Category / My Well-being

Mindfulness + health + therapy + general efforts to just feel good.

by LG

New Mexico recap

I realize I never wrote again while in New Mexico. WHOOPS. Time flew by so fast, and I really enjoyed being present my last day or so while I soaked everything up.

We went out to a chill little dive in Tesuque with fantastic (and strong!) margaritas, beautiful murals, and FRITO PIE. We spent that night with L+P up on their rooftop and then inside, listening to music and unsoberly eating a really good cake B’s mom made earlier in the day. The next day we got massages and then went out for a fancy-ass meal at Geronimo. And all through the trip I got a ton of fun playtime with Coco.

B used the best word to describe the trip: affirming. Something about it felt like home. It could be any number of things: the arid climate, the mountains, the red rocks, the friendly people, the casual vibe, or the wide open spaces … who really knows. But the trip was much needed for present-day relaxation and future planning, and I felt like it really delivered.

Thinking of a big move feels somewhat scary in a way, but exciting, too. I don’t want to make the same mistakes we made when we moved to Texas in 2015, so we’re being very intentional about our thought process and decision-making. We’re not thinking of this as The Move, but rather The Next Step Toward the Rest of Our Lives. That helps me keep it in perspective.

And now? We plan. We think through the scenarios. I requested remote status for my job and got it, which was the biggest damn deal (I might be the most senior person there to be full-time remote? Unclear). And now that we have that out of the way, it’s getting things ready for me not to be here in DC, namely getting my team at work ready. Getting the house ready and deciding if we want to rent it out or sell it. Deciding whether to rent or buy in NM. There are a lot of unknowns, but what I do know is this: we wanted to have a decision made or a plan ready for all of this by the end of 2022, and we do. We want to move in 2023, and I can’t think of one good goddamn reason why we won’t. Stay tuned!

by LG

4.1.22

Happy April Fool’s Day! Weed is now legal in New Mexico! I woke up this morning just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. We’re staying at B’s mom’s home for the rest of our trip until we fly back out of Albuquerque. It’s so beautiful and peaceful here that it’s hard to imagine ever leaving even though we just arrived.

We got here yesterday evening after a full day of driving around and through Albuquerque, Corrales, and Bernalillo. The drive between there and Santa Fe was absolutely gorgeous with hardly any traffic, which felt fortuitous because I was obsessed with gazing out the window at the changing landscape. Red rocks and soil, hills and mountains, black volcanic rock, shallow canyons and arroyos, all capped off by a brilliant blue sky. The view changed every few moments and felt like a marvel to behold.

We had a nice dinner and a margarita, chatted for a while, and called it a night since we were feeling pretty tapped out from such a busy day. We turned out the lights, and … darkness. No light pollution. No sounds of traffic. Glorious.

We plan to have a simple, restful day. We’re dropping off the rental car now that we’re here, and we have dinner reservations at FIVE. B’s mom likes an early dinner, and the place we wanted to go only had reservations at that time. I don’t mind – an early dinner means I’ll have room to eat that piece of chocolate cream pie I took home from the restaurant last night.

Being here feels like breathing again.

by LG

3.31.22

Top L-R: The gorgeous fireplace in our room, the sitting area and entrance to the bedroom, the gorgeous breakfast rice bowl
Middle L-R: The courtyard of the b&b, a cute indoor/outdoor sitting area, our private courtyard just outside our bedroom
Bottom L-R: The amazing view from our breakfast table, the great room/common area

It takes a little inspiration to write again, and wow – going somewhere new and seeing different things really gives that inspiration a boost.

I woke up in Albuquerque, New Mexico this morning. We flew in yesterday for several days of what I have dubbed “R&D and R&R.” The R&D involves checking out the vibes in different neighborhoods and locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe because we are working on a plan to move, and this area is at the top of our list right now.

The R&R is inherent in the trip … getting away from the noise and fuckery of our neighborhood at home felt like a priority for my sanity and well-being. We stayed in the East Room at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast, and it was perfect. So cozy and relaxing, with a fireplace that we turned on for a little while before we realized we were roasting – so we opened the door to our private courtyard and let the breeze blow in to cool us off as we fell asleep.

We started our day with an amazing breakfast made fresh for us while we sat right next to the kitchen: hot coffee, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed OJ, a perfectly made muffin, and a breakfast rice bowl. OH and this morning we made tea in the room and paired it with some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that were waiting in the room for us when we arrived.

The bed and breakfast is gorgeous, and I can’t wait to go back when I have a little more time and when the weather is a little warmer so I can enjoy the pool. And now, it’s off to do some fact-finding!

by LG

11.20.21

Proof of life (with a picture of death? Sure). It’s fall, the time has changed, the leaves are falling, and I’m processing a lot of grief right now. It’s usually my favorite time of year, but this year has arrived with a side of heaviness. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of writing because I think it will help me, but in the meantime here are the remnants from our cherry tree.

