January Recap
Started a blog, went outside, found a bird
CW: burlesque, shipwrecks
I've been meaning to sit down and write some actual blog posts, but there always seems to be something else next in line for my attention. So rather than not write anything, I've decided to post a summary of the notable events in my life from January. This is mainly to help me contextualize personal events, but if you get something out of reading my experiences then I'm happy to share. 😊
Started a Blog
I started a blog! I wrote my first-ever blog post as a response to the 32-Bit Cafe's Year In Review event . That was a great exercise that got me to appreciate the good things in my life rather than focusing on the bad.
Having published a single blog post, I felt motivated to make it into a proper blog. I learned the Nunjucks templating language and set up my blog page to automatically display all published posts. I was already using eleventy to build my site, and thankfully they had a helpful blog example in the docs. I tweaked it and added some features like estimated reading time using eleventy-plugin-reading-time .
On the back end, I added a drafts folder so I could safely preview my posts. I added page redirects so that I could move pages without breaking my permalinks. I also did some refactoring and restructured my layout templates for the entire website. I wanted to refactor the CSS by switching to SCSS but decided I would save that distraction for another day.
I'm still working the blog. RSS feed is coming soon!
Went Outside
In January, I continued my mission to get out of the house.
I took my partner Ellie on a date to a museum. We saw artifacts from the Titanic and imagined what it would be like to be aboard that ill fated vessel. I felt a sense of sorrow for the lost souls and anger at the hubris that sealed their fate. We had dinner at a classy steakhouse, and I felt romantic as we bonded over the shared experience. It was a nice evening.
To celebrate a different human emotion, my friend took me to see a Burlesque show. The main event was a strip-tease act where a woman danced to sultry music and gradually stripped down to her underwear. I'm used to living in a world where it's impolite to watch someone undress, so it felt strange that the performer EXPECTED us to watch. It felt socially liberating to (respectfully) break the rules of politeness and celebrate these natural desires instead of suppressing them.
Found a Bird
My partner Ellie convinced me to start using the Finch self-care app. I have to take care of myself anyway, so I might as well take care of this little bird. 🐦 This might be exactly what I need to help with my executive function--little rewards for daily tasks I might otherwise ignore. The app is fun to use and the bird is adorable! 😊❤️
Work has been a bit demanding the past few weeks. My sleep schedule has been terrible and I've ended up working late several nights in a row. My people-pleasing tendencies make it hard for me set boundaries. I may need to disappoint someone at work in order to restore my work-life balance.
I'm continuing to learn more about myself through therapy. Lately I've been getting to know the part of me that's been hurt and starved for love since I was a child. This part is sad and heartbroken. It has internalized all the negative things anyone has ever said to me. I don't let this part come the surface often, but I'm trying to let it know that it's not alone and that it can be loved. ❤️
Media
Ellie and I finished watching The Bad Batch on Disney Plus. It's a great show that expands the Star Wars universe by following the adventures of a group of misfit clones when they are the only ones not affected by Order 66. The show has real drama and character growth, and focuses on themes of family, loyalty, and choosing your own path.
Plans for February
I plan to continue working on my website and adding new features. Next up is an RSS feed and an updated homepage. If I have time I'd like to refactor the stylesheet using SCSS. I'll also be participating in the 32-Bit Cafe's Valentines day event. 💗
Socially, I'd like to continue getting out of the house. I haven't been to our local cosplay bar in over a month. It would be good for me to get more "unstructured" social activity and reconnect with friends I haven't seen in a while.
I'm going to keep using Finch. I know I have a habit of dropping these kind of habit tracking apps after a few weeks, but this one feels different and I'm hoping it will stick. Oh, and I should probably try to get on some ADHD meds--that might help reign in my scattered attention.
Good luck future me! 🎉