Stalgia
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Merch
  • More
    • Home
    • About
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Merch
Stalgia
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Merch

Stalgia: Chapter 1

Stalgia travel adventure memories collaborative digital journal bullet journal stalgia app

It’s a September afternoon and the Fall 2019 semester is just starting to pick up steam after a fun-filled Syllabus Week at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York...Classes let out and the quad fills with students rushing off in all directions—to the Coop, back to the dorms, down the hill to Case Library… It’s ‘shorts and a t-shirt’ weather and the energy on campus feels just like the sun.


Among the scattered scurry of students is senior Tristan Niskanen (an English & Creative Writing major from Aspen, CO). He walks down the Persson Hall steps and strolls along College Street, smiling as he passes Donovan’s Pub and Taylor Lake. He takes out his pocket notebook and pulls out a pen from behind his ear to scribble a quick note for himself. As he walks, he reflects on the last couple of years at Colgate and how his decision to transfer had worked out. Then he thinks about how happy he is to be back on campus after spending last semester studying abroad in Bloomsbury, London.


Meanwhile, senior Eric Fishbin (a Philosophy major and English minor from Port Washington, NY) is on his way to the same apartment complex—but to a different room and for a different reason. Eric is driving over to see his friend, Jeremy Harwin (a Chinese major and Economics minor from Mamaroneck, NY), because he is eager to show off a new book of poetry called “Big Man, Small Europe.” The book was written by his friend and Living Writers classmate, Tristan Niskanen, who gave it to him that day in class. 


Jeremy doesn’t know why Eric is so excited; he doesn’t know the name Tristan Niskanen, either. He is pretty interested in finding out what the big deal about this book is, though. Eric opens the door without knocking and Jeremy is at the table waiting for him. Eric pulls off his shoes and tosses the copy of the book onto the table for Jeremy to see. 


“This,” Eric tells Jeremy, “was written during the Spring 2019 semester when I was abroad in London.” 


Tristan, who writes in order to document his life and share it with the world, took pens and paper wherever he went and turned memorable moments from his semester overseas into poems. By the end of the trip, he had over 100 poems and decided to self-publish the collection. When he first got the book, Eric was thrilled to show it off; reading it reminded him of inside jokes, small details that triggered bigger memories and other special moments from the semester abroad. 


Jeremy loved it; he was jealous he could not recall similar details from his semester in Shanghai the previous fall. He knew he had the best four months of his life, but had nothing to make his journey come to life. He had photos, notes, videos and group text messages with friends, but it was impossible to read any of that on his phone. 


Now, a year and a half later, Jeremy’s semester in Shanghai seems like a lifetime ago and much of the value from the trip feels lost. So, the next day, Jeremy asked Eric for “this guy” Tristan’s number—he had an idea and he needed to see if “the poet” was interested. 


They connected, and soon after our team of four (Fishbin ’20, Harwin ’20, Niskanen ’20 and Spencer Spitz ’21, a Computer Science major and Psychology minor from Mount Sinai, NY) tepidly strolled into 20 Utica Street on a Saturday morning for our first Thought into Action Workshop. 


We had an idea for improving how we preserve and share our memories from experiences like a semester abroad, but not much else. 


We asked ourselves, “What is it about going to a new place that inspires such a drastic shift in perspective and makes us more observant, more adventurous and more in the moment? How can we build something that helps make the details behind a defining moment or experience last?”

Thank you for reading our story!

“It takes one thought, one second, or moment of positive memory to act as a catalyst for the light to gradually seep in again,” Fearne Cotton

Get the Beta (ios)
collaborative digital journaling app stalgia experiences memories alternative to facebook

Tristan Niskanen, CMO

Tarlon Khoubyari, Marketing Consultant

Jess Ewald, Graphic Design

Favorite things to do with your inner-circles:


Spend time together of course & that can take many forms: fishing, watching sports or movies, playing music, seeing music, playing sports & exploring outdoors.


Colgate University '20

Stalgia, graphic designer, stalgia app, digital journal app

Jess Ewald, Graphic Design

Tarlon Khoubyari, Marketing Consultant

Jess Ewald, Graphic Design

Most memorable trip:


This spring I took a road trip with friends from school in St. Louis to go hiking and camping in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. 


Washington University in St. Louis '20

Tarlon Khoubyari, Marketing Consultant

Tarlon Khoubyari, Marketing Consultant

Tarlon Khoubyari, Marketing Consultant

 Most memorable trip: 


Driving across the country in the middle of the pandemic from NC all the way to San Francisco. We visited 13 states over 5 days (carefully following COVID guidelines!).

collaborative digital journaling app stalgia experiences alternative to facebook instagram app

Jeremy Harwin, CBDO

Jeremy Harwin, CBDO

Tarlon Khoubyari, Marketing Consultant

Most memorable trip:

I spent a week in Thailand with my good friend Max while we were studying abroad in Shanghai, that was unforgettable.


Colgate University '20

Stalgia app collaborative digital journal bullet journal alternative social media private

Eric Fishbin, CEO

Jeremy Harwin, CBDO

Eric Fishbin, CEO

 Favorite things to do with your inner-circles:


See live music (preferably, Phish or some kind of jam band) or go to a New York Mets/Knicks/Islanders game.


Colgate University '20

Join the Team

Jeremy Harwin, CBDO

Eric Fishbin, CEO

We're looking for Software Engineers & more! Reach out to hi@thestalgiaapp.com or use the contact form on the home page!

Ready to make new memories?

Get Stalgia (ios)

Origin

It’s a September afternoon in Hamilton, New York...

The semester is just starting to pick up steam after a fun-filled Syllabus Week at Colgate University. Classes let out and the quad fills up with students rushing in every direction. 


It’s ‘shorts and a t-shirt’ weather; the energy on campus feels like the sun.


Among the scurry of students is an English & Creative Writing major from Snowmass Village, CO named Tristan Niskanen. He walks down the Persson Hall steps and smiles as he passes by Taylor Lake. He pulls a pen from behind his ear to scribble a quick note for himself in a pocket journal. He is happy to be back on campus after spending last semester studying abroad in Bloomsbury, London.


Meanwhile, Eric Fishbin is on his way to the same apartment complex—but to a different room and for a different reason. He is driving over to see his friend, Jeremy, because he can't wait to show off his new poetry book -- "Big Man Small Europe."

 
Jeremy doesn’t know why Eric is so excited. Eric opens the door without knocking and Jeremy is at the table shuffling a deck of cards. Eric pulls off his shoes and frisbees the  book onto the table for Jeremy to see. “This,” Eric tells Jeremy, “was written during the Spring 2019 semester when I was abroad in London.”

 
His classmate, Tristan, took pens and paper wherever he went and turned memorable (and forgettable) moments from his semester overseas into poems. He had over 100 poems upon return and decided to organize and self-publish the collection. 


When he first got the book, Eric was thrilled to show it off: Reading it reminded him of what it was like. The banal-but-special inside jokes, small details that triggered bigger memories and other special moments from the semester abroad had a home. 


Jeremy wished he had the same thing because he could not recall similar details from his semester in Shanghai the previous fall. He knew he had the best four months of his life, but had nothing to make his journey come to life after it was done. Sure, he had photos, notes, videos and group text messages with friends, but it was impossible to make any sense of it all.


We saw the problem and realized a solution was needed. Our stories fade away, but they don't have to if we don't want them to. What is it about going to a new place that inspires such a drastic shift in perspective and makes us more observant, more adventurous and more in the moment? How can we make the details of our great moments or experiences last? 


Answer: Like the Beatles said, "with a little help from our friends..." 


REQUEST:

I know another person's thought 

and who I am, I know that not. 

My vision is too close to me --

I am not what I saw and see.

I'd use myself more perfectly

if I could move away from me.

Yet not so distant as my foe!

My closest friends too far off, no

Give me instead the middle ground

Do you surmise what I propound?

-Nietzsche



Copyright © 2022 Stalgia Inc. - All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

DeclineAccept