February blahs

Mars has been retrograde for SO long but it’s finally stationing direct. I’m hoping that means the feeling of sluggishness that has slowed me down this month will soon dissipate. I wrote 10K words in a week and then went down to 5K and then barely wrote a word for the rest of the month. I’m chipping away at The Map of Doors now while listening to Samara Joy. Finished reading a long, rather tedious novel on Sunday and hope the next Murderbot novella will soon reach my local library. Stopped binging crime dramas for a while and then fell back into my old habits when the polar vortex descended again. The temperatures have risen dramatically this week so I’m trying to get outside more often; met up with some friends, went downtown to see Fat Ham and walked just a few blocks to tour the Black Creativity exhibit at MSI. I know what I need to do to manage my mental health but fall off the wagon sometimes. It’s always hard to transition from winter to spring, giving up the security of bulky coats and clunky boots. I’ve been invited to a friend’s award ceremony next month so suddenly had to think about dresses and pumps and purses I don’t have or rarely use. It’s good to step outside your comfort zone but I often need a nudge.

With all the chaos in the world today, it’s tempting to seek comfort in favorite foods and activities (like watching foreign films about kid witches) but I often worry about becoming too comfortable…am I growing? evolving? or am I stuck? That’s the title of a book I heard about on NPR recently. Apparently one in four Americans used to move *every* year but now we’re down to 1 in 13 because the cost of housing (and moving) is just too expensive. My NYC friend asked where I was heading after Chicago and I honestly don’t know. Watched a couple YouTube videos on renting in D.C. and was dismayed to find the prices mirror those in New York. $3K a month for a tiny one-bedroom apartment? No way. Cities have more opportunities, especially for single professionals, but few people can afford the most popular urban centers these days. I *really* don’t want to get a car but that would make more places possible. If I sell my condo here in Hyde Park once the Obama Center opens next year, I’ll probably never be able to afford this neighborhood again. So I need to be sure that I’m ready to let go and move on…

Trying to stay present for the time being. Less screen time, more writing! When I finish this dragon tale, I want to work on my Dublin novel. But that would require me to write in the style of Phillis Wheatley…neoclassical verse…ugh. Definitely outside of my comfort zone!