Wrapping up these last thirty days
Preamble
So that was June, was it? How did it go by slow and fast at the same time? Time flies when you’re having fun, but it can also be in slow motion when a million things happen at once. The news has been crazier than I’ve ever seen it, and we’re along for the ride. We’ve got less than five months until the American general election. Sooner than that, if we’re lucky. I have no problem covering all that for you, but as far as covering myself in the interim, I’m glad I was able to get out what I needed to get out in a manner I found far more befitting than in previous challenges.
For June I wanted to write every day, only smoke when paired up, work out, and see the sun. So how did I do? Let’s take a look.
1. The Writing Successes
Obviously you got an entry every day. Some came out with just an hour left in the day to spare, but I’m proud to say another month of writing was a literary success. I found a more constant flow with the entries this time around. WordPress’s A.I. assistant always suggests breaking up the paragraphs more, so I decided to section out how I would be writing and relaying these stories I tell. It became: set-up, story, wrap-up. It made it much easier on me to think of what to write about that day, and I felt far more organized doing it. It was good practice to formulate better formatting so I can get out what I’m trying to say in a clearer fashion.
As far as the content, I was able to dig deep in my past and find things I hadn’t thought of in years, like a misfortune at a Wild West park. There were a few days I’d write about that very day, but most of the time I went digging. There were stories brought to the surface that I might have been embarrassed to talk about at one point. But I maintain it’s a positive thing to get all these lingering feelings off my chest and describe how they’ve affected my current timeline. And I truly believe this month reflected that.
This time around I just took more care in the entries, giving them all at least one once-over to keep you covered each day. It was easy to take care now that I have a partner to create more stories with, and to give credence to all that I feel and have been feeling all my life.
When it comes to these challenges, the writing feels like the most important part. And I think that came across, even if I didn’t complete my mission elsewhere.
2. The Other Failures
Yeah, no. I went about a week-and-a-half with no pot and then decided to throw in the towel. Remember my night of scheduled parties? I was hitting my vape the entire time. Even on the subway platform, which is a huge no-no, and thankfully there were no cops at my station. But yes, I did not complete the thirty-day challenge of no THC when I’m on my own. Pot is just becoming a part of my psyche at this point, and it’s perhaps time to stop pretending otherwise.
Like beer, I’m finding a new appreciation for the ‘bud’ding industry, the business side of things, and just what makes a strain unique and special. My friend and I have gone to a few dispensaries together, and I’m taking in all aspects of the biz, from marketing, to sales, to the legalities of what one can do. I can certainly see more of that in my future if I get over the stoner stigma.
You didn’t get entries where I was blazed out of my gourd. I at least have been good about making sure all the work I needed to do was done before I sparked my doobie. That just might be the best path forward for me; to not make this a habit where I’m just stoned all day, but to treat it as a nightcap or pre-workout motivator. And if I need to take a break, I take one without putting restrictions on myself about it.
As far as going outside? Sigh. Once again I failed to do things daily. If it was raining then sure it was understandable. But most of the time I just couldn’t get out there. I know it was blazing hot the last week or so of June, but that shouldn’t have been an excuse. Something was just keeping me indoors, and it was bigger than my air conditioning. I kept feeling like I’d be missing something if I hopped outside for a bit, even though I’m missing all that’s available to me by sitting in the familiar surroundings of my apartment. I could have tried harder and I didn’t, and I ended June no tanner than I was at the start.
I suppose I can just try again to get out there, even if that just means sitting on my miniature stoop outside. New York City is still scary to be in sometimes, and even the safest spots are just becoming the opposite. So it was tough to even want to subject myself to all that. However, going back to Jersey a bunch gave me the opportunity to ground on my boyfriend’s front lawn, so I picked up nature here and there where I could. I just may have to wait until conditions improve in Manhattan to really appreciate all that exists outside the one place I can truly be myself in.
3. The One Bright Spot
One thing I did complete was a three-week Chloe Ting workout. I was able to get all the workouts in throughout the month, even if I had to space them out some. I can officially say that I do look slimmer, even my dad notices, but it’s still not enough. The intermittent fasting I’ve been doing for a few months now has certainly helped, but I’ve got to get my eating under control if I’m going to see real results.
I will say that I feel a renewed vigor to at least do some form of working out, if not every day then as close to every day as I can. I’ve been telling my friend about my schedule each night when he gets off of work, and it’s been very helpful and motivating to keep me honest on that. Even on days I don’t feel like working out, the benefits outweigh my laziness, so I’ll just keep on going. I even did workouts in front of my friend some nights, which reminds me I’ve got to ship a yoga mat to his house. Pounding my bare feet on a wooden floor just ain’t gonna cut it right now.
In Conclusion
And that’s that. I’m very happy with how this month went. It didn’t even feel like the “final time” either. It was just something I did and felt like I brough far more care into this time around. The successes came elsewhere other than just completing the arbitrary rules I set for myself. I didn’t even complete this recap on time like I said I would. But at least I did it. And I’m happy about that.
The next challenge would be September Surrender III, but I might have to alter how I do it this year. Three stories a day when I could be potentially occupied overseas for a week might put a damper into things. But we’ll see.
I’m always open to writing and honing my craft. Perhaps you’ll get some beer or bud reviews here in the near future.
Thank you for reading me for another thirty days. Until next time.
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