The New Normal

It's been nearly four weeks since I left my job, and I'm only now really settling into a routine. I spent the first week hanging out with my visiting brother, Mike. We had a great week, but the constant socializing and inadequate sleep wore me down more than I expected. It started with a sore throat, and by the time Mike left, I was deep in the throes of a nasty cold. I can't remember ever having a cold that bad, and it hung on throughout my second week and beyond.

Last week, I was finally starting to feel normal again. I baked cookies and did laundry and worked on some web writing. I've decided that my first big writing project will be creating a queer interest website for women. Kate and I are building this together, and we're both really excited about it. It will be a collection of personal essays as well as pop culture reviews. We want it to be a resource for people who are still figuring out who they are. It will also be a helpful place for family members and loved ones to learn about the experience of being queer.

Kate had a short work week; she spent Thursday through Sunday at the Calgary Expo with her bestie. That left me with a lot of time to myself, and I spent most of it writing and editing content for our website. We're waiting until we have lots of articles in the bag before we go live with the site. Once we open those doors, we don't want anything to slow us down!

I made plans with friends during Kate's absence, because four days alone is a lot, even for a hermit like me. I don't drive, so I chose a Second Cup that was only about a twenty minute walk from home. I used to do a lot of walking before I started dating Kate, due in part to Edmonton's flawed transit system. The walk to Second Cup was not a difficult one, but I was surprised (and embarrassed) to discover that my body hurt the next day.

My non-existent fitness level was one of the many reasons I decided to quit my full-time job. I was spending 40 hours a week sitting in a chair, staring at a screen. At the end of the work day, I would have zero motivation to do anything physical. Working from home allows me more freedom to move around. I'm writing (which requires me to sit), but I'm also running back and forth to the laundry room, standing up to do dishes at the sink, baking, cooking, vacuuming, etc. I'm moving more.

That's not the only benefit. I used to feel socially burnt out at the end of the work day, and Kate would struggle to relax if our apartment was untidy. She would frequently choose to run errands (groceries, prescriptions, etc) solo, while I worked on the apartment.  But things are different now. The apartment is in order when Kate comes home, and I'm happy to join her for grocery runs. I can actually do small runs on my own, since the grocery store is close enough for me to walk.

I'll be walking today. I have a hair appointment this afternoon. When I scheduled it for May 3rd, I had no way of knowing I was agreeing to be outside during the hottest part of a really hot day, walking and sweating. I'd rather not do it, but that's my tough luck.

I have the freedom to build better habits now. I'm going to take advantage of that, even when it sucks.