Oh. Man.
It has grown to be a quiet month on this little blog. Two posts, so far? YIKES.
I glanced back to see how many posts I'd written last February, but ended up just being struck by how much was going on this time last year. A new baby nephew, the Olympics (which are a major deal in my world), a friend's album release, a Valentine's date, outfits out the wazoo... Compared to this year, when our schedules are so intensely packed that our Valentine's Day date will probably happen in March & the most significant things that have happened to us are Jared's newfound addiction to The West Wing & some really delicious chocolate cookies.
The truth is that these winter months in a new city have been hard. Disclaimer: I don't do a ton of therapy writing on this blog, & I have a feeling that most of the people reading this signed up for Style Blogger Kelsey, not LiveJournal-Circa-2007 Kelsey... But with community being a vacant position these days, blogging is the closest thing I've got. Lucky youuuu.
These early days of business ownership have been testing both my & Amelia's (grammar?) skills in time management & already punching us in the face with work/life balance challenges. It's entirely too easy to sit in front of the computer screen for hours on end, plowing through the perpetual to-do list & usually spiraling down a pinterest-induced rabbit trail that makes me want to do ALL the things, be the BEST & keep working until my eyes can't stay open. When there is always something to do for the baby business that we want so badly to flourish, it's hard to step away for a blog post, or Europe photo editing (yeah, THAT'S still happening), or city exploring. I'm working on it. There
has to be a balance. & I want this blog to be a part of that balance. So, bear with me.
I half-joked to a co-worker at my part-time job that I still haven't made friends in DC. March marks six months in DC & I'm failing to understand how people start a life in new city. We've figured out our grocery store, & where the closest weekend farmer's market is. We have a favorite coffee place, a local pizza joint for the nights we don't want to make dinner, a routine for our mornings when we both walk in to work together. I am so happy to be in this city that we've loved for so long, & what a joy to be here with my best friend... But, MAN, we'd love a double date. & I grew up with three sisters, so you KNOW I'm jonesin' for girl time. I am watching the Academy Awards ALONE tonight, for Pete's sake. We get our doses here & there, on our trips back to Norfolk or down to Richmond, but there's a sense of normalcy that's missing... Something that's keeping DC from feeling like home. Six months. That's a long time to not feel at home.
The grass is always greener. This phrase terrifies me, but it's also been running through my head for the past few weeks. This time last year, I was
so discontent living only 40 minutes from where I grew up. Wanting a new city, new adventures, a fresh start. But because stupid hindsight is 20/20, I'm realizing that there is no replacement for community. Having people. People that know you, anticipate you, request you, recognize you. Building our new community has been daunting. Maybe we haven't applied ourselves. We are always going in opposite directions, with long hours & zero energy at the end of the day. We need to pull it together. Team Bethune, for the win.
All of that being said, I think the winter months are making me entirely too introspective. Being generally overwhelmed, always cold & limited to being outside only when I have to be is toying with my brain. I have diagnosed myself with the winter sads, & the only cure is spring in all of its cherry blossom glory.
So here's to adventures. To my best friend & her husband visiting from Indiana in March. To maybe treating myself to a manicure before I settle in for an evening with Neil Patrick Harris tonight. To tulips on the kitchen window sill. To the most ridiculously tall over the knee socks I could find paired with the most cozy of slippers. To crushing some work/life balance. To instagramming in the snow. To listening to my inner monologue from time to time. To LiveJournal.
& to DC. You may not feel like home, but I haven't deleted your number yet, you sly dog.
