hello friends! how have you been feeling lately?
I realize it has been a minute, but as you probably know, there’s been a lot happening lately (!)
as I write this, we are currently:
- ushering in a new administration (and making history with our country’s first female, Black, and South Asian VP, eee!! did anyone else get teary-eyed at kamala’s speech? or see all the kids watching her?)
- entering a second wave of the pandemic (and already seeing countries go under lockdown again which is giving me scary déjà vu)
- gearing up for a holiday season (for which I feel infinitely grateful to be home with family but also very sad that it will be an incredibly tough time for many families this year)
personally, I have also been:
- adjusting to being back home for a little while (always missing the city’s energy and the freshest everything bagels, but most certainly not missing the clanking radiator in my apartment)
- trying to keep general life stress and anxiety at bay (crafting, exercising, and getting enough sleep have been helpful)
- continuing to find opportunities for growth though the lessons this year has taught us (maybe this will be a separate post—there are SO many lessons!)
on that last note, before writing this, I was skimming through some older posts from the spring and it got me thinking: even though there’s so much we seem to be going through this year still, there’s also so much we’ve already gone through.
kinda wild but amazing, right?
in following suit with my previous check-in posts, here are a few things I have been struggling with lately:
- recognizing that at this point, a lot of people I know are going to have different comfort levels regarding going out and seeing people, but continuing to communicate shared needs and concerns is important, albeit often awkward
- remembering that it is truly okay to just do nothing some days—a mindset that has very much ebbed and flowed for me this year
- dealing with eczema flare-ups (stress! dry air!) and trying to get my blood pressure under control (aka not stressing about things like eczema! ahhh!)
and, as always, some things I have also been especially grateful for:
- feeling a new sense of hope and unity in this country as we continue to move forward
- taking social media-free days
- family (pup included)
- candles candles candles (I have been loving these woc-owned, NY-local ones)
- feeling better about setting work/life boundaries (a work-in-progress, but there’s progress!)
- mom’s homecooking
- penpals (I’ve found a few through this Facebook group and have had a blast crafting letters and cards…and having an excuse to order stickers muahaha)
- crunchy leaves on afternoon walks
- bonfire nights (hellooo, extra toasty marshmallows)
- getting to share this (now belated) birthday greeting (skip to 21:39…or listen to the whole thing, it’s wonderful!)
- starting a new book I can’t wait to get back to
take care out there! xx
minor conveniences 