on growing roots
Hello, beautiful people. Yes! I live. The project of the last two months has been all consuming; both doing the work and reflecting on the work (and how I handled it) was a highly instructive exercise.
Some takeaways:
1) In the project management space, I have a tendency to overestimate my energy level to accomplish what I plan. I will often push myself to the very edge, running on adrenaline and caffeine and then collapse afterwards. I am indebted to my family during these last few weeks who have been making sure that I was fed and reminding me to sleep.
2) While financially painful, having the two months to work in my new home was a gift. By the time the day to move arrived, this space already felt like home. For someone who was both subjected to and initated many moves, having the time to say goodbye to one place and hello to the next was sweeter than I expected. As I worked, I also found myself able to make iterative plans for the next projects - a vision for this space to continue evolving and becoming mine.
3) I ran the Saint Louis Track Club half marathon in Forest Park a few Sundays ago; I did not meet my original goal nor my adjusted one. But I still did well and I realized that I have a target now for next year.
With both points two and three, the theme I see is “settling in to grow upwards.” Iteration - by which you repeat something to get closer and closer to what you actually want - only truly works if you have a base from which to build. Roots stabilize you and give you access to more consistent nourishment.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the United States; while I struggle with the historical genesis of this holiday, I will not deny loving what I believe the core is: counting and renumerating the things for which we are thankful. This year, I am most thankful for the the chance to start anew and the people who supported me along the way.
Can you name 5 things for which you have gratitude? If some of them are people, I encourage you to reach out and express it; I doubt you’ll regret it.
