Let me first start this love letter off by saying WHAT THE HELL is going on with America? Like seriously. We have been a dumpster fire since 2020 and it doesn't look like its going to stop anytime soon. It really makes me sad and angry to think this is America. I am reminded of Childish Gambino's song, This is America and how the unsettledness becomes the norm. WHY?! Clearly nothing matters and right is wrong and wrong is right. I'd like to live through some precedented times please.
okay. I feel slightly better for getting all that out.
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| favorite photo from the month (Also my lock screen on my phone) |
Well, this has been quite a whirlwind of a month. I swear I sneezed and the month disappeared. Is this a thing that happens as you get older?
I have spent a ton of time outside this month. I couldn't get enough of being in the park walking among nature and listening to the sweet song that it has to sing. Every time I come home from a walk, my heart always feels so full and I am much happier than when I started. Poricy, Hartshorn, Hacklebarney State parks and Neighborhoods have been frequented a lot this month.
Sometimes on my walks, I like to listen to nothing but nature, other times, I like to listen to a podcast. I have had a love hate relationship with podcasts in the past and while listening to books seems impossible for me (My loan from the library of Come as You are lapsed so the only book I attempted to read did not happen this month, and that is okay!), podcasts are short and sweet and easily finishable. I have listened to a handful and I have a bunch more saved on Spotify.
I have also been busy getting things together for my vacation which is tomorrow. I love my WGJ Travels series and I think it will be neat to look back on in the future. I think I am all ready after packing , re-packing, checking and double checking; This shall be a great adventure. Also I have been praying to the airplane gods that our flight takes off and there is no big problems with the airport. If you have flown, into or out of Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, you know what I am talking about.
I have been feeling overall pretty good but there have been a lot of days where I am getting so frustrated at myself for not being able to focus or remember things. The first few times this happened, I thought to myself, oh maybe I didn't sleep well last night or I am distracted etc. Then I have been noticing it more. I couldn't put my finger on why this was happening. I was sleeping well and being active and eating right so it just seemed weird. My gastroenterologist wanted me to go for another blood test to see if my Humira levels were any better right before my next dose.
About 8 weeks ago, I went for the blood test to see these levels and the doctor said it was borderline low. I wasn't sure what I was expecting with these results but I know I am sure I wasn't expecting them to be lower than last time. That was quite a shock for me. After seeing that, my brain fog made total sense. This has happened to me in the past when medicines were not working to their optimal capacity. Its frustrating and sad. After speaking with my doctor, we decided to shorten the duration between doses to a week. We had previously shortened it to every 10 days back in the fall. I am not sure what this means but I sure hope it does not mean I am heading for another flare in approximately 2 months. We shall see (prayers are always welcomed !)
On a happier note, Miss Penelope has been racking up her frequent flier miles this month. She accompanied Kyle to Norway, British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Sometimes even flying first class. I am probably going to need to add more pages into her passport very soon! I didn't expect she would enjoy traveling so much. She is so excited I get to join her and Kyle for her next adventure, North Carolina. I adore Kyle for playing along and taking photos of Penelope. I guess she will have to be featured in a post with all of her adventures later this year.
The Ocean County Library has a Maker's Space in the main branch of the library. They started a new adult craft program this month, Crafter Dark. Once a month you meet in the Spark's Lab and create the project they picked out or you can bring your own to work on. I am in the library weekly and I had no idea this space existed for adults. I thought Spark's Lab was for kids only.
Let me tell you, when I walked into Spark's Lab, my little heart skipped a beat. This was a dream for me. This area is exactly what I want in my house (when I grow up). The supplies, the tools, the activities, the organization. It was amazing. We made a perler bead craft- I choose to make a butterfly magnet. Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect and after 90 minutes of crafting, I left with a full heart. I missed this- creating for the fun of creating. It felt great and it was nice to sit and chat with other liked minded people. It felt normal. The two girls running the program said they are hoping to do it monthly AND there are open hours for the Sparks Lab that you can sign up and come create. I am going to take advantage of that this summer. Did I mention, the use of the supplies and tools is all free. I am so impressed with this space. Kudos to you Ocean County Library.
