Now
My personal goal is to update this page once a week. Come back to see what I've been up to.
- 1/19/2025:
- The Appalachian mountains. Spent this past weekend on the road again, this time in the city of Pittsburgh. Despite being frequent fliers, my husband and I opted to make the 5-hour drive. I have never been through the Appalachian mountains. They are stunning! I found myself charmed by the many historic towns nestled in the foothills of old mountain peaks. Pittsburgh itself was also a great time (lots of excellent food!), but I can't get the mountains off my mind.
- The pros of being a multifaceted person. I am predisposed to a one-track mind, but I have learned better than to put all my eggs in one basket. Writing hasn't felt right to me for awhile. While I do consider myself a writer, I strive not to make this label a centerpiece of my identity. There's no use guilting myself for not writing. I fight it with a rich life full of other interests, hobbies, and responsibilities.
- 1/10/2025:
- An eventful start to the New Year. My husband and I had a lovely NYE out, followed by a trip a few hours north of our city to attend his sister's/my sister-in-law's wedding, which was an excellent time. Unfortunately, I caught COVID from the wedding and have been out of commission since, though I do feel like I pushed my body a little too hard this holiday season and this could be my comeuppance.
- Finished watching Killing Eve. I intended to watch Killing Eve for a long time, so I finally did over the past couple months. I haven't adored a TV show like that in quite some time (even though the ending is... unsatisfactory, to put it mildly). Villanelle is a uniquely special kind of character, and I'd like to see more women in fiction like her. And I find myself so charmed by Eve's presence and charisma, courtesy of the talented Sandra Oh, of course.
- The contradiction of my desires. Like many people in our modern world, I am not entirely resistant to the influence of FOMO. One of my goals for this year is to say "no" more, to block time for myself in my planner in advance and to keep that time free, but also to have more high-quality experiences with other people. In a society that chants more, more, more, it can seem contradictory to want more fun and also less to do, but I suspect in carving out my time with more exclusivity, I'll invite in better experiences.
- 12/29/2024:
- Exhausted after the holidays. I can't handle Christmas like other people can; I don't know how my family members have stamina for 3 or 4 celebrations when I can scarcely handle one. Looking forward to New Year's, though. My husband and I have booked a swanky night out attending a multi-course dinner and dance on a riverboat.
- Ongoing worldbuilding stuff. I have still been thinking about my worldbuilding and writing approach, though the holiday season has put that on pause. I think I have everything I need, just considering how to organize it. Perhaps this is another way in which my perfectionism betrays me.
- Reviving a childhood special interest. One of my favorite movies as a child was Twister (my age is showing, lol). I spent the next few years utterly enamored with tornadoes. Over the past few weeks, I have been slowly getting back into severe weather, watching stormchasing streams, checking the NWS storm reports, and familiarizing myself with the science of it, now that I'm old enough to understand. It's a strange hobby but it's so unlike my usual artistic interests that it feels novel!
- Thinking about Nosferatu. My husband and I went to see Nosferatu last Friday. I adored it. I have a longstanding love for the twisted, uncomfortable, and macabre, and in my English major days, I spent a lot of time studying the Gothic era of the Romantic literary movement. I may go back to see it a second time.
- 12/17/2024:
- Personal creative processes. Posted an essay about scaling back my approach to worldbuilding here. Also reflecting on my approach to writing and creativity in general. Wondering how I can adapt my methods to play nice with my declining energy levels.
- Started a yoga class. Went to my first class at a real yoga studio tonight. Everyone was very kind.
- Thinking about the holidays. Gotta bring a dish to a holiday party this Saturday and then it's nonstop Christmas all week long.
- 12/10/2024:
- The personal web. HTML & CSS, exploring Neocities and other personal websites, learning about the importance of the indie web.
- Establishing a personal routine. Using a planner, getting out of the house more, being consistent with my schedule, making space for more opportunities for fun and/or interaction.
- Maintaining a weekly tarot practice. Doing a card pull every Monday with a Discord group and participating in discussion.
- Going to the gym. My first-ever consistent gym routine, weightlifting 2-3x a week, and considering adding a weekly yoga class.