The end of summer and the entrance to fall went mostly as anticipated. My best friends and I continued with our scheduled plans, including an antiquing day trip, a movie outing, a board game night, and a dinner party. There were also several concerts, a bad movie night, a coffee date, and book clubs with my Twitch friends scattered throughout. I even published a collaborative poetry project that had been in the works for nearly two years.

Then, in the beginning of September, my job announced a major change to the work-from-home policy effective immediately. After weighing my options, I ultimately put in my two-weeks notice. My coworkers met the news with such kindness and support that it blew me away. On the last day, on my last commute home, I was racked with full-body sobs. Though I pulled into the driveway mostly composed, when I opened the door and said, “I did it,” the tears started flowing all over again. It’s taken a lot to process those complicated, bittersweet feelings.

Now I’ve found myself in a time of sabbatical. So far that has largely meant dishes and laundry on repeat, marathoning TV shows, listening to lots of music, and quality time with my cats. But the amount of peace and healing I’ve experienced already is immeasurable. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to pour some energy back into myself, and the space to decide my next move.

  • Movies Watched: In a Violent Nature, Longlegs, Ponyo, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, The Blackening, Gonjiam Haunted Asylum, Pumpkinhead, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Piggy, House on Haunted Hill (1959), Hell House LLC, Killjoy, Thir13en Ghosts, The Final Destination, Children of the Corn, Killjoy 2 Deliverance from Evil, Warlock
  • Books Read: The Room (Jonas Karlsson), What Kind of Woman (Kate Baer), The Lathe of Heaven (Ursula K. Le Guin)
  • TV Watched: Ink Master Redemption, Brooklyn 99, Game Changer, Ink Master, Dirty Pop The Boy Band Scam, Taskmaster AU, Taskmaster UK, Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction, New Girl, Guy’s Grocery Games, The 8 Show, Beef, Chopped, Worst Cooks in America

Top 10 tracks:

  1. Routines in the Night (Twenty One Pilots)
  2. Vignette (Twenty One Pilots)
  3. One of Your Girls (Troye Sivan)
  4. us. (Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift)
  5. Don’t Take the Money (Bleachers)
  6. Ignore Me (Betty Who)
  7. i hope ur miserable until ur dead (Nessa Barrett)
  8. Perfectionism (CJ The X)
  9. Triple (CJ The X)
  10. the girl, so confusing version with lorde (Charli XCX)