A summer of recovery

I have been getting Instagram reels and memes and such about how summer break isn’t “fun vacation time” for teachers, but recovery time, because our jobs are so demanding and overstimulating. I agree of course, but this year my summer is recovery in more ways in one: I am doing a lot of therapy.

First, I’ve been doing some trauma-related therapy processing my first major hypomanic episode that upended my life four years ago. I think it’s helping!

Secondly, I’ve been doing physical therapy and related work because I’ve had this on and off trouble with my neck and back and I’m just tired of it. This initially made me sore and in general takes a lot more out of me than I expected. But it is feeling better?!? We’ll see how these four weeks go before I can get into an MRI, where they might be able to see about a pinched nerve. Anyway, keep your eye out for a poem from me about the first time I tried to get doctors to check out my nerves…

I am trying to detach myself from obsessing over work, which still happens even in the summer to some degree. If it isn’t teaching, then I’m feeling guilty for not writing. I spend more time worrying about that than actually writing. I should just pick a project and go for it. On top of that, I’m starting a class for my master’s that will take me through the summer. That adds more structure to my routine, but more worrying and time-consuming as well. It suddenly feels like the summer’s end is in sight! Too soon!

One thing I have been doing is reading, so that’s good, and I have to tell myself it is also productive and relaxing (sometimes). I’m working on a roundup of my vacation reading (some romance, some YA, some comics) over on the Patreon so now is a good time to join that! (Link to reviews here).

There is a part of me that misses reporting. I miss sitting at a desk and listening to podcasts and meeting recordings and searching for news, even though that did NOT help my back/neck pain. I don’t miss the hectic schedule, and like I’m hesitant to start a newsletter that is more reporter-like because of that, plus so many are already doing it. And I don’t want to worry about pitching other publications. But I just miss it, you know? I’m really passionate about local news and feel a disconnect from it. I might also do more roundup-style things because I have so much to sift through and read this summer!

Speaking of which…

Listening, reading, watching, etc…

• Game Changer (Dropout TV). Favorite “viral video” from the most recent episode? It’s the breast milk one (sorry), particularly because of the hilarity of the ending.

• Vibe Check (podcast). Always.

• This post from Nicole Brinkley about the recategorization of some 10-year-old or so YA books as adult. It makes me wonder if one of my fave books, Man O’War, would have worked better as adult like the adult books I’ve been reading lately…I’ve been reading several adult books with teenage protagonists.

• John Paul Brammer on the very boardwalk T-shirts I endured on vacation (The Cut). This was fun to read while we were there, although my fiancée had more insight on how things have or haven’t changed over time, and it didn’t specifically mention the whole “America First” store which has some of the worst offerings…

• This might be a post for another day, but I’m thinking about how some of the best news is being reported by tech outlets right now? Which is telling of how embedded tech is in everything? Specifically Wired, 404 News, and Garbage Day.

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