It’s been a little while, lil blog. For awhile, I wasn’t writing because things were TOO busy. Lately, I haven’t been writing because things have felt too the same. When I catch up with people I haven’t talked to in awhile, lately, my answers are always some variation of, “You know, not much is new.” Last summer I got engaged – that was big. But it already feels like the new normal (of course Niko and I are getting married, he’s wonderful), and I’m still at the same job, we’re still in the same house, I still volunteer for the Sierra Club, I still teach dance on Mondays and Tuesdays, we still have book club once a month, we still do the NYT crossword puzzle on Sundays, my commute is still too long, our house is still cozy, Robyn is still our magnificent roommate, we all still drink a lot of beers at Tracy’s, I drink coffee out of my mug every day and wear my hedgehog mittens, I still take hikes whenever I can but they have lately been on the same metro-twin cities area trails.

Lately I’ve been getting consumed by antsiness, making me less productive and less creative. Ennui, I believe is the word I’m looking for. It’s like the definition of a #firstworldproblem.

(When I’m not feeling listless or bored, yes, I’m feeling outraged and depressed about the latest freakin atrocities coming from the top – the new tax bill. Threats to net neutrality. Erasure or minimization of national monuments. Pipeline leaks. A hell of a lot of racism. But these things are subjects for another post in another forum. I hope you’re reading those posts too. There’s a lot of news to stay on top of, lots of calls to make, lots of petitions to sign, lots of spare dollars to donate.)

So, it’s dumb to feel negatively about a situation and do nothing to change it. In some cases, that means calling your senator. In some cases, that means breaking your routine and wrestling your life into an adventure, of some scale.

Nell and I wrote rules for ourselves, while traveling long ago:

1. Do something crazy.
2. Don’t forget to look out the window.
3. Always be looking forward to what’s coming next.

So here I go. And I pledge to start updating this blog again more frequently as well; hold myself accountable. I might write some “throwback” posts too, and tell some stories from mini adventures of the last year. I’m starting my New Year’s resolutions a little early, okay?

“Stay with us.” (Ira Glass)