It doesn't take long, when one is away from the regular surroundings, to lose track of time. I have my Fit Bit on, my phone is charged, and an analog clock on the wall ticks away the speed at which we are circling the sun. Approximately. But all of these methods of structuring the space between wakefulness and sleep has no impact on my ability to remember what day of the week it is when I am looking at the glorious emeralds and turquoises in the water beneath the balcony.
I don't remember whether I wrote anything yesterday. I know I paid some bills, watched a video on dual-tipped watercolor markers, went for a walk, and made dinner, among other mundane tasks. The lack of structure here quickly unravels the hectic pace of my "in school" days. Thankfully.
With weeks of downtime stretched gloriously ahead of me, I choose not to be productive. I am not in constant motion in the way that I normally am at home. I don't have a to-do list. I don't have anything I must fix or clean. I feel a twinge of guilt for not engaging in ongoing professional development or taking on a second job that would give us much needed extra income, but I push the guilt away knowing how much I need to rest after this year. It was a tough one.
I am dog-sitting today. It is too hot and sunny for me to be out, but I can still inhale the salt air, hear the crash of the waves, and track the pelicans as they glide on the air currents. Now that I think about it, it probably is a good thing that I don't live at the shore year-round. I'd never get anything done.
I remembered to write.
I promised myself and my writer friends on #TeachWriteChat that I would write daily and would check in with my progress once a week. With the exception of the day we spent driving here, I believe I have accomplished my goal for this first week. Hooray for small victories!
I don't remember whether I wrote anything yesterday. I know I paid some bills, watched a video on dual-tipped watercolor markers, went for a walk, and made dinner, among other mundane tasks. The lack of structure here quickly unravels the hectic pace of my "in school" days. Thankfully.
With weeks of downtime stretched gloriously ahead of me, I choose not to be productive. I am not in constant motion in the way that I normally am at home. I don't have a to-do list. I don't have anything I must fix or clean. I feel a twinge of guilt for not engaging in ongoing professional development or taking on a second job that would give us much needed extra income, but I push the guilt away knowing how much I need to rest after this year. It was a tough one.
I am dog-sitting today. It is too hot and sunny for me to be out, but I can still inhale the salt air, hear the crash of the waves, and track the pelicans as they glide on the air currents. Now that I think about it, it probably is a good thing that I don't live at the shore year-round. I'd never get anything done.
I remembered to write.
I promised myself and my writer friends on #TeachWriteChat that I would write daily and would check in with my progress once a week. With the exception of the day we spent driving here, I believe I have accomplished my goal for this first week. Hooray for small victories!