Hello and Happy New Year!

I know there is a lot of negativity circulating about the new year, as people are both bitter about the happenings of 2021, and nervous we will get more of the same in 2022.

I get it. And I’m not going to tell anyone how to feel about it.

But I personally am still trying to go in with an optimistic outlook, and I pray that we find some goodness in these next 365 days.

That being said, I can’t help but poke fun at my June 2021 self, who wrote this in the introduction to my last time capsule blog post:

“Tomorrow, June 15th, is the day when things are making a big push towards “normal.” Baseball stadiums are opening to full capacity, mask mandates are disappearing, people are OPENLY HUGGING.

It’s emotional, y’all.

I’m curious what “the new normal” will look like 200 days from this fateful one.

I guess we’ll find out.”

I hate to break it to you babe, but find out we have and…it’s not what you (or anyone) hoped.

We are still out here shoving q-tips up our noses, cancelling events and wondering if a scratchy throat means we have to quarantine for a week or if maybe we just had the heater up too high last night.

Things are not back to normal and never really will be, but I do believe we are moving towards a brighter future. Towards days that don’t revolve around COVID tests and vaccination arguments. Towards days when we can travel and spend time together without restriction or panic.

So I hope that we can all find a little more hope this year. That we can write down predictions for where we’ll be in the next 200 days and find ourselves somewhere better than we were before.

Until then, let’s see where I was in June 2021:

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1) What day is it?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): June 14, 2021

One day before my cousin’s first birthday! Happy (almost seven months later) birthday Easton!

2) Describe yourself today.

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): I am a combination of things. It’s one of those days where there are a lot of emotions competing beneath the surface and I’m not sure which one is the most true to how I’m feeling, or perhaps which one is winning. So I’m writing a lot today, trying to figure it out. I’m also wearing my favorite t-shirt, some comfy jeans, and a hairdo that is brought to you exclusively by dry shampoo. 

Confused, emotional, uninterested in washing my hair, and yet still honest, vulnerable and dressed comfortably. We love a conundrum.

3) What did you do today?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): So far I have come to work and posted a blog. Later on I’m going to see my best friend and watch In the Heights (for the second time). Lin Manual Miranda, you talented, talented man. How dare you. 

Can confirm I watched this a second time and it made me openly cry for the second (or, okay, fourth, fifth and sixth time).

4) What’s your favorite song right now?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): “Headspace” by Riley Clemmons. I’m really loving her whole album, Godsend, I think it showed up just in time for me!

I still believe that! Especially since my Spotify Wrapped showed Riley Clemmons as one of my top artists of the year, and “Headspace” as one of my top five songs.

5) What’s the most recent movie you’ve seen?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): Funny you should ask because that answer would be: In the Heights. Please refer to question three to hear my thoughts on Lin Manuel Miranda.  

It is true that I watched In the Heights, then immediately made plans with my best friends to watch it again. Sorry not sorry.

6) Who did you last text and what did you say?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): Would you believe I wasn’t sponsored by HBO Max if I told you it was a text to my best friend asking, “have you seen In the Heights?” Because 1) I’m not sponsored, and 2) I feel like this is getting out of control. 

If my hairdo was brought to you exclusively by dry shampoo, the rest of this post really does seem to be brought to you by Lin Manual Miranda’s In the Heights. Though it is slightly hilarious to mention that I haven’t seen or talked about it since June.

7) What is your biggest goal right now?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): To finish a writing project I’ve nicknamed the PWP. It is something completely out of my comfort zone and that I have been nervous to sit down and actually start, but all of the research leading up to it is finished and now there is nothing to do but write. 

And finish it you did, girl! There are still edits to be made and technicalities to be figured out, but take pride in knowing that you did sit down (over and over and over) and write that damn thing. And it was hard and incredible and hard.

8) What are you most excited about?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): I am excited for my sister and the big moves she’s making. Both in her personal and professional life. I’m also excited for some upcoming trips I’ve put on the calendar. Not to mention, another baby cousin on the way!! See you in September, little one. 

Always excited for my sister, to be honest, but I love that I immortalized that here. Also, the little one did in fact arrive (and we even have ANOTHER one on the way now!!) and she is as precious as can be! We also went on that trip—the Epic October Trip to be exact—and it was pretty much the best trip ever.

9) What are you most worried about?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): Being stuck. In my journal recently, I’ve caught myself returning to this phrase: “please unstick me from this stuck.” I feel like I’ve been in the same cycle for a long time, and I have long been ready to make some changes, but it has taken work to figure out: 1) what exactly I want those changes to be, and 2) how I want to make them happen. At the same time, change is scary, and often when I sense it is close, I get scared and scurry back into my routines. And so I think I’ve been writing down this phrase as a prayer to be, more or less, thrown into something else, because I’m worried I’ll never have the courage to completely pursue that on my own, and that I’ll be stuck forever. 

It’s so tempting to make a deflective joke here, but honestly I’m proud of myself for writing out exactly what I was feeling. It’s not something I have always been good at. But I am improving at both writing down my honest feelings, and sharing them with friends and family so that they don’t get cooped up in my head. Also, I’m very happy to say that over the last six months, I went through a lot of positive change. And while I still have the occasional smoggy day, I feel really good right now!

10) What is the best thing you’ve eaten in the last 200 days?

My answer from the last time capsule (6/14/21): Probably a Dodger dog at Dodger Stadium for the first time in 18 months. It was magical. 

In the spirit of full transparency, while the Dodger dog was delicious, it wasn’t as delicious as it could have been because it wasn’t a Farmer John hot dog. So Farmer, if you’re reading this, please come back. Consider this my Say Anything boombox moment. Dodger Stadium isn’t the same without you.

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You can check out this page to see the growing archive of all of my time capsule answers. And don’t forget to check out this post to find out how you can create your own time capsule.

Our next delivery date is: Monday July 25, 2022!!

As usual, I will excitedly await the arrival of this next time capsule and the future it lives in, but I won’t rush towards it. Here’s hoping there’s lots to enjoy between now and then.

Sending you well wishes and a Happy New Year!