Hello, reader!
Welcome to spag mol. For those who have stumbled across this cosy corner of Substack by the mysterious tricks of the internet (and not out of a sense of obligation)—it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Molly, though some friends call me Mol (among a long list including MoMo, Mo, Molls, Mozza, Moomin, Moles, Molski).
I’m also lowkey obsessed with spaghetti bolognese (affectionately known as spag bol). It's my death row meal, my fail-safe menu choice, and my ultimate comfort food. I’ll eat it anytime, anywhere, in all geographies, topographies, and seasons. I’ve even made the pasta pilgrimage to Bologna—the dish’s namesake—to pay my respects. If I’m being honest with myself, it's probably why I'll never commit to a plant-based diet.
So, is this a newsletter about… pasta?
Not exactly. I’ve created spag mol as a playful and emergent space where I attempt to untangle the thoughts of my spaghetti brain. It’s an experiment in savouring life by writing about it—one delicious, messy morsel at a time. In many ways, it is also just an excuse for writing itself.
What are the ingredients we’re working with?
I guess you could say the ‘meat’ of each newsletter will be an essay or reflection on a theme or thought that has been bubbling up to the surface. Since turning thirty, I’ve had many conversations with friends about the mismatch between the expectations our younger selves had of what life would be like by this age and stage, and the ever-changing reality: moving goalposts, shape-shifting aspirations, infinite choices, and the daily tension of wanting to change systems while operating within them.
I’m constantly scribbling notes on my phone and capturing moments in my (eternally full) camera roll. These ideas tend to sit on a low simmer for a long time before I’m ready to connect them and serve them up in the form of something palatable. spag mol is my container for engaging in that simmering and serving cycle more regularly, more intentionally, and more creatively.
Thanks for taking a seat at the table! I sure hope you’ll stick around.
From my spaghetti brain to yours,
Mol 🍝
