Another Trip Around the Sun
Here are a few things I'm celebrating this year
Hey Friends!
Tomorrow is my birthday, and Chani warned of cosmic chaos that may affect publishing and travel plans erupting on Monday, so I thought it’d be best to drop this post before any of that happens. By the way, it’s never too late to send a birthday card! I can be reached at PO Box 292, Surry, ME 04684.
Birthdays are a great time to check in with yourself and reflect on what’s changed over the past year. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing in my downtime between work, farm chores, and celebrating life these past few days.
I have SO MUCH to be grateful for! I also love a good list (Virgo Rising). So, I thought I’d share a good gratitude list based on my birthday reflections to get the joie de vivre juices flowing.
My new job. I know, I know — I’ve complained about how brutal (and unjust) it can be. But working at the post office has connected me with more than a few amazing people I now call friends. It also allows me to get paid for not working on my birthday for the first time in >10 years and gives me the peace of mind that comes with a steady paycheck and health insurance.
Therapy. I just started weekly virtual appointments with a new therapist a few weeks ago, and it’s already dramatically improved my mental health and overall well-being.
Mini-dates. J and I have been grabbing coffee and hitting the beach for mini-dates that last less than an hour. It’s such a treat and easy to do at the last minute, alleviating the pressure of planning (and then having your plans wrecked by weather or gnarly astrology).
Facing fears. This morning, I went above my nerve and finally agreed to hike the Beehive trail at Acadia, which is famous for its near-vertical, exposed ascent that made me feel like I was climbing to Mordor.
Still on the fear-facing train — I’m grateful to feel so comfortable driving, exploring, talking to new people, and generally leaving the house. I attribute this to getting a new job outside my home. I don’t know if I shared much here about how isolated I’d been since moving to Maine at the start of Covid, but it got bad, and I was feeling mega anxious about going out. SO GLAD that seems to be over!!!
Schitt’s Creek. I’m re-watching the whole series again. It’s like a balm for the soul.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. It’s the best fiction book I read last year, and probably in my whole life (I reviewed it here). I just started re-reading it even though I have a stack of other books begging for my attention. It’s okay. I’ll get to them in due time.
Moving my body and journaling. Two essentials for a good morning.
Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils. Simply the best, and they make excellent scratchy sounds on paper that give me ASMR tingles.
Marco Polo. Still using the app Hayley introduced me to for keeping in touch with loved ones and I love it.
My health. This is a big one and now I feel like I should have put it higher on the list. I thank Goddess every day for being healthy, and I’m grateful to be entering a new year of my life feeling even stronger in body, mind, and spirit.
I’m going to end there, but I will add that I’m immensely grateful to you for joining me on this wild ride. I know this little newsletter has taken a few twists and turns, and it means the world to me that you’re still here.
Thank you.
I love you!
XoLauren