Have you ever stopped to think about if you live your life out on the edge? It sounds cliche, but how close to "average" is your life? If you've wondered these things, this week's episode aims to dive into this exact topic.

From a young age, your podcast hosts have been pushed to excel in all areas of life. From academic studies to extra-curricular pursuits - all the way to careers in adulthood. And looking back, neither of us could say that this was the average experience in the US. Where does that legacy of seeking excellence leave us in our adulthood?

Jesse believes that there is almost a thrill-chasing habit from chasing excellence that is ultimately hollow. Angela rightfully points out that many of these end pursuits are externally driven and may not reflect what we truly want.

At the end of the day, what do you listeners think? Do you feel like you live a life outside the norm? Let us know from wherever you're listening to us!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off all Real You Mandarin online courses & offerings designed specifically for ABCs, ABTs, and other advanced Mandarin learners. Preview a free lesson and learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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With all of the technological innovations that we live with everyday, are we already living in the future?

From home help robots to invisibility cloaks, so many things we imagined to be impossible are coming to life today. And although not all the promises of technology are here just yet, many advancements promise to revolutionize humanity tomorrow.

One area of advancement live today is artificial intelligence. Not yet the SkyNet idea of tomorrow, but different algorithmic products already permeate our lives. From ChatGPT to Google's AI search summaries, AI holds the promise to transform the way we find knowledge and the way we work.

What do you think listeners? Are there specific advancements in technology that excite you? Let us know in the comments or on social media!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

White Lotus Season 3 has come to an end and we have...thoughts. We're discussing the whole season in review of our most WTF moments - the ones that lived rent free in our heads for days after watching it.

From the infamous brotherly love incident to the completely unhinged cocktail lounge monologue from Frank, we relive it all. And yes, we do talk about the most ridiculous and unbelievable moments to us from the season finale, and what we think creator Mike White's "moral of the story" is throughout the series.

What were the craziest moments for you from this season? Let us know in the comments below!

**BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT that if you have not finished watching Season 3 of White Lotus and care about spoilers, please don't watch this video until after you've caught up.**

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off all Real You Mandarin offerings, including the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, and the Real You Mandarin: The Podcast Transcript Membership, all designed specifically for ABCs, ABTs, and other advanced Mandarin learners. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

If you're an OG listener, you know we started the pod as a hobby during the pandemic. But we weren't the only people following creative pursuits - so many people experimented with baking, cooking, drawing, and many other interesting activities.

This week, we're taking a moment to explore why creative passions matter. For Angela, being a creator is what she has pursued since leaving corporate America. The podcast and Real You Mandarin have been professional expressions of creativity, but she also bakes on the side. Jesse has recently gotten into pottery, and his creative expression has always remained largely a hobby.

What's the difference between pursuing a creative passion for work vs just for yourself? Can you find creative fulfillment in your every day job or life?

Listen in to hear for yourself, and let us know what creative projects you've been pursuing lately!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

Do you believe in telepathy or ESP-like phenomena? This week we discuss "The Telepathy Tapes," a podcast that explores if non-verbal autistic individuals have the ability to read minds.

The ability to look into another's mind is considered a fantastical power, but what would it take to convince you that it is real in certain individuals? In-house "woo woo" Angela and "skeptic" Jesse debate the ways that the podcast presents this concept. Many of these non-verbal individuals engage in something called "spelling", where they point at letters or otherwise type out words that someone in the room is thinking. While this ability appears to be compelling, the skeptics may be prone to believe there is some creative storytelling to this series rather than concrete explanations.

Regardless of your belief in telepathy, we encourage you to explore the podcast series yourself, if for nothing else, a bit of entertainment as it's quite interesting.

Do you believe that telepathy may be possible? Let us know in the poll or comments!

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*Podcasters' Note: Angela mistakenly refers to "spelling" as "typing" in the actual episode. Also, thanks for bearing with our tech issues affecting Angela's audio a few minutes into the episode.

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

Did you hear about the SUV-sized drones, plasmoids, orbs, and other strange objects in the sky over New Jersey/the East Coast the past few months, or is this the first time you're hearing about it?

We discuss this strange phenomena that started around the holidays in 2024 and continued for several months, where folks were claiming these large drones and other unidentified aerial objects were following them or seemingly "mapping" their neighborhoods.

Despite the sheer volume of sightings and videos uploaded, there was little to no mainstream media coverage and a brushing off by both presidential administrations as either something they simply couldn't explain, or "were ours" and therefore nothing to worry about. What's more, though the majority of video footage was uploaded to TikTok directly by those on the ground, the algorithm was seemingly suppressing views and distribution of drone-related footage, to the point where everyone's favorite Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel became one of the leading voices on these drone sightings and led the charge in calling them "Dior bags" in order to evade the algorithmic suppression.

This all leaves us wondering...what the heck is going on?! At best these things really were all "ours" and the government was conducting some strange experiment on the American people. Or worse (and human), it was foreign adversaries spying on or otherwise displaying a show of force. Or worst (and not human - for those of us who are inclined to believe), it was aliens.

Of note, at the same time these SUV-sized drones were happening, there were whistleblower stories coming out from former Special Forces personnel and those who worked in the UAP ("unidentified anomalous phenomena" fka "UFO") retrieval/reverse engineering program about first- and second-hand experiences with unknown technology and alien presences, but barely anyone heard about it amidst all the hubbub of the drones.

What do you think all of this aerial activity was? Our government? Foreign adversaries? Aliens? Something else? Let us know in the poll or comments!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

We're back with a life update where we chat about the most fun recent things we've been up to during our off-season break, Angela being re-energized and doubling down on Real You Mandarin efforts, Jesse enjoying the semi-single (read: open relationship) life, and coming to terms with getting older and potentially wanting plastic surgery?!

Let us know what you've been up to during our break in the comments below or on social media!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

"The Happiness Curve" is a concept that postulates that on average, a person's happiness acts as a U-shaped curve where you are happiest in your youth, happiness starts to decline in your 30s/40s, and picks back up as you get into your 50s and beyond.

In this episode, we discuss what we think about this phenomenon. Full disclosure, we did get the decades slightly wrong lol, but we generally discuss why we think it could be that people get happier as they get older due to things like changing perspectives on *what* brings them happiness. We also ponder whether this study will continue to reflect the average person as we shift into different generational cohorts who hold very different values (i.e., millennials not necessarily wanting to wait until retirement to "enjoy" life).

What do you think about The Happiness Curve? Do you think you're happier now than you were when you were younger? Is it about perception of happiness or something else? Let us know in the comments below!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom