82 Comments
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Alex's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing, Viv. I think lately the Bay Area gets pushed to the side for “unique fashion” and is dubbed as the tech bro capital. I find it so wild because this area has always been a place for people to fully be themselves and dress like themselves. I feel like Raymond is the perfect example of that.

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Viv Chen's avatar

absolutely, the tech bro athleisure just gets more visibility but doesn’t accurately represent the range of style here!

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Viktoriia Vasileva's avatar

I want to be like Raymond when I grow up

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Florencia Ornelas's avatar

What an ICON. This was so moving and inspiring Viv 🩷 This quote in particular made me very emotional: “I really see things more clearly than I ever have. I understand things better. I see why things in my life had to happen the way they did, even if something was traumatic at the time, I see how it fits into the way my life unfolded”. It gave me so much hope!

Also, I LOVE Raymond’s website. And I am so incredibly inspired to start a daily journal practice after reading this story!

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Phoebe's avatar

I love this so much—what an interesting guy and amazing outfits. As someone who analog journals, it was also really cool to see inside his...and in something as simple as an At-a-Glance planner, too. Thank you so much for sharing this, Viv!

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Viv Chen's avatar

Yes! As someone who loves cute stationery and can’t resist collecting them it was refreshing to see how you don’t *need* $100 worth of scrapbook materials to keep a great journal. simple is effective!

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Meleyna Nomura's avatar

What a gem. Touched me to think of other oldies who have been in my life who have pursued mental and physical acuity in their later decades. Who despite their very best efforts, are no longer with us. Keep on, Raymond.

Do we get to know Raymond's Saul's order?!

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Viv Chen's avatar

reuben pastrami sandwich with coleslaw :)

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Zoë's avatar

Raymond is inspiring me to pick up my journal again! I love this a ton. The way you thoughtfully observe and profile folks in the Bay Area is why The Molehill is one of my favorite paid subscriptions. (Also, fellow October Scorpio here! 👋😎🦂)

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Marguga's avatar

This has been by far one of my favorite reads on the platform. Thank you for sharing. It really inspired me to “oomph” my journaling and memory keeping/ data recording. Love your substack!

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Sheila (of Ephemera)'s avatar

Wow, congrats on the explosion of readers, Viv!! I really enjoyed reading and seeing your visit with Raymond! Thank you!

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Anna Newton's avatar

I could not be more obsessed with this post 👏👏👏

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Foxwood (they/them)'s avatar

Raymond seems so lovely! What a striking sense of style. Love him! ❤️

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Julia K's avatar

I cried reading this! So precious. As a fellow journal lover this was so great to read! But now I am also a big fan of Raymond 😊

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As She Blooms's avatar

This is so beautiful and inspiring. I think my relationship to my journaling has been so focused on a place to collect my thoughts that I have deprived myself of the creative outlet it can also become. Thank you for this!

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Beth's avatar

I saw him at a coffee shop yesterday morning and thought, this man has the coolest style. Then this morning your story pops up on my feed, and it’s him! What a coincidence and a great story. Thank you for sharing!

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Himothy's avatar

I love this so much. To any journal-ers out there: do you tape in your keepsakes? I’ve been using scotch tape but I’m hoping to find something more travel friendly.

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Melissa Lai's avatar

I bring a little roll of washi tape! :)

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Himothy's avatar

I just looked those up and I’ve been wondering what that type of tape is called! Thank you!!

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Jane Trieu's avatar

Yes! I love MT tapes for the variety of colors~

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Ebosetale Jenna's avatar

I love this. The way I’ve always thought of journaling—and why I always thought of it as boring except when using it as some form of therapy—was a ‘dear diary’ type of thing. Like how you see teenage girls do in the movies where it’s just a this happened today log.

I love this new idea to me that journaling could be a way of archiving the things I enjoy, hate, or simply interact with. Going to try this! Thanks to you and Raymond.

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Shuting's avatar

This was SO heartwarming!! Thank you and Raymond. I love that you went up to him like that and that the two of you connected, incredible stuff <333

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