Years ago, I had a regular habit of documenting what I was learning. Although it fell off for a while, it feels important to come back to. Maybe it’s because my kids are young and so many of our days feel the same. It can sometimes be hard to keep track of how we’re spending our days.
But this practice is helping me realize I am learning new things, too. This list isn’t in any particular order or with any particular hierarchy. Everything counts, no matter how small. For my purposes, spring is March through May. So, here are some of the things I learned this spring.
Airport maps are deceiving.
Since the fall, I’ve been flying quite often (for me), and mostly alone. In May, I landed back home with 8 flights under my wings. And this last trip, I flew through a new airport (hello, Minneapolis). I figured since I was alone, it was a good opportunity to scope out a new layover option.
On the map, the airport didn’t look that big. But when it came to walking it, I discovered I had been misled. It’s still walkable and doable with kids, but maybe not our first option. We almost always layover in Atlanta since we’re familiar with the airport and with how long it takes to get from one end to the other. Minneapolis, however, feels like it has more walking.
Artemis 2 had internet.
While I didn’t watch as much moon coverage as I’d have liked, this idea was wild to me. That we could have internet in space. Humans really are amazing, and our capacity for creativity and problem-solving is a beautiful thing to behold.
And apparently, they had to call tech support for assistance with Microsoft Outlook. It does make me feel a little better that really smart people have the same trouble with technology I have. At least I know it’s not just me.
I’m more ok with my oldest in school than I thought I would be.
We recently enrolled my oldest in a half-day preschool. With the upcoming summer vacation, he will have attended for only about a month before the break. But the transition, for all of us, is going better than expected. The kids don’t seem to mind the earlier wake-up time (ask me again when it’s dark outside when they get up). Honestly, if I had known we would all adjust so well, I might have done this sooner.
I can get a lot of writing done in a coffee shop.
I’ve been finding it really helpful to set aside one or two Saturday afternoons a month to sit in a coffee shop and brainstorm for the blog. I’m almost a month ahead with writing, which has never happened before. Not all coffee shop visits are productive. But lately, having a larger chunk of time to think and focus has been really helpful.
The more I fly, the less turbulence bothers me.
Let’s be honest, it’s still not my favorite. And, thankfully, I’ve never had an extreme experience. Turbulence used to send my anxiety spiraling. But flying more often has helped to lessen the intensity of my reactions. I still don’t love it. I don’t wish for it. But if it happens, I mostly feel ok about it.
I’ve taken 8 flights so far this year.
I mentioned that already, but when I thought about it, I surprised myself. That’s a lot. Even at the height of our travel overseas, I don’t think I had taken 8 flights in 5 months. I don’t have anything else planned until October, but who knows what will happen between now and then.
I’ve been enjoying the challenge of our monthly produce boxes.
This year, a semi-local produce rescue started distributing in our area. They have been delivering in town once a month since February. I found them when we first moved here, but this is the first time they’ve come to our area. Otherwise, it was a 90-minute drive to get a box, and that didn’t really seem worth it.
A lot of the produce we get in the US comes from Mexico. And, as it turns out, we’re quite close to Mexico. The company collects produce that can’t be sold to stores, for whatever reason. What can be saved and eaten is distributed every Saturday at various locations in the state.
It’s been a challenge figuring out what to do with the up to 70-pound box we get once a month. We don’t have the ability to can and store items, so we’re limited to freezing and eating what we can. Of course, we also share with friends when we have more than we can save.
The boxes cost about $20, and have food we know, like squashes, watermelon, zucchini, jalapenos, oranges, bell peppers, and onions. But it also gives us a chance to try foods we might not choose to buy, like Hami melons.
Grief is not linear.
I knew this. But I’m being reminded in this season. Just because we’ve “learned” something doesn’t mean it won’t come back around. Grief keeps showing up. And while it hurts, it reminds me that what (who) we lost mattered.
Fred Rogers and Tom Hanks are 6th cousins.
That is all. I wonder if that’s why Tom Hanks was chosen for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
The Scottish language describes emotions as if you wear them.
I’m pretty sure I learned this on a Facebook reel, so it might be wrong. But the idea is that, in Scottish, the sentence actually says, “the sadness is on me.” In English, we embody the emotion, and it becomes us. “I am sad.” In English, sadness is what you are. In Scottish, it is something you wear (and therefore more easily removed).
I need space by myself.
This is another one that I “knew” without really knowing. With Mother’s Day just past, I was thinking about how my life has changed since becoming a mother. One of the things I came up with was that I don’t have the same command over my time. I didn’t realize how much time I needed for myself until I didn’t have the choice. Having kids means you don’t get to do whatever you want, whenever you want.
Husband has long encouraged me to go out by myself, but I never felt great about that being overseas. I was always much more comfortable when he and I did things together. Now that we are back stateside, it’s easier.
So, every two weeks or so, I escape to a coffee shop to spend a longer chunk of time on writing projects. Usually, I’ll throw in some thrifting or window shopping. Sometimes I run errands that are easier without the kids. I’m so grateful to have a husband who encourages me to take time away from the house.
Photography is like riding a bike.
I forget how much I know. How much it (usually) energizes me creatively. I think I have a pretty good eye, but it’s one of those things I don’t mind practicing (except editing. I don’t love editing). Taking time in April to stage and photograph some new images for the blog was lovely. The last time I did a similar project was in 2020.
As I was planning, I remember being afraid they wouldn’t turn out well. Or I’d forgotten how my camera works. Or, I’d waste time and energy on something that didn’t turn out. But instead, it was revitalizing. I’m so glad I did it anyway. It was nice to carve out some time to play.
A little about the Flame Colored Tanager.
I am not a birder. I do, however, really enjoy stopping to watch birds. One afternoon in mid-May, I saw a bird I hadn’t seen before in the bush in my front yard. I saw the head was red, but it wasn’t a cardinal. His back was to me, and I noticed he had black and white stripes on his back. So I googled “red-headed bird, not cardinal,” and picked him out from a graphic with a lineup of other red-headed not cardinals.
Turns out the Flame-Colored Tanager is rarely seen in the US. They spend most of their time in Mexico and Central America. It was a fun little sighting, and I spent an hour or so looking up more information on them.
I’ve learned that looking back helps me to look forward. Seeing what I’m learning, in real time, reminds me that there is always more to learn. What a joy to be a lifelong student of…living.
Do you have a regular (or semi-regular) habit of reflection? What have you been learning this season?
