Have you ever wanted to take a break? Not a little break, but a big one? Like take a whole year off to do whatever you want? In academia, people call this kind of break a sabbatical, and if you’re a tenured professor, you can apply for one every seven years. Big break, escape hatch, … Continue reading Traversing the Liminal Space with Alyson Wagner
This is a still life I made of some of my favorite things: succulents, dahlias, crystals, gemstones, lavender hearts, and seashells. I wanted to share this photo with you to encourage you to surround yourself with some of your favorite things and to remind you that not a single one of us knows how long … Continue reading Making It Through With My Favorite Things
I’ve been on a digital detox for 30 days and it’s been WONDERFUL. It wasn’t without its challenges, but overall, the changes I made resulted in less stress and more peace, so I’ve decided to do it for another 30 days. Here are the goals I set 30 days ago and how each one turned … Continue reading Digital Detox 30-Day Update
Staying home for nearly four weeks during this COVID-19 pandemic has given me a lot more time to think about what I want more of in my life and what I want less of. First off, I want to decrease the things that annoy or cause me anxiety on a daily basis. Second, I want … Continue reading Digital Detox for 30 Days
I had no idea that the new t-shirt I bought–emblazoned with two elephants, a tree, and Better Days Will Come–would become my motto for 2020. I ordered it a few weeks ago with the U.S. presidential election in mind. I wanted to wear it while tabling at zine fests in the fall so that shoppers … Continue reading Better Days Will Come: A Mini Pandemic Survival Guide
There are some weeks when I have diarrhea every day. There are some days when I have abdominal pain so bad I feel like I’m going to faint…and almost do. If I forget to wear sunscreen and am out in the sun for longer than 20 minutes, my skin breaks out in hives. Sometimes, when … Continue reading I Have 5 Autoimmune Disorders Yet I’m Living My Best Life
I was nervous about going to BlogHer18 in New York City. It was the first conference that I was attending by myself. In the past, I’ve attended work-related conferences with coworkers or supervisors, and for writing conferences, I’ve attended with at least one writing friend, usually two or three. But this conference was something I … Continue reading My Time at BlogHer18
I admit it. I’m a goals junkie. For me, not setting goals is like not wanting to read. It’s the strangest, most unnatural thing for me. You see, I love setting goals–at the beginning of the year, throughout the year, at the end of the year, whenever. I love dreaming about the future. For years, … Continue reading How I Stopped Being a Goals Junkie
#1: I stopped making goals, and started making habits.In the past, I’ve always made much bigger goals than I could ever achieve because I like reaching for the stars. But, this year, it felt wrong to do that. I was grieving, both personally and politically, and I just did not have the energy to make … Continue reading 5 Things that Helped Me Get Through a Really Hard Year
A week ago today, I was lying in bed in the emergency room of Swedish Hospital in Ballard, Seattle, with an IV dripping fluids into my veins. You see, I had contracted some virus that gave me the shakes, hot flashes, and a fever for two days. On the third day, all those things went … Continue reading The Benefits of Being Sick
