Hi there, friends!
It has been a minute since I have last wrote on here. Truthfully, I have struggled with trying to figure out what I want this blog to truly be. Do I want it to be a place where I share cool hiking tips? Do I want it to be about the beauty of adventure? Or, do I want it to be a space where I am allowed to be more than just a ‘hiker/traveler’? I still do not have an answer, but I do have a thought to share with you all.
2020 has uprooted my life and my definition of progress. A year ago, I would not have been ok if you told me this is where my life would be now. Due to COVID, I lost my job(s), job prospects, and ambition. I continued to hope, apply, and interview for jobs I believed would be a great fit for me, but ended up deeply disappointed. These job rejections I have received have felt more personal than even ever before. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because for the first time ever, I feel like I *need* the positions I’m applying for.
I am privileged, though. Regardless of how I feel, I am lucky. I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, heat, health, food to eat, and no debt to stress over. I do not need these things I am yearning after, I simply wish I could contribute to the world around me.
I am currently substitute teaching in a school district just south of me. It has been ok. I am exposed to COVID more often than I’d like, but I just keep cleaning. I am receiving my vaccine soon, and I hope it will allow me to be a better community member.
What is the point of this post? I’m not sure. No one will read it, so I guess it’s just a little benchmark for me to look back on. Hopefully I’ll look back and see that I grew.
If anyone is reading and wants to know three things I have learned during this pandemic, here they are:
1 – Don’t be in a Rush
It does you no good to feel like every opportunity has to be “the thing.” You will get to where you need to be.
2 – Learn what you Truly Want
I have learned a lot about what I actually want. This has looked like me turning down job opportunities and thinking long-term.
3 – Say ‘YES’ to Spontaneous
Don’t fret about spending money on gas to go to the mountains to snowshoe with your friend. Just go and enjoy it, even if you spend your time eating chips and doing a puzzle.
Thanks for hearing me out, internet.
Michelle
Nature's not Enough 