Whoops, Iām sorry, I didnāt mean to be so mysterious! But I havenāt revealed very much about myself in the Happiness Letters so far. And it turns out youāve got questions. About me. So here you go ā answers to your most burning questions about me, the mystery person behind the Happiness Letter!
1. How old are you?
Iāll be 40 next year.
2. Where do you live?
Iām Irish and I live in County Wicklow, Ireland. I live with my partner Jamie and our three dogs in a little lakeside cottage. š
3. Do you have children?
No. But please enjoy these photos of our dogs ā Birdie, Pooka, and Indy.
5. What do you do for a living? Are you a student?
I work in communications for non-profit organisations, and Iām studying part-time for a postgrad in writing.
6. Why do you write the Happiness Letter? Do you make money from it?
Because I enjoy it! The Happiness Letter is my light-hearted exploration into what might make you ā and me ā a little happier. I love exploring the art and science of mental health and wellbeing and sharing my findings with you.
As Aja Barber says, āItās nice to have hobbies which make you no money and will never drag you in the direction of hustle culture.ā That said, Iām over the moon whenever a reader buys me a coffee!
7. Are you religious?
No.
8. Do you read a lot? Do you have a favourite book?
I try to read for an hour each day, with the aim of reading one book per week. So far this year, Iāve read ten books in 15 weeks, so Iām not overly disciplined about it!
My favourite books are usually by female authors. In fiction, I really enjoy Elizabeth Strout, Donna Tartt, and Ottessa Moshfegh. In nonfiction, I love Alain de Botton, David Sedaris, and Maeve Higgins.
9. Favourite podcasts?
Not Without My Sister, Maintenance Phase, The Happiness Lab, The Blindboy Podcast, Life Kit, The Slowdown, The New Yorker: The Writerās Voice.
10. What star sign are you? Do you believe in astrology?
Iām a Virgo. And even though I identify with all the Virgo traits, I donāt believe in astrology. Which apparently is very Virgo of me.
11. Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert.
12. City or countryside?
I like living in the countryside and visiting the city. Unfortunately, my nearest city is Dublin, which used to be vibrant and charming but sadly is pretty dull these days. My sister lives in New York though, so I visit every year and cram in all the culture and bright lights that I can.
13. WFH or office?
WFH.
14. Morning or night?
Morning. (I get up every day at 6.00am to walk our dogs or do some writing.)
15. Cocktail or mocktail?
Mocktail. (I havenāt drank alcohol in almost two years! š„³)
16. Car or bus?
Bus. (I love what poet Ada LimĆ³n says about getting the bus: "Public transportation means our lives are forever intertwined on the human journey.")
17. Library or book shop?
Library.
18. Camping or hotel?
Camping. šļø
19. Paper planner or digital planner?
Paper. Iāve used a legit Filofaxā¢ (yes, they still exist!) for years, and not to be overly dramatic, but I canāt imagine my life without it.
20. Instagram or Twitter?
Instagram (But Iām not very active!)
Thanks for sharing a slice of Zita--and well done on #15 šš½
Loved this! So nice to hear more about you, Zita. (I'm also an introverted, non-religious, non-drinking, does-communications-for-a-nonprofit Virgo turning 40 this fall -- I knew there was a reason I like you š)