Breathe Life into New Connections

School has ended for the year and it's summer time here. (Although the weather likes to debate that point). I thought that more time would make me more motivated to write, unfortunately it hasn't happened exactly like that.

I've definitely slept more. The bed is just so comfortable and if the sun doesn't rise until 6 then I don't need to be up at 5. Breakfast is now up to me and I don't have to wait for a dining hall to open or eat on a time table. I'm staying with my mom until I leave, but the problem is during the week. She works five days a week, probably close to 12 hours a day, so she's out Monday through Friday and I only see her in the evenings and at the crack of dawn in the mornings.

I don't have a car here so I figured this was a mandatory retreat for my writing. But, I've managed to avoid doing a lot of it by distracting myself with other tasks. Plus I've taken on the cooking, although that doesn't take long in the evening, an hour and a half on average (depending on the recipe).

In reality, I'm living in isolation until the middle of June so I should be writing. However, that brings me to the point of all this - you can't hide yourself away and expect to feel inspired. It helps to get out and meet people as well as breathe some fresh air.

So, that's what I'm forcing myself to do on the weekends with my mom. Shopping isn't a fun activity for me, I'd rather get in and out of a store as fast as possible, but there are so many people to observe and things to learn about in the world. At the grocery store or a greenway, a mall or Target, tons of places to meet people or just feel like your part of this strange earthly connection between all humans.

Sometimes it can feel isolating to be in a crowd of strangers, but it can also feel freeing and intriguing to your mind. At least, that is what I've found with practice. It's why I worked for the yearbook for two years; large events might have overwhelmed me, but the experience and reason to get out of my dorm room helped me to make connections with my fellow students.

Back to how this relates to writing - I need to force myself to sit and work, but I also need to engage in whatever opportunities are available for me. Another goal of mine is to reach out to the friends I haven't spoken to in a while, summer is the time for connections and reconnecting is a part of that too.