I’m not going to lie, y’all, I’ve been struggling for a good newsletter idea this week.
I have thoughts, but none of them feel right. They also sound very boring for an entire thousand-word Substack post. If I’m not having fun writing this, then you won’t have fun reading it.
So this week’s post is going to feel a little cobbled together. Maybe a little incohesive. I’ve decided to just talk about everything on my mind in the hopes of flushing the system, so to speak. Whether or not it works is a problem for next week.
Back-to-School Season
This is my second August without preparing for homework and exams, and it feels just as weird as the first. I’ve always liked school. I like learning, especially in college where, for the most part, I got to pick my classes and what I learned about.
The workforce isn’t so different—there’s still early mornings and strict schedules and the occasional project deadline—but what I do isn’t very similar, either.
Part of me would love to go back to school for something. I’ve certainly got options when it comes to a Master’s degree, or maybe some sort of certification at a technical college (which will be a lot closer to home). And while choosing what to study would be my first obstacle, it certainly wouldn’t be the most important.
Student loans are not a joke, my friends. I truly think the only thing holding me back at this point is my unwillingness to add to them.
Maybe I should just assign myself something to do? I like history and true crime documentaries. Would watching enough satisfy the itch in my brain?
Or maybe 17 years’ worth of education is a hard habit to break. I am prone to romanticization.
Killing Time
To stop myself from quite literally biting off more than I can chew, I’m forcing myself to close the laptop and find other ways to occupy my spare time.
The cooler weather (who would’ve thought I’d call 80 degrees cool) opens up a lot of opportunity for scenic bike rides. Believe it or not, bike riding is infinitely more fun when you’re not drowning in sweat.
I also want to get into baking again. I have some cookie dough that’s been sitting in my freezer longer than I’d like, and I’ve also had a recipe saved for homemade oatmeal creme pies that I really want to try.
I also think I owe my grandmother biscuits and jam. I should probably get on that.
Otherwise, there’s also the age-old classic videogames to turn to. I hopped on my Switch for the first time since May the other day, and besides my impatience (why do levels require my character buying things to advance! I hate farming money!), I’m having a lot of fun with it.
Worse comes to worst, I could always log back onto the Sims, where I’ve recreated my entire house to redecorate it how I like. Yes, it took a lot of time and effort. Yes, building in the Sims frustrates me beyond belief. Really, it’s a miracle I even started that project.
Yes, I’m Always Reading
I think I bit off more than I could chew with my latest library check out.
You see, I thought I was going to read a fun little biography about Catherine the Great. I always thought it was cool that someone who wasn’t even Russian ended up ruling the entire country. I wanted to know how.
Little did I know that this book was looooong.
How long, you may ask?
Over 70 chapters and 700 pages!
Also, my loan expires in 6 days.
Considering after almost 3 weeks I’m not even halfway through it, I’m really hoping I can renew this loan in a couple of days. I literally just got to the part where Catherine is crowned Empress. And I’m weirdly invested in this story, even if I have a hard time keeping names straight.
Resisting the Urge to Buy Things
Why are so many cool special editions of books coming out all at once?
I desperately want the reprint of Illumicrate’s Bridgerton series. I loved all of the Bridgerton stories I’ve read so far, and the entire series is priced really well for 8 books. Let’s just say I’ve certainly spent the same amount of money on, say, just 4 total books…
But LitJoy is also offering the final book in the Stolen Heir duology this Fall, and I can’t not buy that book when I have the rest of the series sitting on my bookshelf (also, they’re gorgeous, so there’s that).
That’s a lot of money to drop on books, but I also know myself. Unless I just forget and miss the deadline, I’m going buy them. No doubt about it.
There’s not much else on my mind as early August passes us by, so I’ll close my laptop for now. My Substack feels kind of empty without my weekly writing updates, so I also want leave you with a joke that actually made me laugh out loud instead:
What do you do if you get rejected at the sunscreen company?
Reapply.
*ba dum tsss*