As I type this monthly recap, the US is emerging from a week of more hurricane damage and racial injustice. It's heartbreaking and angering to see terrible things happen again and again, to continue to lament and take action yet know that this will not be the last time.
Extending reflection to the rest of the month - August was tiring. A full five months into COVID-induced staying at home, minimizing contact with others, thinking through the same cycle of thoughts, and it feels like the world is stuck and decision-making is stale. Remembering all the things I've missed because of COVID - a childhood friend's wedding, concerts by favorite bands, all of DC's usual summer events, hanging out with groups of friends - and not knowing when I'll be able to do them again is discouraging. Back in March when we all naively thought this would be over in a matter of months, it was easy to look at a season of working from home and canceling plans as an introvert's paradise. And while I love working from home, the season has been a far less fun experience when I don't see my friends, not because I choose to cancel a few things, but because I can't.
It's a heavy time, and it's more important than ever to continue finding the good, small as those moments can seem.
As for the good...
- Spent a day in Shepherdstown, WV, where I drank the best Americano of my life and hiked a section of the C&O Canal Towpath (and successfully navigated myself back to DC without a map or GPS after my phone stopped working).
- Spent a weekend in Raleigh with my family. We rented a boat at Jordan Lake and watched silly television and had a good time.
- Explored a wetlands reserve in Woodbridge, VA and saw a wild otter(!!).
- Watched the sun rise, more than a few times.
- Talked on the phone with two old friends I hadn't spoken to in a while.
- Found a church that meets outdoors.
- Listened to the new Glass Animals, needtobreathe, Cold War Kids, and Mating Ritual albums on repeat.
- Had breakfast with an old, old friend and her new husband.
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