Weeknotes 2024W46

I’m going to switch up my weeknote format a little bit this week and see how I like it. Less structure, more long-form, with things bolded for easy scanning. The link section will be staying, I just didn’t do much surfing this week and didn’t read anything too interesting.

This week has been about readjusting to and enjoying American life. That means marveling at grocery stores, going out for drinks without shame or guilt, and using a personal car. I’ve been enjoying exploring a new city in a state I’ve never been to.

The other night, my girlfriend and I took dancing lessons as part of a group. We have a wedding to go to next month and we’ve been talking about learning how to dance for a while. It was also right up the street and didn’t cost very much so we decided to go. It was surprisingly difficult. We learned a few swing moves and my brain couldn’t focus on moving my feet and my arms at the same time. More importantly, I’ve noticed that I am much more confident since my Peace Corps service—I never would have dreamt of dancing with strangers two years ago.

Coming back to the United States also means doing some logistical life stuff. I cancelled my phone before going to Morocco so I got a new number and plan right after landing. I’m getting a surprising number of calls from people looking for Paula. I was also surprised that not a single person I cold-called answered their phone until after I texted them and let them know it was me. Are spam calls that bad now?

I haven’t been inspired to write much since being back and I keep thinking that reading more will change that. I finished reading The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. I mostly enjoyed it. The concept of time dilation is such an interesting one that I enjoy thinking about. The ending was a bit disappointing but it was still definitely worth the read. Soon after, I started reading The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. I am thoroughly intrigued and this is my first Le Guin book. She always comes up when talking about good science fiction so I’m excited.

I like listening to lofi while reading or focusing if complete silence isn’t an option. This week, I’ve been enjoying the festive lofi autumn beats playlist on Spotify.

I tried Whattaburger for the first time. I don’t really understand the hype of fast food chains (In-n-Out was the hype in Oregon). It’s cheap, processed food that isn’t that great. The shake was pretty good though.

Lastly, I mowed the lawn. It’s not that exciting, I know. But I’ve been starved of feeling competent for way too long and it felt incredible to finally do something I’m good at. I worked as a landscaper for a summer or two back in the day so it was surprisingly therapeutic to pull out the weed-eater and mower and make a yard look nice.

Created: 2024-11-18

Last modified: 2024-11-18