So. It’s been a while.
If you’ve been following along (all two of you, hi sister!), you probably noticed the blog went quiet somewhere after El Nido. That wasn’t the plan. Then again, when is anything ever the plan?
Here’s the short version: I didn’t stop living. I just stopped writing about it. Turns out those are two very different things, and only one of them pays rent in peace of mind.
The Back-and-Forth
I’m still where I am, physically (as in where I live most of the time)—that part hasn’t changed. But somewhere along the way, “home” started meaning several places instead of one. I made several trips to the US, for six months at a stretch, splitting my time (and my sanity, a little) between my own place and the house I grew up in. Sometimes, I wake up disoriented, wondering where I am.
Two households may not sound like much. But in reality… it means everything doubles. Two of everything—electricity, water, internet. The roof needs painting. The garden needs…gardening? I’ve lived in a condo/building most of my adult life, so I didn’t know just how much work goes into maintaining a “real” house. I don’t much care for it.
Work Did What Work Does
On the work front: it’s an understatement to say crazy. My oldest and closest client project went through its own pivot, and I had to say goodbye to my baby project, which I have been working on since 2008. That hurt as much as I expected—maybe more. Not only financially but also emotionally.
The Part That Stuck
And then, underneath all of that logistical noise, there was a family crisis. I’m not going to turn this into a whole essay about it—some things are still too close to write about with any distance—but it forced me to reorder my priorities. Fast.
I spent more time with family. Especially my nephews, who have somehow grown up to be almost adults with their own lives! And somewhere in the middle of the chaos, I got clearer on what I actually wanted in life.
Life Be Lifin’
Granted, it’s not all sugar and spice. There’s always something. But one good thing has come out of it all: I’m writing for the sake of writing again. Not for a client, not for a deadline. Just because I want to.
Which is, in a roundabout way, why you’re reading this.
More soon. Same wandering, same nap-taking, same all-around-geek energy—just a slightly wiser, slightly more grounded version of it (maybe).
Glad to be back.
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