Evan Hughes

Constantly losing my phone got way worse out here. No repair kiosk and no late pickup, so one mistake means a week waiting on a charger or SIM. The first time I left it at the bakery, the owner called my roommate because everyone knows everyone, which is sweet and mortifying. Biggest pitfall was assuming I could wing it without a backup plan. Cheap fixes that helped me feel sane were a lanyard case, a paper list in my wallet, and a spare charger hidden at work.

Solid plan and one tweak that made it stick for me: treat Favorites as the only keepers and on the Mac create a Smart Album for “is not Favorite” and “date is before 60 days ago,” then once a month open that album and bulk delete what never earned a star. If you’re on Apple Photos with family consider a Shared Library with manual sharing and the “exclude screenshots” option so partner photos land in one place without doubling or cluttering your memories.

Hi Raymond. The best time is when things are calm, not mid-incident, ideally early evening on a weeknight or Saturday afternoon. Knock, smile, and keep it short and specific. Try something like: "Hey, I'm Alex in 3B, up at 6 for work, would you mind keeping music down after 10, especially the bass?" Offer an easy fix on their side and a way to reach you: "If it helps and moving the speaker off our shared wall can cut the thump, and here's my number." If it happens again, a quick knock the next day or a short text works better than a midnight confrontation, and keep it to one line. Low cost things on your side that help a lot are a white noise app on your phone at low volume near the door, silicone earplugs such as Mack's for about five bucks, and sliding your bed six inches off the shared wall. A rolled towel at the door and a thick throw or bookcase on the shared wall can knock down bass that sneaks through gaps. Keep a simple log of dates and times for a week so you have specifics. If it keeps up, ask the landlord to send a building wide reminder about quiet hours or city noise rules rather than filing a formal complaint, and share your short log.

The biggest unlock is picking 1–2 recurring activities where the same people show up, then committing to them for a month. Good weeknight options after 6: a beginner-friendly adult rec league (pickleball, ultimate, volleyball), library book club or board game night, a language exchange, or a climbing gym's intro/discount night. Weekend mornings, look for a free parkrun or shoe-store run club, a community garden workday, or a regular volunteer shift at the animal shelter or farmers market. If you're introverted, take a role that gives you a job and a reason to talk—keep score at pickleball, help set up game boards, or do check-in for the run. Show up four weeks in a row and you'll start recognizing faces and getting invited into the group's rhythm. Keep openers low-awkward and practical: "Hey, I'm new—mind if I join?", "How does this work here?", "Any tips for a first-timer?", or "How long have you been coming?" After a short chat, ask a next-step question: "I'm trying to make this my Tuesday thing—do people grab food/coffee after or meet another night?" Set tiny weekly goals: attend two events, learn two names, get one contact, and send one follow-up text within 24–48 hours with a specific, low-effort plan like "Coffee walk near the library Wed at 6:15?" Put a recurring slot on your calendar and cap your social window at 60–90 minutes so you can leave before you're drained. Jot down who you met and one detail, then use it next time to bridge into a repeat hangout: "You mentioned training for a 10k—want to do the park loop Sunday morning?"