The Spark Podcast

After receiving the unexpected news that this chapter in her career was closing, the only promise Amy made to herself was that she would show up for herself every day until the day her badge no longer worked. This is what she looked like the very next day, immediately after receiving the news. 在得知这一突如其来的变动后，Amy 对自己许下的唯一承诺，就是在工牌失效之前的每一天，都要穿得漂漂亮亮。这张照片拍摄于她得知自己不得不与工作了8年的地方告别的第二天。 After returning from Beijing following her wedding, Amy closed an eight-year chapter in her first long-term, formal role—one she entered in her early twenties and grew within, advancing across levels as her skills and responsibilities expanded. It wasn’t her only job, but it was the first place where a career truly took shape. In a fast-moving world where longevity is rare, staying and growing within one institution for that long created both depth and attachment. Having to leave on immediate notice forced an unplanned pause. For the first time, Amy took a clear-eyed look at her professional journey—what she built, what she learned, and what she postponed in exchange for continuity. What emerged wasn’t a lack of options, but an abundance of them. With constraints lifted and priorities reshuffled, she found herself ready to pursue work aligned with her values rather than driven by past momentum. The transition was destabilizing and humbling, marked by self-doubt and the quiet disappearance of people she once assumed would stay. But it also clarified who showed up, how tightly identity can be bound to role and institution, and how short-term security can quietly limit long-term growth. Looking back, Amy is deeply grateful for what those eight years gave her—and equally clear that leaving was necessary. This wasn’t an ending so much as a redirection to a path she might have taken earlier, had timing and perspective aligned. Youth may be wasted on the young, but clarity comes later. Now, she’s choosing deliberately how to live and work. 婚礼结束、从北京返回之后，Amy 被迫和自己第一份正式的工作告了别。那是一份她二十出头就开始干的工作。在这份工作的见证下她收获了成长，也锻炼了能力。过去的八年时光或许漫长，但是告别却来得措手不及。 这并不是Amy唯一的一份工作，但这里是她“职业生涯”真正成形的地方。在一个高速变化、长期投入愈发稀缺的时代，在同一机构中持续成长，既带来了人脉和技能的积累，也让Amy产生了依赖感。而一次突如其来的辞退，迫使她按下暂停键。她第一次如此清晰地回顾自己的职业路径：她建立了一个什么样的办公室、她从这个过程中学到了什么，以及，为了想象中的稳定，她搁置了哪些可能。 当外在限制被解除、人生优先级被重新排列，Amy发现自己终于准备好去选择那些真正与她价值观契合的工作，而不再被过往的惯性所推动。这段转型过程充满不安，也令人谦卑：自我怀疑悄然出现，一些原本以为会留下的人突然消失。但同时，这些变化也让Amy看清了谁是真正的朋友、自我认同到底是否该绑定于职位与机构之上，以及短期安全感是如何在不知不觉中限制长期成长的。 回头看，Amy 对这八年所带来的一切心怀感激，也同样笃定：离开是必要的。这不是终点，而是一条也许早该走上的分岔路——只是现在，时间与视角终于对齐了。青春或许常被浪费在年轻人的身上，但清醒早晚有一天会到来。而此刻，她终于安心地开始有意识地选择如何生活。 If you’re reading this in your inbox or on Substack, yay! If you’re not, you can join us on Substack here - where you’ll be the first to know about every new episode and update. And be sure to follow along with us on… Instagram: @spark_podcast WeChat: TheSparkPodcast Little Universe: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） Himalaya: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 NetEase:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 如果你是通过Substack的邮件而了解到我们的播客，欢迎你且祝贺你找到了联系我们的最佳渠道！ 如果你不了解Sutbstack, 那么，你可以点击这里来关注我们。关注以后，你将了解到我们所有的更新和动态。 我们其他的官方社交平台有： Instagram: @spark_podcast 微信公众号: TheSparkPodcast 小宇宙: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） 喜马拉雅: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 网易云音乐:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 If this podcast means something to you, it would mean so much to us if you’d be willing to take 30 seconds to do each or all of these three things. First, can you please follow or subscribe to The Spark Podcast? Following The Spark Podcast helps you because you’ll never miss an episode. And it helps us because you’ll never miss an episode. To do this, just go to The Spark Podcast show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and then just tap the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner or click on follow. This is the most important thing for The Spark. While you’re there, if you’d be willing to give us a five star rating and review and share an episode you loved with a friend, we would be so grateful. We appreciate you very much. Thank you for being here. 如果你喜欢这个播客，且愿意花30秒钟做以下这三件事中的任意一件事情，那对我们来说都非常举足轻重。 首先，请你关注或订阅《The Spark Podcast》。关注《The Spark Podcast》会让你第一时间了解我们的动态，这样你不会错过任何一集节目。关注我们，给我们留言，也可以让我们更加了解你。我们会认真阅读每一条评论，并且认真做出回复。 想和我们保持联系和文字交流，只需前往Apple Podcasts、Spotify或你习惯听播客的任何平台，寻找“The Spark Podcast by Meg and Amy 火花电台”的节目页面，然后点击右上角的加号或关注按钮即可。这是对于The Spark Podcast火花电台最重要的事情。 如果你愿意给我们一个五星评级，并邀请朋友分享你喜欢的一集节目，我们会非常感激！ 感谢你一直以来的支持。是你们的存在，让我们知道火花再小，也可以无比璀璨。 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesparkpodcast.substack.com

In this episode, Meg and Amy continue to document life as it unfolds. They sit down to catch up on everything that’s changed—most notably, Meg’s transition into motherhood and her first trip back to China with her baby, alongside other major personal shifts happening quietly but profoundly in the background. This conversation explores what it really means to become a mother—not just the love and wonder, but the identity shift, the loss of time and space, and the fierce protectiveness that emerges when you’re suddenly responsible for another human. Meg shares raw reflections on feeling invisible, navigating boundaries, and experiencing what she calls “micro mom-gressions.” In particular, she shares a powerful story from the airport that perfectly captures how unsupported mothers can feel in public spaces—and how one small act of kindness can change everything. The conversation continues with the mental load of motherhood, postpartum rage, and why this anger isn’t a personal failing but a rational response to a world not designed for babies or the people caring for them. There’s also space for nuance: motherhood as “type two fun,” the kind of hard that’s deeply meaningful and rewarding, even when it stretches you to your limits. The episode ends with a reflection on identity—whether Meg misses her old self, how constraint brings clarity, and how becoming someone new doesn’t erase who you were before. Like a real-life Freaky Friday, this episode is about transformation, empathy, and learning how to move through change with more grace, awareness, and care for one another. 在这一期节目中，Meg 和 Amy 继续记录和分享着她们各自的生活。两位主播聊了聊这段时间里发生的各种事情和变化。在这其中最为显著的变化是 Meg 成为了一位母亲。Meg细聊了成为母亲后的生理心理变化，以及她带着宝宝第一次重返中国的经历和旅程。 这次对话深入探讨了“成为母亲”这四个字到底意味着什么——这四个字不仅饱含着爱与惊喜，还有身份的剧烈转变、时间与空间在不自觉中的悄悄流失，以及当你突然要为另一个生命负责时所涌现出的强烈保护欲。Meg 坦诚分享了自己感到被忽视、以及学习如何设立边界的经历。Meg还分享了她感受到成为妈妈后，自己时不时会产生得作为母亲的“对外敌意”（micro mom-gressions）。一个发生在机场的故事，生动地展现了母亲在公共空间中多么容易感到缺乏支持——以及一个小小的善举如何改变一切。 她们谈到了母职所带来的心理负担、产后愤怒，以及为什么这种愤怒并非个人失败，而是对一个并未为婴儿或照顾他们的人而设计的世界所作出的正常理性反应。同时，节目也为细腻的复杂性留出了空间：把母亲身份视为“第二类乐趣（type two fun）”——那种艰难却意义深远、充满回报的体验——即便这种丰富的体验会把你拉伸到极限。 节目最后回到“身份”的主题——Meg 是否怀念过去的自己，以及接受一个新的角色并不意味着抹去曾经的你这个事实。 就像现实版的《辣妈辣妹》，这一期节目关于转变、共情，以及学习如何以更多的敏感、觉察和彼此关怀去平安度过生命中不同的变化阶段。 If you’re reading this in your inbox or on Substack, yay! If you’re not, you can join us on Substack here - where you’ll be the first to know about every new episode and update. And be sure to follow along with us on… Instagram: @spark_podcast WeChat: TheSparkPodcast Little Universe: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） Himalaya: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 NetEase:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 如果你是通过Substack的邮件而了解到我们的播客，欢迎你且祝贺你找到了联系我们的最佳渠道！ 如果你不了解Sutbstack, 那么，你可以点击这里来关注我们。关注以后，你将了解到我们所有的更新和动态。 我们其他的官方社交平台有： Instagram: @spark_podcast 微信公众号: TheSparkPodcast 小宇宙: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） 喜马拉雅: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 网易云音乐:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 If this podcast means something to you, it would mean so much to us if you’d be willing to take 30 seconds to do each or all of these three things. First, can you please follow or subscribe to The Spark Podcast? Following The Spark Podcast helps you because you’ll never miss an episode. And it helps us because you’ll never miss an episode. To do this, just go to The Spark Podcast show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and then just tap the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner or click on follow. This is the most important thing for The Spark. While you’re there, if you’d be willing to give us a five star rating and review and share an episode you loved with a friend, we would be so grateful. We appreciate you very much. Thank you for being here. 如果你喜欢这个播客，且愿意花30秒钟做以下这三件事中的任意一件事情，那对我们来说都非常举足轻重。 首先，请你关注或订阅《The Spark Podcast》。关注《The Spark Podcast》会让你第一时间了解我们的动态，这样你不会错过任何一集节目。关注我们，给我们留言，也可以让我们更加了解你。我们会认真阅读每一条评论，并且认真做出回复。 想和我们保持联系和文字交流，只需前往Apple Podcasts、Spotify或你习惯听播客的任何平台，寻找“The Spark Podcast by Meg and Amy 火花电台”的节目页面，然后点击右上角的加号或关注按钮即可。这是对于The Spark Podcast火花电台最重要的事情。 如果你愿意给我们一个五星评级，并邀请朋友分享你喜欢的一集节目，我们会非常感激！ 感谢你一直以来的支持。是你们的存在，让我们知道火花再小，也可以无比璀璨。 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesparkpodcast.substack.com

In this episode, Meg and Amy dive deep into Amy’s journey to love, commitment, and celebration — from her engagement story to her beautifully unconventional 3-day wedding in Beijing. Amy shares how she met her husband while studying abroad in Tel Aviv, their years navigating long-distance challenges, and her parents’ eventual acceptance of her cross-cultural relationship. She reflects on how her view of marriage evolved — from seeing it as a social contract to embracing it as a meaningful bond rooted in love, trust, and balance. Amy takes you behind the scenes of Amy’s wedding weekend, a cross-cultural celebration that brought together friends and family from China, Japan, and the U.S. From courtyard dinners and photo booths to karaoke and high tea at the Summer Palace, Amy paints a vivid picture of what it means to create a wedding that feels personal, intentional, and deeply joyful. Meg and Amy close the conversation by reflecting on their own wedding experiences — Meg’s intimate pandemic ceremony and Amy’s cross-cultural fusion — and discuss the evolving meaning of modern marriage in a world that values both individuality and togetherness. 在本期节目中，Meg 和 Amy 深入探讨了 Amy 从爱情、承诺到婚姻的旅程——从订婚故事到她那场在北京别具一格的三天婚礼。 Amy 分享了她在特拉维夫留学期间如何遇见丈夫的故事，他们短暂异地恋的挑战，以及她父母最终如何接受这段跨文化的感情。她回顾了自己对婚姻观念的转变——从最初将其视为一种社会契约，到如今将婚姻看作是建立在爱、信任与平衡之上的深刻的灵魂交流。 Amy 带领听众走进她婚礼庆典的幕后，这是一场融合了中、美、日三国亲友的跨文化盛会。从庭院晚宴、拍照留念到卡拉 OK 以及颐和园的下午茶，Amy 生动描绘了一个充满个人特色、用心设计、并洋溢着喜悦的她心目中的完美婚礼是什么样子。 节目最后，Meg 与 Amy 一同回顾了各自的婚礼经历——Meg 的疫情时期小型婚礼与 Amy 的跨文化融合庆典——并探讨了在当今重视个性与连结并行的世界中，“现代婚姻”的意义如何不断演变。 If you’re reading this in your inbox or on Substack, yay! If you’re not, you can join us on Substack here - where you’ll be the first to know about every new episode and update. And be sure to follow along with us on… Instagram: @spark_podcast WeChat: TheSparkPodcast Little Universe: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） Himalaya: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 NetEase:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 如果你是通过Substack的邮件而了解到我们的播客，欢迎你且祝贺你找到了联系我们的最佳渠道！ 如果你不了解Sutbstack, 那么，你可以点击这里来关注我们。关注以后，你将了解到我们所有的更新和动态。 我们其他的官方社交平台有： Instagram: @spark_podcast 微信公众号: TheSparkPodcast 小宇宙: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） 喜马拉雅: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 网易云音乐:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 If this podcast means something to you, it would mean so much to us if you’d be willing to take 30 seconds to do each or all of these three things. First, can you please follow or subscribe to The Spark Podcast? Following The Spark Podcast helps you because you’ll never miss an episode. And it helps us because you’ll never miss an episode. To do this, just go to The Spark Podcast show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and then just tap the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner or click on follow. This is the most important thing for The Spark. While you’re there, if you’d be willing to give us a five star rating and review and share an episode you loved with a friend, we would be so grateful. We appreciate you very much. Thank you for being here. 如果你喜欢这个播客，且愿意花30秒钟做以下这三件事中的任意一件事情，那对我们来说都非常举足轻重。 首先，请你关注或订阅《The Spark Podcast》。关注《The Spark Podcast》会让你第一时间了解我们的动态，这样你不会错过任何一集节目。关注我们，给我们留言，也可以让我们更加了解你。我们会认真阅读每一条评论，并且认真做出回复。 想和我们保持联系和文字交流，只需前往Apple Podcasts、Spotify或你习惯听播客的任何平台，寻找“The Spark Podcast by Meg and Amy 火花电台”的节目页面，然后点击右上角的加号或关注按钮即可。这是对于The Spark Podcast火花电台最重要的事情。 如果你愿意给我们一个五星评级，并邀请朋友分享你喜欢的一集节目，我们会非常感激！ 感谢你一直以来的支持。是你们的存在，让我们知道火花再小，也可以无比璀璨。 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesparkpodcast.substack.com

After an eight-month pause, Amy and Meg are back behind the mic—this time with a lot of life to catch up on. In this episode, they share personal updates, swap stories, and reflect on what it means to grow and redefine success in the middle of big life transitions. Amy opens up about her recent marriage and the unexpected turns of being laid off, while Meg shares her journey into motherhood after welcoming her daughter in February. Together, they look back on the milestones they missed in each other’s lives—weddings, celebrations, and big changes—but also the ways they’ve supported each other through it all. The conversation winds through wedding reminiscences, the joy and grief of missed moments, and how their podcast journey over the past six years mirrors their own evolutions. Meg gets candid about the bittersweet tug between her old self and new role as a mother, while Amy reflects on career transitions, creative outlets, and building a future filled with purpose. 🎙 久等了！Amy 和 Meg 回来了！ 暂停八个月后，她们再次相聚在麦克风前。这次，两位主播可不仅仅聊了近况更新，更是分享了她们人生中近期的翻天覆地的变化——婚礼、初为人母、职业转型，还有错过与陪伴。 在这一期里： * Amy 会分享她最近的婚礼故事，以及被裁员后意想不到的生活转折； * Meg 会聊聊今年二月迎来女儿后，自己从“原来的我”到“新手妈妈”的心路历程。 她们会一起回顾彼此错过的重要时刻——婚礼、庆祝、生活的大事件——也会聊到在这一切变化中，如何一直互相支持、彼此鼓励。 你会听到婚礼趣事、错过瞬间的喜与忧，以及她们六年播客旅程与各自成长的交织。无论你正在经历人生的哪个阶段，这期对话都会让你感到温暖、共鸣、甚至被鼓舞。 If you’re reading this in your inbox or on Substack, yay! If you’re not, you can join us on Substack here - where you’ll be the first to know about every new episode and update. And be sure to follow along with us on… Instagram: @spark_podcast WeChat: TheSparkPodcast Little Universe: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） Himalaya: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 NetEase:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 如果你是通过Substack的邮件而了解到我们的播客，欢迎你且祝贺你找到了联系我们的最佳渠道！ 如果你不了解Sutbstack, 那么，你可以点击这里来关注我们。关注以后，你将了解到我们所有的更新和动态。 我们其他的官方社交平台有： Instagram: @spark_podcast 微信公众号: TheSparkPodcast 小宇宙: The Spark Podcast （赵枣Amy_火花） 喜马拉雅: The Spark Podcast 火花电台 网易云音乐:The Spark Podcast 火花电台 If this podcast means something to you, it would mean so much to us if you’d be willing to take 30 seconds to do each or all of these three things. First, can you please follow or subscribe to The Spark Podcast? Following The Spark Podcast helps you because you’ll never miss an episode. And it helps us because you’ll never miss an episode. To do this, just go to The Spark Podcast show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and then just tap the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner or click on follow. This is the most important thing for The Spark. While you’re there, if you’d be willing to give us a five star rating and review and share an episode you loved with a friend, we would be so grateful. We appreciate you very much. Thank you for being here. 如果你喜欢这个播客，且愿意花30秒钟做以下这三件事中的任意一件事情，那对我们来说都非常举足轻重。 首先，请你关注或订阅《The Spark Podcast》。关注《The Spark Podcast》会让你第一时间了解我们的动态，这样你不会错过任何一集节目。关注我们，给我们留言，也可以让我们更加了解你。我们会认真阅读每一条评论，并且认真做出回复。 想和我们保持联系和文字交流，只需前往Apple Podcasts、Spotify或你习惯听播客的任何平台，寻找“The Spark Podcast by Meg and Amy 火花电台”的节目页面，然后点击右上角的加号或关注按钮即可。这是对于The Spark Podcast火花电台最重要的事情。 如果你愿意给我们一个五星评级，并邀请朋友分享你喜欢的一集节目，我们会非常感激！ 感谢你一直以来的支持。是你们的存在，让我们知道火花再小，也可以无比璀璨。 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesparkpodcast.substack.com