Out and About

I went shopping yesterday! In a mall! With people! I even ate inside a restaurant!

While this might not be a big thing for most people, it is a big thing for me.

Going through a pandemic while having a chronic illness is definitely one of those things I do not want to do again. (check out the about me to get a better idea of what this is) I stayed home and stayed well. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t end up in the hospital or even worse.

And these are my big revelations now that I am back out in the world.

• Seeing people inevitably costs money for me. I like to eat out with people. I like to shop with other people. But I made huge progress on my saving and paying off debt goals in the last year because I wasn’t eating out or going shopping.
• I am still an introvert and so, while I love seeing my friends, being out in the world still really tires me out. I am wiped out today after seeing people yesterday.
• I love chatting with people in person. I don’t hate zoom but the chatting usually ends with a hug and that is so nice.
• I need to pace myself with getting back into the world. I have been busy three weekends in a row and that is a lot for me. Next weekend, I am staying home.

These last couple of weeks have been great for me. Figuring out that I needed new clothes because I have lost weight and then being able to go shopping was nice. Putting in a garden has been extra special this year because I have been able to make it really nice. Seeing people I haven’t seen in almost a year, extremely nice. I have spent too much money and I kinda don’t care. I needed to get out into the world again.

Now, I get to take a little break until my parents get here and I will relish that too. Figuring out that I need to have a break when things get too tiring is also something I am learning now that we are back.

I am just excited for the summer and figuring out what my new normal will be. Looking forward to finding that balance that allows me to still prioritize things that are important to me, while getting out and really living again. I hope you all are finding some excitement in your lives too.

And now, some pics of my plants, because they make me happy, hopefully, they will make you happy too!