I also started another blog to journal the delicious things I drink, so that has been a decent way to pass the time. I have used apps on my phone to remember special wines or cocktails, but I realized that if the apps just went away tomorrow that I would lose all that info. Hence my Three Sheets Diary that I’ll be updating and backfilling with drinks that are really just notes about different occasions.

by LG

9.28.20

I don’t generally like articles that try to tell people how to live their lives better (of course I don’t) because too often they don’t seem realistic. But I read this one this morning and liked it, much to my chagrin.

I want to read it again to really think it through, but there are some good points in there. I can’t or won’t do everything, and some of the tip suggest buying things – which not everyone can do. But there are plenty of ideas that anyone on any budget can do to try to get through this fall and winter, because it already feels like it will last 1,000 years. All right, I’m projecting. But one reason I liked the article is because it suggests finding ways to take real action on things that have been hanging around for a while, in need of my attention. It’s not revolutionary stuff, but I really appreciated the nudge in the right direction. I spent a lot of my time this weekend thinking of ways to be more proactive in certain areas of my life, realizing that so much lies out of my control right now. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to add to my to-do list.

by LG

9.6.20

We planned to have a physically distanced picnic with a friend today, but sadly she had to cancel because of a relative who has COVID (this is where we’re at these days).

We were already out and about to pick up some things to take with us, so we considered for a moment whether we should go back home. But honestly, it’s a challenge for me to leave the house these days. Part of it is the taxation of taking all the precautions needed to run the simplest of errands, and part of it – if I’m being honest – is just deep fatigue and dread with everything that’s going on. It’s not depression, but it sure feels depression-adjacent. So when that choice presented itself, I decided I still wanted to go because I’d already done the hard work of getting ready and out the door! ON TIME!

We went to the same place we’d planned to meet up, hoping that it would still work out. I haven’t been to that specific spot before, but I didn’t think it was a popular (aka crowded) one. And thankfully, that turned out to be true, even thought we were located between the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument. We had so much room, so much shade, and all of our snacks and drinks ready to go! We set up our little speaker, laid out our blankets, kicked off our shoes, and just hung out for a few hours. A few other families set up close enough that we could see them playing soccer and cricket (!), but it was nice for all of us to have plenty of room.

We had plans for distanced face time with another friend that night, and for a second I wished we didn’t because the conditions were so perfect to stay another few hours. That just means we’ve found a favorite new picnic spot and will have to go back.

by LG

8.16.20

I got to see G today! She drove from Washington State to Utah across the country to Maine and then down to DC, all with my new little niece, THE PRINCESS! BUTTAHCUP! (the second pic, obvs), who is the cutest and sweetest little pup!

I had a hard afternoon, and when I’m feeling that way my first instinct is to withdraw instead of engage. It’s not like I meet up and act like everything is fine … I’d just as soon not see or talk to anyone at all. I’m not used to telling anyone – even my people – in real-time when I’m struggling, because I just really don’t like to feel that vulnerable. But I’m trying to get better at that so I told her, she listened, and I SURVIVED. We talked, walked Butter along the river, found a snakeskin (EW-ah!), saw a deer, talked some more, walked up on the bridge to get a nice view of Navy Yard and the water, caught up on everything, had wine on the deck in the backyard, talked some MORE, and then we said goodbye so she could hit the road again in the morning.

It feels so strange to see someone you love and wonder when in the world you will see them again with everything that’s going on, and that’s probably a whole different post. But I’m so grateful she made the drive to see us so I could spend time with her and Buttercup, and her road trip also has me jonesing for one of my own now!

by LG

8.3.20

My sister sent me this picture of my mom (held by her older sister) that I hadn’t ever seen before. I wish it was a little less blurry, but what’s clear is that I see myself in her. I have a picture somewhere of myself when I was around the same age and from what I can remember, I look a lot like my mom does here: the red hair, the blue eyes, the set jaw, and the facial expression. I’m a pretty solid combination of traits from both of my parents – I don’t strongly favor one or the other – so it always feels meaningful when I can see a little bit of where I came from. I’m still looking for that other picture and if I can find it, I’ll share it. 

by LG

7.4.20

We got an inflatable pool for the backyard this summer once we knew we wouldn’t be going to Mexico or any other beachy destination, for that matter. It was very much a Plan B, but sitting in it today felt luxurious (it’s hot, yikes). I feel extremely lucky to have a private outdoor space where I can do something like this. 

Now if I could just get the fireworks to stop … Happy Malia Obama’s Birthday!