is there any way that we can know whether we are in a simulated world? Would a simulation of your brain have conscious experience? If yes, could you then upload your consciousness into a computer? And how can you be so sure it hasn’t happened already?

Join us for a night of gaming, learning, and discussion with a lecture by Dr. Richard Brown, Philosopher, CUNY

$33. 6:30 to 9 PM. OS NYC. Info here.

Saturday, June 6: Collab Songwriting Circle X ChamberQUEER

Songwriters of all experience levels gather to play songwriting games, share caring feedback, and explore collaborative songwriting! Bring an instrument, an original song, or just yourself!

$11-$33. 7 to 9:30 PM. Boerum Hill. Info here.

Sunday, June 7: Darn it! Mending Club

Mending is a form of resistance! Coming together on the first Sunday of each month at the Textile Arts Center where we can explore this intervention through the act of mending our precious textiles: forming relationships with our clothes, objects, and with each other. Pamphlets and examples of darning, mending, and patchwork, as well as materials will be provided. Please bring yourself (and maybe a friend) and an object you wish to mend.

$12.51. 6 to 8:30 PM. Textile Arts Center. Info here.

Sunday, June 7: Pause + Release

Join With Great Taste NYC and Black Girls Smile for a mindful creative pause before the start of your week - a chance to rest, reflect, and release in community. Kick things off with a grounding sound bath and breathwork before transitioning into a guided somatic dance therapy session.

Free. 3 to 4:30 PM. 1406 Fulton St. Info here.

That's it for this edition. Sending hugs.

Stay cool,

Jillian