Creature Comforts N°3
A relaxing little (late) Sunday self-care to replenish and reset yourself for the week ahead—from your Guardian Angel of the Lagoon.
Happy October! I’m currently cuddled up in a hotel bed in Brooklyn. Who loves a hotel bed? Big fluffy white bedding. A pillow for every personality. I’m trying to look at the positives here, of course. Last week I traveled to Portland for work and this week my job sent me to New York. The pay is $21/hour, but the experience is priceless. At least for now…
Alcohol was available on every corner, both literally and figuratively. As I mentioned last week, it’s not uncommon for travel to become synonymous with drinking. There is time spent waiting around in airports, in-flight, hotels, and dining out on the town. This trip was no different! I must admit, the people you surround yourself with can definitely push or pull you. Had I been with my partner, he would have no doubt wanted to check out some of New York’s hottest cocktail spots, nightlife, sit-down restaurants, etc. In these places, the alcohol is always nearby and you have to verbalize the decision, ” No thanks.”
During this trip, I was not with my partner. I was with my colleague and she had no desire to drink once I told her I wasn’t drinking at the moment. We didn’t go to any bars. We didn’t really go to any place where I had to verbalize the decision. Instead, I simply lived! It was a welcome change to simply move about the world AF. No bars were visited. We had fun too. In some strange way, this experience shifted my thinking of sobriety from being without to just being.
I think this reflection could be applied to other things in life. After all, our experience of everything in life is greatly experienced by our perception. The good news? Perception can be shifted.
Instead of wasting energy on saying “no” to alcohol, I spent my energy saying “yes” to a whole lot of other things—a Broadway play, the legendary Casa Magazines, wandering the romantic West Village, window shopping Soho, petting strangers’ dogs in Cadman Plaza Park, trying on too-expensive skirts in Soho, sampling new street food vendors, listening to a Senegalese busker play the kora while waiting for the subway and talking to people.
Let it be known that I don’t love talking to people. It’s not that I don’t find it interesting or enjoyable, but I find it somewhat draining in real life (and only in real life…I love texting, emailing, and letter writing). HOWEVER when you aren’t drinking you have the option to get thrills from simple life things. A brief conversation with a kind stranger in a bookshop can offer a little mood boost. It’s probably that Hedonic set-point thing.
Anyway, New York, I love you. It’s been a gas. It’s been a monsoon. It’s been a charm, a thrill, a petite little grimy romance.
Speaking of romance…
Have you heard of this “romanticize your life” trend? According to The New York Times, it took off in 2020 when society was reeling from the confines of the pandemic. People needed something to sprinkle on the mundane, because well, everything felt mundane when society was shutting down. People wanted something to enjoy, even when there wasn’t all that much to enjoy.
The idea behind romanticizing your life is founded on appreciating life’s simple pleasures. This is in perfect alignment with AF living because we still crave something to enjoy! And why shouldn’t we? What does life become if it’s devoid of joy?
Try romanticizing your life this week.
I challenge you this week to try romanticizing your life. Nothing crazy. Start small. Below I’ll provide you with some starter ideas, but as always, I encourage you to think outside the box and get creative. Lean into your personal tastes, belongings, and preferences.
On the Menu for the week of October 1, 2023
Wear an item of clothing that you’ve been “saving” for something special. Surprise! This week is special—so wear it!
Bring out the good dishes. Thrift yourself a wild little dish and eat ice cream out of it. Get wild with it. I’d love to hear what you do if you decide to go with this one! Comment below to share with me :-)
Take a sunset walk with something or someone you love. A podcast, a camera, a friend, a pet, a forest. Dream up a unique name for the color of the sunset.
Light a candle with your dinner, and pick some plants from your yard for the table. Maybe it’s a couple of small branches, moss, or sprigs of rosemary. Flowers are of course a great option, but also look deeper! Nearly any plant can make a pretty bouquet. Try it!
Such a fun menu of "assignments" for the week, Chloë! And huge YES to this: "In some strange way, this experience shifted my thinking of sobriety from being without to just being."