2023 is already bonkers! On top of everything this week, I also have to blog.
SONG INSPIRATION
This month’s blog is inspired by a throwback, Future’s “Honest”.
PACKING
Packing is exhausting. – Universal truth
The apartment is ~75% packed. Thanks to rigorous scheduling and proper prior planning, the process has been straightforward thus far. My 1st shipping container arrived this week and I have begun emptying my living and dining rooms of boxes and disassembled furniture. However, no amount of planning can prepare you for the weariness you feel after spending months packing. Let alone running boxes up and down a flight of stairs. For the past few weeks, I’ve slept like a rock every night. Finally, I can see the light (container) at the end of the tunnel (parking lot). Once I return from my upcoming travel, I’ll pack up the 2nd container and then I can move to next exciting phase – unpacking!
NEW YEARS WEEKEND – AND RESOLUTIONS
Hopefully not too many of you were impacted by the Southwest Airline debacle. I had to switch to a nonstop flight on NYD for my New Year’s weekend trip to Nola. Even so, the flight was delayed by 3 hours, but that was okay because it meant more time with my bestie and her new hubby. Funnily enough, I was back in New Orleans for another wedding of some mutual friends. We had a great time eating, drinking, and dancing. The wedding was extra in the best possible ways and made for an enjoyable NYE.
Now let’s talk about New Years’ resolutions. There’s been a lot of chatter about whether or not they’re worth it. As usual with American society, we focus on the symptom not the root malady. There’s nothing inherently wrong with crafting New Years’ resolutions. The problem is a competitive, capitalistic society driven by consumption which results in people setting unrealistic goals with little discipline in order to achieve status. Whew! If your resolution for the New Year is to lose 100 pounds or save 10,000$, that will be very difficult. It’s a formidable challenge that requires a strong work ethic and discipline over a long-time frame. If your goal is to eat one less dessert per week or connect with a close friend once a month, then that’s manageable and easier to incorporate into an existing routine.
My resolutions for 2023 are simple: publish my 4th paper (already on my 2nd draft), finish another novel (already 5100 words in), reprioritize savings and investing (already have a long-standing budget), and intimacy (in the most general sense – already exploring my vulnerability).
PACIFIC RIM
In addition to packing for a move, I’m also preparing to head across the Pacific for a conference. Battling a kaiju might’ve been easier. I’ll make a pit stop in Japan just to reacquaint myself with the country, but the bulk of my travel will be spent in New Zealand. This would be my first time visiting that country and I’m stoked especially after hearing such wonderful experiences from others. It’s totally bananas to schedule international travel in the midst of a transcontinental move. But science gonna science – exotic locations are one of the benefits of conferences. I am excited to see old friends, network, and generate new ideas. But I can’t deny I’m even more excited to walk The Shire.
CURRENT BOOKS AND SHOWS
Recently finished: Victoria (s3)
Currently watching: Columbo (s5); Detective Conan (s31); The Crown (s5)
Currently reading: A Modern History of Japan; Wine for Dummies
Thank you for reading and Happy New Year! Be kind to yourselves in 2023. My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, February 9th. Until next time….
The Planetary Novelist 