Life Lately: August 2022
Last month I was supposed to write my July Life Lately post during a five-day trip to the beach, but instead, I was home sick in bed. During that week, I dreamt of the long, slow days of August, and wished I was soaking up the warm sun. Still, it was such an important reminder of what is so very true in life, as the Buddhist saying goes: life is filled with 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows.
August has been filled with many joys. While some parts of my life were quite hard this month, the joy has shone through. I got to celebrate my dad’s birthday, go on a family day-trip to Sturbridge Village, and most importantly - throw my daughter her third birthday party, complete with a unicorn theme. We are ending the month at the Cape, where our days are filled with long walks, ocean swims, crisp glasses of rosé, and beach reads. I am slowing down, breathing in the ocean air, and simply being present. And of course, as I do at the end of each month, I’m reflecting.
Watching/Listening/Reading: I started the month by reading One Italian Summer - the vibes were incredible and put me right in the heart of Italy. My two vacation reads this week are The Hotel Nantucket and Book Lovers. I watched Only Murders in the Building (Season 2, Hulu), Keep Breathing (Netflix), and just started Echoes (Netflix). In addition to my usual podcast rotation, I really enjoyed the latest season of Park Predators.
Building Community: A big highlight of this month was starting a local moms group. This was something I had been thinking about for a while, and finally got started. When I moved to my town last year, I knew nobody. And I had a feeling, many other moms with young kids felt the same way. In just a few days, over a hundred people joined, and I hosted three gatherings in our first month. Instead of traditional playground meet-ups, I primarily led facilitated conversations at my house, allowing us to connect on a much deeper level than we might otherwise. I’m so excited to grow this group over time, and being an intentional and supportive community.
Feelings of Anticipation: While I absolutely love the summer, there is nothing quite like fall. Now, I do not “act” like it’s fall until after Labor Day - but when the time comes, I am fully in it. I spent last fall with a newborn, so I’m excited to get out and about, and to fully enjoy the season. I’m dreaming of hiking amidst the foliage, taking day trips to Vermont, going on a Haunted Hayride, and baking all the fall goodies.
101 in 1001: I didn't fully check off any items this month, but our day-trip to Sturbridge tackled part of one, and I finally started working on my novel again. This continues to be such a grounding practice, reminding me to focus on the things I truly care about.
