Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

Your opinions about "friend groups"

Positive? Negative? Inevitable? Unnecessary? I want to hear!

Nina Badzin

Jun 30

READ IN APP

Many of you have things to say about friend groups! I know because you write to me about it in my anonymous form and we’re talking about friend groups consistently in the Dear Nina Facebook group.

This is a chance to tell me LOTS of your opinions about friend groups all in one EASY and ANONYMOUS survey.

WHY?

I’m collecting your thoughts for an upcoming Dear Nina episode about friend groups and live event titled: “From the Cafeteria to the Mahj Table: Friend Group Challenges from Teens to Midlife & Beyond.”

Even if you can’t be at the event in Chicago at the end of July, you can participate anonymously in the episode via the survey and hear the results when it’s available to everyone on my regular podcast feed a few weeks later.

Would you be willing to send me your ANONYMOUS opinions in the survey below? NOWHERE in this survey will you need to provide your name or email address.

Click here to fill out the anonymous survey

As it happens, the most recent episode of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship also has some moments that address friend groups—being in one and being left out of one.

Licensed clinical social worker and EMDR therapist Beth Segaloff joined episode 152 to discuss how our social experiences in childhood can get in the way of our present friendships and our kids’ friendships, too.

Does your kid feel left out? Or are you re-living the times you weren’t included? This is hard stuff!

Other highlights of episode 152:

Why your kid’s friendship bumps feel personal and how to tell what feelings belong to you versus your child.
The space between reacting and responding–how a moment of silence can change the whole conversation (and other strategies for when your child is struggling with friendships).
Why forcing invitations or calling another parent for a favor often backfires, and what true support looks like instead.
Modeling adult friendships: intentional intimacy vs. accidental exclusion

“When Your Child’s Friendship Issues Re-opens Unresolved Wounds”

FIND EPISODE #152 on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere you listen to podcasts!

The 2025 friendship challenge is for everyone!

You can start the 2025 challenge any time. Find all the challenges listed here. Let me know how it went or join us in the Dear Nina Facebook group to discuss the challenges (and more). July’s challenge is coming SOON!

LET’S MEET IN HIGHLAND PARK, IL on JULY 31st!

It’s the first ever LIVE podcast recording of “Dear Nina” and it’s in my old hometown. There will also be a meet & greet, drinks, sweets, and shopping for a cause at my favorite store, ENAZ.

The live podcast topic is “From the Cafeteria to the Mahj Table: Friend Group Challenges from Teens to Midlife & Beyond.” Grab your ticket HERE.

Books, Shows, Recipes I’m Into These Days

READING: I’m in the middle of the THREE books that I’m enjoying. I’m listening to My Friends by Fredrik Backman. I’m reading two memoirs and they’re really good. We Might Just Make it After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade by Elyce Arons. And I got an early release of Awake by Jen Hatmaker, which I’m finding honest and brave. Here is my (mostly) updated 2025 reading list.
TV: I’m watching The Gilded Age. Also watching And Just Like That. Both are fine, not great.
Cooking: I’m in total summer mode and cooking as little as possible.
Two anonymous friendship advice questions & answers you might have missed
Always the Fringe Friend
Nina Badzin
·
Jun 6
Read full story
You Cannot Win Over Every Potential Friend no Matter How "Nice" You Are
Nina Badzin
·
April 28, 2024
Read full story
Let’s connect outside of this newsletter: You can find me most often in the Facebook group, Dear Nina: The Group. All the social media links are below. I know I need to get rid of some them!
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn | Threads | Twitter | My Website

THANK YOU TO SoonCall—THIS WEEK’S DEAR NINA SPONSOR

Good friendship takes intention—and a little help never hurts! The SoonCall app helps you stay connected with the people you care about, even when life gets hectic.

Download SoonCall for free!

Find info about sponsoring Dear Nina episodes and posts here.

Links to Amazon, Bookshop.org, or other affiliates might earn me a tiny commission, which helps operations of Dear Nina.

You’re a free subscriber to Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. Frustrated with some of your friends? You’re not alone! The anonymous letters are a perk for paying subscribers. You probably have a similar question. Upgrade any time for the full archive AND for (optional!) quarterly Zoom hangouts with Nina and other paying subscribers.

Comment

Restack

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Hello friends,

Yay! Summer's finally here! But I confess to spending part of this week glued to Netflix.

Why? Season 8 of the food documentary Somebody Feed Phil just landed...and he finally made it to Guatemala! 🇬🇹 So I had to see how many of our faves spots made the cut (Spoiler alert: quite a few!)

From chef-driven plates at Mercado 24 (proof Guatemala City deserves a stop) to ceviche and beer cocktails at Hugo's in Antigua (yes, we've got the recipe to share) this episode is peak foodie travel bait, complete with fiery volcanoes as backdrop.

But back to summer plans. Whether you're grilling, chilling, or panic-prepping for Canada Day or 4th of July, we've got your apps and sides covered:

🌮 Salpicón de Res – refreshing shredded beef & mint appetizer.
🥭 Black Bean Mango Salsa – sweet + earthy.
🥑 Javier's Guacamole – because it's not a party without it.
🍏 Apple-Jicama Slaw – a crunchy-sweet combo.

On a serious note: Hurricane Erick hit southern Oaxaca hard last week. Regions west of Puerto Escondido had a lot of damage. If you're able, the Rotary Club in Huatulco is collecting donations to help local communities recover.

Let's get to it!

Michele

Travel Tips and Planning

Seaweed Season in Mexico? Here's How to Enjoy it!

Mexico's Caribbean coast is facing one of its worst seaweed seasons yet. Not even barriers or heroic cleanup crews can keep up in some spots.

But good news: there are still beaches near Cancún where the water's usually clear and the sand's mostly seaweed-free.

Top picks? Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Playa Mujeres, Bacalar, and Holbox.

Or check into resorts like Secrets Moxché or Xcaret Arte , where inland beaches serve up the bliss, minus the seaweed.

Click to Read Article

Summer means swimming with whale sharks in Holbox.

Timely Travel

Cottage Country Calling

In a few weeks we're taking the whole crew to Elmhirst's Resort in Ontario's Kawartha Lakes, 90 minutes from Toronto.

Think big-batch BBQs, lake swims, fish-cleaning hut (yep), and all.

If you're chasing a quintessential Canadian summer (grilling, canoeing, maybe a loon call or two), check out our top picks for what to do.

Plan Your Trip to the Kawarthas

Global Table

Picositas: The Ultimate Canada Day & 4th of July Beer Cocktail

Spicy, savoury and unapologetically messy, Picositas are Guatemala's answer to the Michelada or Extreme Caesar.

Packed with bold flavour and topped with over-the-top garnishes (shrimp, lime, veggies), they're made for BBQs, beach days, and summer fiestas.

Get the Recipe

Beach, Food & City Buzz

Notable news, updates, and happenings

Congratulations to Guatemalan Chef Mirciny Moliviatis! She took home a first prize at the 30th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for Música y Cocina: Gaby Moreno y Mirciny Moliviatis. Kindle version (Spanish) available on Amazon.
Not sure how to filet a fish or smoke seafood? Devour Studio's new Mastering Seafood Cookery class is tailor made for you! This summer, the Nova Scotia Seafood Academy is offering a series of 3-day workshops aimed at cooks and culinary travellers. Book now as space is limited!
Skip the tourist throngs and sip 🍷 like a local at Weinsalon Rheinhessen, held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays through August in Mainz, Germany. Enjoy wine at sundown, local snacks, and laid-back vibes. Check out our guide to Mainz for the full lowdown.