I always forget how good being tan makes me feel until it's the end of winter and I sporadically jump back on the self-tanner train. One application last night and I feel all *Instababe.*

I’ve discovered the key to marathon wedding drinking. Three words: white wine spritzer.

I have to remind myself that I have a very very sad job and that I'm entitled to feel beaten down by all the tragedy occasionally. And that I can say "fuck it" to traditional coping skills sometimes, and instead cry for awhile in the brewery parking lot before I go in and have one (or three,) and order $100 worth of underwear and makeup on my phone.

Cool cool cool. You wanna respond passive aggressively to my completely reasonable email? I gotcha right back, boo.

My 26 year old friend wanted to go out tonight and when I asked her what time, she said, "How about 9? I know, it's early and kind of lame," at which point I laughed because I'm usually in my pajamas by now. Bonus: I also have to dress up because this is a Halloween party. Not too mad about what I threw together.

Minneapolis, MN // Winter 2017

This was a comically bad trip. But on the bright side, I got some good photos.

My first batch of kombucha is done. I did not think this shit would work, but it did, and it’s delicious.

I got into kombucha during Dryuary because, while sparkling cider or grape juice is good, the thing I was missing about beer is that funky, fermented taste. So I bought a couple bottles from the health food store and was immediately addicted. But at about ~$3 a pop, it’s actually cheaper to just drink alcohol. 

I’m in the Twin Cities for a few days and because it’s me, the FIRST thing I do is leave my keys in an Uber (sober.) Joe Cab Driver actually contacted me first saying I left an item in his car, but I didn’t see the message til hours later when my friend and I were getting back to her place and I needed to get all my stuff from my car. Oh, yeah, I don’t have access to any of my luggage either. So that’s nice.

TL;DR; I might be stuck in Minnesota for awhile.

Dryuary Productivity

This was about changing my relationship with alcohol. And hopefully? maybe? it worked? It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, honestly. (And that's probably a good thing, right?) But anyway, here's something for me to look back on whenever I think a beer is the key to curing my boredom.

Books Read

Exercise

Household Projects Completed

Creative Projects Completed

New Recipes Tried

Unfamiliar Social Outings

Familiar Social Outings

Professional Stuff

I think a severely lit b&w portrait will always be my favorite. #selfportraitproject #bwphoto

Has anyone seen the badass logo for the Alternate National Parks movement? Someone let me know if you see a t-shirt come out before I do.

I think I’m gonna apply for a research assistant/lab manager position. There’s this neuroscience study I found that’s studying the link between environment and depression/anxiety. And I’ve always been Team Environment versus Biology when it comes to depression/anxiety, so it sounds right up my alley.

The thing I’m struggling with is if this is going to be A Thing I Do every couple years. I’m not even really dissatisfied with my job, I just feel like I wanna do something else for awhile. But it worries me because, like, shouldn’t I not play with fire? Shouldn’t I stop flitting around from place to place? Have you ever talked to someone our age who’s been at their job for, like, five years and kind of envied them? That’s me. I’m worried that the nature of my personality is that I’ll never be able to sit still at a job.

PSA for my fellow anxiety sufferers: this stuff will change your life.

It’s a magnesium supplement in drinkable powder form. I originally had it recommended to me by a coworker to help with sleep. The first time I drank the recommended max dose (2 teaspoons) without knowing it and it felt like I took a nice hit off a good joint.

Bonus: we women usually don’t get enough magnesium as it is, so ingesting extra can help with cramps and muscle and body aches in general. It’s also good for keeping pooping regular.

23 days into Dryuary and I wanna stab people and buy unnecessary shit. But I hear the 3 Week Itch is a real thing.

(I'm halfway kidding. I actually feel pretty damn good and my reward response has come back significantly, it's kind of awesome.)

March photos from the ‘ol DSLR. Just a small bunch, but there like 100 that I’m in love with.

I didn’t find out until later that technically the march was cancelled because there wasn’t enough room for us to march. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Cold or no cold, I wouldn't miss this for the world. Stay safe out there ladies, and give 'em hell. #womensmarchchicago #womensmarch

SERENITY NOW