Hi all. Long time, no chat. Let’s bring you up to speed.
Since my last life update, I’ve:
- Graduated
- Moved back to my hometown
- Started a full time job
- Moved out of my parents’ place
- Started a kickass vegetable garden
That’s a very short list of a whole lot of things that have happened, but consider it a highlight reel.
Here’s What I’ve Been Up To
As you may recall, I spent my senior year of college living alone in a 3 bedroom apartment. It was amazing. I had tons of space for myself, my stuff, and my ever-growing collection of plants. I never wore pants. I sang all the time. I ate twice-baked potatoes for dinner at 11:00 PM. It was amazing.
Then I moved home. You know, where my family lives. And I love my family, but they’re all extroverts in the strongest sense. My mom reads a closed door as a cry for help. Everyone wanted to chat about what was in the newspaper over breakfast. Most of what I owned had to stay in my room, which quickly became a fire hazard. I had to wear pants.
Suffice to say, there was a transition period.
I caught a lucky break, though. A family we’ve all been friends with for years ran their business out of a little three bedroom, red brick house about 10 minutes down the road from my office. And they decided that, at the start of 2018, they were moving. They also have a daughter who’s my age (and has the same name, albeit with an “h”: Meghan) and went to the same college as my older sister. It was a perfect fit – they needed three renters, and Meghan, my sister, and I needed a place to live.
So we helped them turn the office-house back into a house-house and moved in about halfway through January. I love this little red brick house and its little yard and its hardwood floors. I do not love the creepy unfinished basement and all the spiders that take up residence in the living room. But it’s a place of our own, with space for my dog, my sister’s cat, and, as of this about a two weeks ago, a new kitten. Meet Geoff:
When it warmed up, I dug up a plot of the back yard and planted a garden. The strawberries were a bust and the cucumbers quickly consumed half the space, but a garden’s a garden… And I think my roommates are happier if I keep some plants outside. Besides, there’s nothing like being able to bring my boyfriend’s mom some fresh tomatoes and jalapenos for her pico de gallo. (Side note: I don’t know if it’s because they’re fresh, or if there’s something in our soil, but my jalapenos are unbearably hot.)
Why No Blog Posts?
Put simply: holy crap, you guys, being an adult is exhausting. I’ve spent the last year fighting this awful stuck in a rut feeling. It’s not as easy to leave work behind as I had hoped, and the stress of feeling like I was always on call at work really got to me. I started to feel sapped and uncreative, even when I was at the office.
That said, I’m a big believer in momentum. So about a month ago, I started writing blog posts again. I didn’t put any online, just wrote whenever I could spare the time. It got me back in the habit, and gave me a comfortable cushion, where I knew I could publish consistently, even if I didn’t have time to write much. And I’ve found that I feel better than I did before. Forcing myself to be creative – even if it meant spending three evenings on the same blog post – made me feel more creative. It’s like priming a pump, or running before you jump on your bike.
Being an Adult Does Not Suck
I know the last few paragraphs didn’t sound so chipper, but while I didn’t write many blog posts over the past year, I did have a good time. The 10 Minute Magic series is a testament to that. I’m more organized, more proactive, and more productive than ever.
It shows in a lot of weird ways. My room is almost always clean. I can’t remember the last time stayed up until midnight doing an emergency load of laundry. My latest weekend alarm is 8:00 AM. I’m up early to run errands, so I can spend afternoons and evenings with my boyfriend, or my dog, or my family on the river. Most weeks, I meal prep. Those meals include a ton of vegetables. These all seem like simple things, but I’ve been a human disaster for 95% of my life, so this is really impressive.
The reason I’m back to blogging is that all those basics now feel like second nature. When I get home from work, I just unload the dishwasher. I don’t sit on the couch and try to convince myself to do it for 20 minutes – I just do it. And that leaves me with a lot more time to pursue the stuff I love… a.k.a writing, running, and sleeping in the sun with my pup.
Is it sad that it took me a year to get the hang of being a functional adult? Maybe. Am I perfect? No. My roommates can attest to that. But I’m better than I was. And that’s the point of this blog. (And maybe life. Jury’s still out.)
What’s Next for Living Between the Lines
Well, first and foremost – more 10 Minute Magic posts. Expect those every Thursday for the next couple of weeks, at least. The frequency may decrease from time to time, it really depends on what you guys want, and what I have to offer.
My goal is never to just suggest things that sound good. I want to have at least a little time to try the strategies I recommend myself. Everything written and planned so far is a little change I’ve made sometime in the last year, and I’m confident in all of them. If I start taking suggestions, I’ll want to field test them a little first.
As for new posts, it’s back-to-school season, so I’m working on a few posts that’ll be helpful to those of you still in college. While I’m no longer a student, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way, and don’t mind passing along what I’ve found.
Beyond that, look for the return of the bullet journal posts (in one form or another), organization, productivity, post-grad advice, and maybe a few more life updates. As always, you can email me at megan@livingbetweenthelines.com if you want to chat, or suggest a post.
As I said last time – thank you. For reading, commenting, bullet-journaling, and more. You’re the best people on the internet, and I’m glad you’re here.
