It’s been a while, just wanted to pop in and say hello with a few thoughts.
On Work
Leaving secure full-time work in favor of self-employment and going back to working for myself was a big decision but not one I made in isolation. There were weeks of discussions with C, with my parents, with anyone who would listen for half a second really. I feel confident about my decision though, and really looking forward to owning the work process and working for myself again
On Health
Summer is a weird time for me. You’d think that the creaky joints would do better in the warmer weather, but the heat causes more problems than it solves. That being said, working on my own schedule, being more a little every day with the walking pad, I have high hopes for being able to put my health first this summer.
On Birdwatching
Is it the mark of old age that birdwatching is a thing I love to do now? Possibly. But I can’t recommend it more. Truly I am writing this as I sit in a farmhouse kitchen in Ireland, sharing a pocket handbook on birds of the British Isles with C, debating on whether we’re seeing a Nutthatch or Chaffinch. Even on home soil, I’ve frequently interrupted a work day to watch the Carolina finches on our bird feeder or listen to the Woodpecker. I’ve had more joy trying to record a bird song while gardening, inevitably mashing dirt into every possible crevice of my phone, than I have at most other things lately.
On Family
Living near family is something C and I both want to prioritize, but I’m finding that now in my late 20’s, the definition of family is changing more and more, getting bigger every year. It’s grown beyond my own relatives, spanning to include C’s family, close friends (and their babies!), and our dogs, truly our canine children. Then this trip, our family has grown even bigger, meeting third and fourth cousins, seeing my own features and even habits in distant relatives, and contacting historians and librarians to learn more about our history. The more our family grows, the harder defining “living near family” becomes. A good problem to have I think.
On Taking Big Leaps
or On Joy
I probably am the farthest thing from an expert here. Taking big scary leaps was never something I did. I’ve always been exceedingly cautious, and I know it’s definitely held me back from some incredible things before. But over the past seven-ish months, I’ve made an active effort to go against my nature and make the big scary leaps (BSL’s?). Some of those things were huge for me like setting hard boundaries at work, going for a week-long trip to Ireland to meet family I’d never met before, and quitting my job to work for myself. Some were small, like choosing to start doing things that I’m objectively bad at, but bring me so much joy to do. Painting wonky flowers, elbow deep in a poorly organized garden, even writing this blog. It’s just becoming so much more important to keep joy and happiness and lightness in my every day. And making those BSL’s to prioritize that have been the biggest and best choices I’ve made this year.
