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Boiled Eggs, Cold Noodles, and the Summer I Almost Quit Everything
A no-cook survival recipe from the edge of a life unraveling.
Some meals aren’t about nourishment. They’re about not giving up.
This was one of those.
It was the summer I almost quit everything — my job, my routine, my carefully spreadsheeted future. I was burned out, sweating constantly, emotionally fried, and professionally pretending. I had stopped believing that any of it meant anything anymore.
I would wake up already exhausted. I’d walk the dog at 7 a.m. and feel like I’d used up the last ounce of energy I had for the day. I’d stare at my inbox and feel rage. I’d open Zoom and feel dread. I’d cry over things that didn’t deserve tears and feel numb in the moments that probably did.
There was this constant hum in my chest — like anxiety had taken up permanent residence but couldn’t be bothered to explain why.
The heat didn’t help. It was the kind of heat that pressed in from all sides — the kind that made your house feel like a damp cardboard box wrapped in apathy. Even the walls seemed tired.
Every meal felt like a negotiation: Do I have the energy to stand? Do I want to chew? Can I handle turning on the stove without completely…
