Five Years Later: Where I’ve Been and Why I’m Back

It has been five years since I have been active here. I left no goodbye and posted no explanation for my absence, mainly because I never actually made an active decision to go away. Rather, life lifed, as it so often does, and hobbies faded into the background, as they sometimes must.

In the time since I posted my last story, I have had a child and become a stay-at-home mother, started writing two novels (still hoping to finish one!), and have done a lot of self-work to become a more patient, present, and resilient version of myself.

Creativity is still an intrinsic part of who I am, and now that my son is getting a little older, I believe it’s finally time for me to re-establish some creative outlets. I’ve been a stay-at-home parent for 2.5 years now, and I’m realizing that while I consider it a privilege to be able to step back from my paid work for care work–work that I am deeply passionate about as the subject is my son–it is still work, and as such, it does still require work-life balance, even if that means redefining the term.

For me, it’s now about balancing being on-duty 24/7 with moments I can steal away to indulge in something that brings me a different kind of joy, calm, and a dash of grownup stimulation. As such, I’m making a point to dedicate more time to my novels-in-progress (focusing on one at a time, of course), to continue to read every day (I couldn’t survive without my many, many books!), and to crochet at least one row or round a day, challenging myself with some new and ambitious projects.

In short, I’m once again making time for words and stitches. Reigniting these passions is a way for me to round out my personal happiness. I hope you’ll (re)join me on this journey! I’m so excited to be back.

Stay tuned for an update on my novel writing, a round up of some of the best books I’ve read in the last few years, and my sea turtle crochet project 🙂