I’m a big fan of those elusive “right place at the right time” moments, and Sunday delivered in a big way.
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The Journey
DISCLAIMER: I’m about to get uncomfortably real here for a second. Bear with me.
Today, I am not okay.
In fact, I feel about as far from okay as a person can get.
I’m homesick for a place that’s 14,397 kilometers away; I’m struggling to sleep and eat; and I’d like nothing more than to give the world and my new ten-second rule a callous middle finger.
Should I really be blogging then, if I’m feeling this disconnected from myself? Yes, for two reasons.
Originally, I planned to title this post “Ten Seconds to Happy,” but later on I make reference to one Ms. Kimmy Schmidt, and the jarring visual of a salty stick of meat draped in crinoline was too good to pass up. (Titus, you legend.) And besides, I’ve been hard at work channeling strength and self-love, so a metaphor for tough and beautiful seemed apropos.
So here’s the thing: happiness is only ten seconds away. Less, even. This might sound farfetched, but neuroscience and Netflix suggest otherwise.
As I’ve mentioned before, a writer’s homework is reading.
Since moving to Australia, I made the conscious decision to incorporate more Australian literature into my homework routine. This also doubles as a measure of my cultural competency: where once I used to trip over “textas” and “trackie dacks,” I’ve now mastered many of Australia’s colloquialisms. (I think) thats a good thing.
At the recommendation of one of my housemates, I dove into Jennifer Down’s Our Magic Hour, an aerial view of life after loss.
In an exchange between the protagonist, Audrey, and her partner, Nick, Audrey is scolded with a hard-hitting metaphor:
“Your religion is other people’s happiness. It’s absurd.”
…and we’re back!
Sorry for the hiatus, everyone. True to my introvert nature, I needed time off to recharge after spending 31 days unable to distinguish where my fingers ended and the keyboard began.
Originally, I was sure I’d spend the final day of my personal blogging challenge waxing poetically about the wins, struggles, and lessons learned. By the time I reached the finish line, though, I was too exhausted to know what I thought.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve reverted back to “business as usual;” amidst all the life living and trip planning (Sri Lanka and the Maldives, here I come!), a handful of little gemstones crystallized into four big ideas: