15 Joys of Right Now

I am extremely excited for August. There is so much good, exciting, long-term goal stuff that is coming this fall, and I am so ready for it. But with that also comes lots of change, a lot of decisions, and a lot of new territory. Even pre-covid, 2020 began as a year earmarked for lots of personal changes. Adding that to all the uncertainty covid has brought, and some big mental shifts I've been needing to make, hasn't been the easiest. 

But while I've thrown myself a few pity parties over the last two weeks (and let's be honest, the last two days as well), I also feel so excited for everything that is coming. I am working on staying present, and staying positive, so here are 15 joyful things that are happening right now.

01: Drinking sparkling water with fresh lemon. Some ice, a fresh wedge of lemon, and some seltzer in a mason jar has been my go-to refresher lately. It feels way more luxurious than it should. Once when I was feeling really fancy, I even added fresh thyme! And that was magical. 

02: Bear's new interest in playing. I still need to write the long-awaited post dedicated to our German Shepherd puppy, Bear, but for now I'll keep it to this: He's currently 6 months old (and 60 pounds!), and has just started selecting the toy he wants and bringing it to you to play with him. If you ignore him, he'll just keep putting his toy in your lap until you start playing with him. It is so endearing.

03: Quiet, peaceful, no-pressure Sunday afternoons. The last few weeks, our Sundays have been fairly busy with adventurous, outdoorsy stuff, like kayaking. The secondary benefit to this, is that in the afternoon, we (and Bear!) are already tired and ready to zone out. This has led to lots of snuggling up in bed, with a book or a movie or just to scroll through photos with some water and a snack. Nothing beats that sleepy Sunday feeling.

04: After a year of being on the waiting list, I am finally starting the Master Choreography Techniques certification with American Ice Theater this fall! This course is a semester long, with monthly meetings, readings, and homework, like creating pieces of choreography to discuss. I just got my book today, and am so pumped.

05: New hanging plants. A few Sundays ago, I went off to a local greenhouse and bought a few more houseplants. We now have a beautiful lipstick plant hanging in the living room window, and it just makes me love this space even more. 

06: Creating working space. Speaking of space, we've been re-thinking our apartment setup. Our space is small ( one bedroom, attic apartment), and now with two adults and a dog who are home and attempting to be productive at home more than we used to, we're having to rethink a few things. But, setting up private spaces that allow both Chris and I to work has been really fun. 

07: Bagels. It has been FOREVER since I'd had a bagel, and the other week, I happened to get one for lunch. It was a cinnamon crunch bagel, with honey walnut cream cheese, from Panera, and it made my entire day. I now can't get bagels out of my head, and we're planning to go out and get some for breakfast tomorrow morning.

08: Yoga with Adrienne INQUIRE. I love YWA forever and always, but her theme this month of "inquire" is just so good. I am working hard (and failing, but trying and trying) to get better at a daily practice, and this August playlist is really giving me what I need. Highly recommend.

09: Automatic savings accounts. I recently did a savings overhaul, and created a few new accounts to better help accomplish my current goals. Spending the morning creating those accounts and then setting up the automatic transfers gave me SO MUCH JOY! Life will look very different in five years, I think, and this is helping me get there!

10: Gnocchi, greens, & sausage. My favorite go-to meal that has come from quarantine has been: any kind of freezer gnocchi, scrambled sausage, and broccoli rabe (or any other bitter greens), all mixed together, with cheese. It is quick and doesn't really require planning, with a cheesy comfort factor. 

11: Nuanced people. This isn't the moment to go into crazy amounts of detail, but lately there has been a lot of conversation, in my community, about decisions I've made. This can feel hurtful, at times, and emotionally draining, always. The people who have been helping the most are the people around me who are able to have kind, nuanced conversations, and don't spend much time dwelling in the black and white "facts." I appreciate them.

12: Orange Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Another quarantine discovery. Now I don't even want to make normal cookies.

13: Our bedroom. I LOVE this room. I am so happy I painted it blue. That I got the new blanket for the bed. That I bought new plants. It's a beautiful, cooling, calming space.

14: WATER!! Lately, I have been so attracted to the water. I crave seeing the ocean and swimming and even just wading. I've taken Bear to boat launches in the early mornings so he can cool off, have packed up solo dinners to eat at the beach, and have been researching local swimming holes. I just can't get swimming off my brain. 

15: Following lots of great voices for mental health. Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading, podcast listening, and Instagram scrolling through voices of psychologists and therapists. I've found so many recent insights extremely helpful, and it gives me hope to keep moving forward.

Of course, there is more. There is always, always more. And I need to do better at reminding myself of that.

Even though 2020 can feel like a mess for so many of us, it’s extremely lucky and privileged to be “frustrated” by it and not broken by it.This is life. The ups, the downs, the re-calibrations, and the ability to look at what’s in front of us and choose the best path forward, even while wishing for different choices.

I am excited to enter August. I am grateful the new phase of life this year feels like. While we press forward, here's to staying grounded in the joys of right now, too.