I gave myself a treat this year by taking Fridays off all summer to give me a nice 3 day weekend. This week will be my 3rd Tuesday off and a somewhat unintended mishap of having Friday's off is not knowing what day it is. I have been so confused about what actually day it is lately, its actually comical. What made this fact even more comical, the other day a lady asked me if yesterday was the 26th and I chuckled. I had no idea what day we were currently in; she looked as shocked as I was when I said no that was two days ago. I am so appreciative that I can take this time off and enjoy the sunshine and get things done.
I ended up taking an unintended break from climbing this past month. You know when life gets busy and you have to prioritize things, well climbing fell to the bottom of the list for me. I jumped right back into it on my first Friday off this month and I was shocked how much I retained about climbing and how I was able to move along some of the walls with ease. I didn't get nearly as scared as I usually did and I left my early morning session climb with a smile on my face. I was so happy I only truly fell once. LOL. I went with Kyle last week and we did some bouldering and some top rope. I was shocked when top roping I was able to make it over a ledge that I previously couldn't. It's nice to see progress.
Between my two climbing sessions, I climbed 4 top rope routes (grades 5.7 & 5.8) and 13 boulder routes (grades VB to V2) The V2's really hard but I attempted them which I was really proud of myself for. I just need to trust myself and the cushioned mats below me. I spent about 3 hours climbing total this month.
My email inbox has been a mess for what seems a long time. This month, I finally got fed up with it and I decided to tackle it. Over a week, I unsubscribed from emails that I no longer wanted to receive and deleted all my unread emails. Most of the unread emails were random companies that I did not want anymore. Let me tell you how freeing it felt to have all those unwanted emails gone. Now I only receive emails that I want and if one does pop up that I missed- I unsubscribe it right away. If you are looking for a sign to go through your inbox, this is your sign.
I have been spending a lot of time at the Ocean County Library and at Bell Works writing. Both locations provide me a space to really hunker down and focus because I know I have a finite amount of time to be there. I need to make the most of my time there. AND it also provides me some of the best people watching, I've seen in a long time. AND I also feel like someone important, typing away on my laptop like a grown up. Bell Works also has so many different areas where you can sit- inside and outside. My favorite as of recent has been the long tables in Bar Bella. While there is a bar in the back of this area, it is not open during the day; the long tables provide space to spread your stuff out.
Couch to 5K started the last week of the month with my town. I skipped Monday because it was raining out and I did not feel like getting wet (#honesty). I had started Week 1 Day 1 a few weeks ago so the other night, I completed Week 1 Day 2 & 3. The workouts are only 20 minutes with 10 minute warm up/cool down and it was a gorgeous night out so it worked out. I want to try to redo this week again, just because I haven't run in a long time and to prepare myself. Next week, due to the holiday and the fireworks, we are meeting on Wednesday and I am hoping to join them. Its pretty awesome to get together with others to exercise.
In a very long and wordy nutshell, that was my month. Overall, I liked June; perhaps the warm weather had something to do with that.
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goal update:
1. Move three times a week ✔
2. Be more creative ✔
3. Spent time outside ✔
4. Be the best version of myself ✔
license plate game:
I saw NO new license plates this month. I have 6 states left to see- Hawaii, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota & Wyoming.
whats next:
vacation starts tomorrow!
more time outside, more adventures
If you missed any of my posts from this month, check them out below:
Random Things #5 | Friday Favorites 1 2 3 4 | WGJ Travels: Planning, Destination Bucket List, Travel Must Haves, What's In My Suitcase | How I Stay Healthy PLUS 1000 Hours Outside Update | Midweek Thoughts | Looking Forward | Advice for Graduates | Ode to Summer | Summer! | Quarter 2 Book Reviews | WGJ #30 | Diary #30 | Beach Essentials
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Well June, its been fun. I can't wait to see what your friend July has in store for me. Based on the first 12 emojis in my phone on January 1, July's emoji is 😍. I'll take that as a good sign.
Hope you had an equally fun and exciting month. I send all the good vibes to you for a wonderful July!
[[Enjoy the little things]]
