Carrie

I opened my eyes at 6:41 AM. I felt groggy from nearly 10 hours of sleep and my neck still stiff from “moving the wrong way” on Sunday. For the past two weeks I’ve been waking up and immediately wanting to go back to sleep once I realize where I am. Today was the same but I promised myself a “self-care” day which was a motivator. 

Before heading out of bed and to the shower, I took a photo of the Philadelphia fire mark we thrifted last summer. I figured the people seeing this post would appreciate this piece of history. 

After my shower, I spent some time slowly enjoying my coffee (Rival Bros beans are a fave) while playing a few word games like Quordle, Q-Less, and Connections. I smiled to myself when I successfully finished each game and then wished I was playing with my usual partner. I scrolled through Instagram and took stock of who liked my recent MDW boat photo (spoiler alert- my minor injury was boating related HA). 

At 8:28 AM I put in my airpods and started one of my favorite albums, “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You” by Big Thief and went over to the park. 

I settled into a chair, took a deep breath, and let the sun warm my face. There was a faint smell of dog piss which I tried to ignore for 30 minutes before it bothered me enough to change locations. 

Much better. The graffiti reads “Fuck your job, the highway, & the FMC building, so let’s get high!”

I then started my craft and hyper focused for nearly an hour as I mapped out my design. I’m not a fan of following a pattern which means that I typically have to undo and restart multiple times before I get things the way I want them. 

Around 10 AM I dropped my things off at home, ate an apple, and walked to the nail salon for a manicure and pedicure. While traveling on Christian Street, admiring the rowhomes and greenery, I took a moment to feel gratitude for the ability to take the day off and enjoy the weather. I forgot to take a photo. Side note- I don’t know what it is about nail salons but I mentally check out. It feels like time stands still and my thoughts are full of nothingness. I can’t tell if I like it or not.

I was back at the house by noon, frantically putting together a lunch of leftover vegan BBQ because I didn’t realize I was hungry until 5 minutes prior to getting home. In true iPad kid fashion, I propped my phone up on my water glass and watched “The 100” on Netflix. I love anything post-apocalyptic and the teen drama is entertaining enough. I wished I had a potato bun. 

I spent the next hour or so working on my craft while listening to a Podcast about codependency. Making progress! This will eventually be a tissue box cover. I started it to keep my hands and mind busy throughout the week.

I looked out the window and remembered that it was way too nice out to sit inside so I went back out to the park. I went into my hyperfocus state again and realized that I barely looked around me all day. I slightly judged myself for being inside my head or so focused into a craft that I have no idea what’s going on around me. I took a few deep breaths, looked around, and acknowledged the many people walking their dogs, playing with their small children, and bathing in the sun. I decided that I’ve reached a good stopping point and went towards home to get started on dinner.

I love to cook. I love the process and the order of operations. I love to slowly cut the vegetables, line up my ingredients, and watch things come to life. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s a vegan version of a creamy comfort pasta that I had a lot growing up. 

I ate, washed dishes, and got ready to meet some friends for Yoga on the Banks. From 6 to 7 PM, I was completely in touch with my mind and body. I felt strong, weak, sad, proud, connected, and alone all at varying points within the practice. 

We hung out for a little while after practice chatting about mental health, relationships, and how good it feels to have access to what we do. The sun going down was my cue to go home. I was greeted when I walked in and we exchanged some small talk before heading to our separate rooms. I did my evening routine and I spent the rest of the night searching through apartment rentals in Grad Hospital, Queen Village, and Pennsport before closing my eyes around 11:30 PM.

Thanks for reading. 

@car.rie.line loves long walks across town, a really good bowl of ramen, and yapping about social systems. Just trying to learn and grow <3