As busy as grad school was, the year that followed was, shall we say, very slow. I graduated the last week of June, 2016, was married the first week of July, 2016, but then my hectic life came to a screeching halt. The plan was to have a new job by the end of the summer, and to start making babies by January 2017. As I wrote in my look back at 2017, life, you know, doesn’t read my year planner. In fact, it took 11 months to find a new job. A whole year with little to juggle and plan for. At the time I felt defeated. But now that I have an incredibly challenging job and a baby cooking (whom requires lots of naps), I am so grateful for that year.
Man, what a precious year that was.
In reflecting on how I filled my time and heart, I want to share what I did during my year of downtime. This is what I know about slow seasons.
I learned a new skill. For years I wanted to learn how to build websites, and never could find the time. Suddenly I didn’t have an excuse. I took an online class, read hundreds of articles and blogs, and got to learning how to build a WordPress website from scratch. I learned everything from hosting and purchasing domain names to content development and web design. I made a website for my mother’s company (check it out here!), and then made my own website. It was so much fun with no pressure to master since I was not getting paid on either project.
When I started my new job at Public Health Solutions (PHS)—what do you know—my very first project was to get its new website up and running. PHS had hired a company to build the website structure, but I took on a huge role in content development. Maintaining the PHS website is a big part of my job, and I would not be able to do it as confidently if I had not taken months to learn the ins out outs of WordPress and building websites.
I took on a hobby. What prompted me to write this post was scrolling through photos of the 52 pies I made that year. Baking is such a special hobby. It brings me nothing but joy. I love working with my hands, perfecting recipes, filling my home with the smell of baking goodies, sharing treats, and of course eating them. I am glad that I didn’t just fill my slow season with activities that pushed and challenged me, but also with a regular dose of pie making. When you have time on your hands, be sure to fill it doing something you love.
I made some good habits. Forming good habits takes energy. Hopefully, once you put in the effort, it should be easier to keep up when things get busy. I had two health goals for myself during this season: to dramatically increase fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet, and to develop an exercise routine.
I put a huge effort into shifting my diet and grocery list so that half my plate was fruits and veggies. Produce is expensive! This was not just a shift for my taste buds, but for my budget. I also know how much sugar is in fruit, so with this shift I also cut down on processed sugars.
(Does this seem counter to my simultaneous pie challenge? I’m aware).
Exercise was a tough one. I do not like being active for so many reasons. I have asthma, and so most exercise gets me gasping for breath real quick. Social exercise, like going to gyms and taking classes, are a nightmare for an anxious introvert like me. Since I am type A, I sometimes set unreasonable goals for myself that are easily defeated (I’ll run a marathon!), and will quickly quit. Anyway, I can see you rolling your eyes from here. The bottom line is, I had to figure out how to get active in the privacy of my own home and in a way that didn’t feel like exercising. I bought a very affordable exercise bike, and found a couple of super fun dance workout youtube videos, and found myself getting sweaty and not miserable about it.
I got involved. There was no better year to get politically involved than 2017. Can I hear an amen? I went to numerous marches and protests, attended town halls and neighborhood huddles, wrote countless emails and letters to my elected officials, and tried to call them. (Does anyone ever get through to Schumer’s office?) Just like making pies, being politically active was not challenging for me. It was soothing to my soul, and it filled me up.
The 2018 Women’s March landed in the middle of my fairly difficult pregnancy. Standing in the middle of a crowd for much of the day would not have been safe for me. I thought I would be overwhelmed with FOMO, disappointment, and guilt that day, but I wasn’t. Thousands of my sisters marched for me. For my reproductive rights, for my health rights, for the rights of my future daughter. I felt nothing but lifted up, and I can’t wait for when I am feeling up for marching again.
These days I am nearly five months pregnant and making room for a new baby in our one-bedroom apartment. Trying to navigate prenatal health insurance, the best kind of car seats for taxis, and how not to sleep on my back. Keeping up with fatigue and a full day of work. I don’t foresee things slowing down for awhile, and I am okay with that. I’m ready for it.
I do hope life gives me slow seasons now and again, and that I recognize it for the gift that it is.