And just like that, a new term begins
school lunches | trying new things | hanging on for dear life
Hello world - it’s time to get started, for real. First up, a new weekly rhythm. Almost everyone in the family (including me!) is trying out something new this year, and whilst I lay in bed at night with my hands over my solar plexus calming my nerves at the thought of change/busy-ness/obligation, I still want to persist at trying something new now and again, and (make) attempt(s) to allow life to flow around me. Tomorrow marks the first day that everyone in the family is back at their various places of education/employment, and household emotions have been heightened this weekend.
But instead of focussing on the Sunday eve chaos here, I want to tell you about the exciting/scary thing I am beginning this year which is… a spot of study. I’m enrolled to begin a Master of Information Studies (Librarianship) in just a few short weeks - something that will build on what I’m currently doing in both my writing and communications work, and something that has been tugging at my edges for quite some years now. Eeek! Part excitement, part terror, part curiosity, part dread… only time will tell what it will be like and whether I’ll be able to manage it. Maybe I won’t finish it. Maybe it will take me five years. Maybe I won’t like it. I think the point here is that without trying new things, we will never know. To begin, I will be dipping my toes in the water very gingerly, with just one subject. We’ll see how things progress from there.
I’ve spent a lot of time offline over the past six weeks, and it has been a joy. Each January I delete the Instagram app from my phone (the only social media app to fully consume my attention) and take a breather. It’s an incredible social experiment to see how many days/weeks it takes to let go of the reflexive picking up of the phone and searching for the app (clue: many). I read in Berry Liberman’s recent newsletter:
‘In quiet moments offline, we need to stay relational and committed to the human project of love and creating a better world.’
I think that deserves some pondering, don’t you?
Other things…
A new term means one thing and one thing only: lunchboxes. This week I made bliss balls, granola and choc chip cookies from this book, and a crowd favourite around here: these marshmallows.
Over the holidays I made a little playlist for spotify, for when I’m cooking dinner. Listen here and add any suggestions by leaving a comment below, it needs a bit more variety!
I’ve read seven books this year so far, but expect my reading speed to slow down dramatically now the summer is coming to an end. This week I finished reading The Children of Men. In my twenties I watched the film and I think it was one of the first serious apocalyptic movies I had ever seen (unless Gremlins counts?). The book was less horrifying than I remember the movie to be, which I’d love to rewatch now I have finished reading. The book is set in 2021, but was published in 1992, and while I didn’t want it to matter, the future that was written seemed outdated compared to the future we’re actually living. So much of what has happened was not yet imagined in 1992, leaving the characters in one chapter lamenting the lack of paper maps in a car they steal. It felt strange to be reading about this version of 2021 that is futuristic in different ways to the reality. Have you read it or seen the film?
I’ve now started reading a few other things but can’t seem to settle on my next book. Last night and tonight, it’s The House that Joy Built by Holly Ringland.
Change is inevitable so they say, but I have never excelled at it. This year I’m looking forward to working with myself to keep overwhelm at bay, try something new that has been calling me, and use my time wisely (note: wisely may not translate to productively and that is ok). But first: February. My goal this month is to keep on top of school emails, because they are already coming in thick and fast (and I’m still trying to pretend I’m as organised as the authors of this book - humour me). What about you?
Have a lovely month, I’ll drop into your inbox again in a fortnight.
Until then, travel light.
L x
Ahhhh so exciting!!! This is the best! 😍
Hi Lucinda, thanks for sharing your exciting study news, such a courageous step, it sounds fabulous. Loving reading about your families change from holidays to school mode. School goes back in two days here in Tasmania so tomorrow we are lunchbox baking and dusting off uniforms. Good luck with the term. Impressive effort with 7 books under your belt already ⭐️