The last time I took a little breather from posting on here regularly was because I got laid off for 2.5 months in 2024 and figured that job hunting was a higher priority than a passion project.
Then, Helene hit right when I was employed again, and the ensuing months were a bit chaotic as I tried to assimilate back into a regular routine, all while effectively couch- and/or Airbnb-surfing since my apartment was without internet (and potable water) for some time.
When I returned from said break, in a post titled simply Guess Who’s Back? I shared how the blog was evolving, the aforementioned reasons for that break, and updated readers as to where I currently stood, writing that I’d secured a job, “one I’m happy to report, I’ve retained,” which…was short-lived.
I got laid off for the second time last year, in early October (thanks, AI… and a dog-eat-dog corporate culture I’m not equipped to handle), though this time I wrote pretty regularly during my unemployment.
That round of “funemployment” lasted six months, and when I transitioned back to the land of steady paychecks and allegedly stable mental health—as well as commuting to the office for the first time in six years—keeping up with this felt more like an obligation than fun, and one of my favorite parts about this project is that it’s been something I do for fun, that I don’t try and monetize or really strategically grow it—I’ve always told myself that when it’s not fun, it’s time for a break, and so it was.
I forgot how draining starting a new job is, and I especially forgot how much more mentally prepared you have to be for the day when you have to get dressed, plan your meals, and can’t just run to the grocery store or Target midday when it suits you.
That said, I’m 90 days into the new gig now, and feel like I’ve got a handle on both the role and the commuter lifestyle. I’ve started doing more fun writing for me again, and more so, have found myself visiting places and observing things that would be fun to write about here, through this lens (like, for example, the man at my favorite coffee shop the other day who was wandering around wearing a puffer jacket on a truly oppressive 94-degree summer Sunday).
So, no changes in direction of perspective this time around, though I must warn you that the Asheville Reddit—which I’m unhealthily obsessed with—will be featured heavily moving forward.
AshevilleExplorer 