The Pits and Pieces

  “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” Anais Nin. I am readying myself for an upcoming trip. I hesitate to call it a vacation. A vacation is a time when we put our busy lives on pause, and intentionally seek to relax and rejuvenate ourselves. A trip is where we go out to explore the unknown, to seek out new adventures, new perspectives. To discover something about the world, and in the process, about ourselves. I am a big believer in trips versus vacations. Although I do know there are times when we need to retreat and unwind, depending on how hectic one’s life is. Mine is just not that hectic, given I now only work three days a week, and have no caregiving responsibilities other than one small indoor plant and a couple of succulents that have miraculously survived my neglect. I always travel with only carry-on luggage, and yet, each time, I end up taking more than what I need. And each time, I lay out items in advance on a bed and try to

  A year ago on Sep 5, 2021, I posted my very first blog entry, thanks to Kerry Clare’s blog school which launched me into the blogging world. My very first post was: Sparking Joy, Being Average . There have been 57 posts since then. What has blogging meant to me and why do I keep doing it? It has been a place to articulate my thoughts (and sometimes rants), express what I’m passionate about (books, writing, walking) as well as exhibit bad poetry and artistic attempts. It’s a little corner on the internet that I can call my own. But it has also opened up a world where I’ve connected with other bloggers, readers and writers. My TBR (to be read) list has grown exponentially since then, as well as the blogs I read regularly. Blogging can be a vulnerable thing (as is any form of writing and expressing yourself), in that you allow others a glimpse into your interior life. And that interior may be messy and chaotic, sometimes unpredictable, sometimes rich and meandering. You are allo