It’s been a year since I wrote my last blog post. (Is it even still called a blog post or just a post?) The funny thing is that nothing happened – meaning, I didn’t wake up one day and say, ”That’s it blog I’m done with you.” There was no drama, no tears, no bitter feelings. I. Just. Stopped. Looking back, I think what was really happening was that I was starting to go inward. As an ambivert, I have a keen self-awareness about when I need people and when I need my thoughts. This time last year, maybe without even knowing it, I just needed my thoughts.

At the beginning of October, I celebrated my birthday in Central Europe. I visited Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary with Intrepid Travel. During that adventure, I realized that something was off. One physical thing that nagged me was my foot – since then I’ve discovered that my tendonosis – mixed with a 20% tear in my Achilles – is leading me back to (another) foot surgery. The other thing that was off was my relationship with my then husband. I say “then” husband because the following month I asked for a divorce. And then life became a little messy and a little complicated …

In December I bought a divorce condo. In January I moved into the condo and transformed it from an “old lady” joint to an artsy sanctuary dubbed, “The Pineapple Playhouse.” In February my divorce was final. In March I went on a divorce trip to my happy place – Isla Mujeres, Mexico – and fell in love while there.

And then the pandemic hit.

Improv stopped. Travel stopped. Adventure stopped.

And then in April I found a dog on the street and nursed him back to health, naming him Corona. In May I accidentally fell in love with a local gentleman. In June I started teaching soft skills to aspiring automotive technicians. In July I was accepted into my first virtual improv festival. In August I dipped a toe back into the adventure pool with a mini road trip. And now, in September, the local gentleman has his mail delivered here – to the Pineapple Playhouse.

So why am I telling you this? To let you know that it’s OK if you stop doing something for a while. It’s OK to give yourself permission to shift focus – even if you’re not doing it intentionally. We need different things at different times — depending on our life circumstances and our personalities.

The only person that needs to be OK with whatever you’re doing – or not doing – is you.

This year’s birthday is going to be a bit more subdued than last with a mini road trip to Savannah. Even so, I’ll be sure to write about it – or maybe I won’t!