Love that it sped up your work so much!

My friend Jamie dropped like $55 on a Hydro Flask with a special limited edition pattern last year. She carried it everywhere for two weeks until she realized it was a pain to wash because of the narrow opening, so it just sat on her counter growing weird film. She finally admitted that her old plastic bottle from a 5k race worked just as well and the fancy water she was buying tasted the same as her fridge filter. I mean, she felt pretty dumb for spending that much on something that basically holds tap water.

My friend's apartment smelled like a farm for a month.

That point about a little human connection flipping your mood really hits home. I heard a podcast once where a cyclist talked about farm workers cheering them on during a brutal ride. They said it was like a shot of electricity, turning a suffer-fest into something fun. It stuck with me how much a few seconds of kindness from strangers can change your whole outlook.