Welp, here we are. Post 2022 holidays and a fresh new year. Our holiday season was pretty lovely. We hosted Christmas at our house and then ventured a few hours away to see my family. We also got a dusting of snow, always a nice touch, as long as it doesn’t linger too long–spoken like a true Southerner.

Now we enter my least favorite part of the year, those dreary months of January – March. This is always my most difficult span of time, and I have to pay extra attention to taking care of myself, my thoughts, and mental health. I think maybe one of the reasons I like the holidays so much is the distraction they bring. Distraction from what, I’m not sure, but I love the chaos of it and the break from work. Speaking of work, today is my first day back, and kiddo goes back to school tomorrow. In the coming days, I’ll try to embrace the return to a routine and plan some outings to look forward to.

I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions anymore, but I do like to reflect and look ahead with a bit of intention. I’d like to improve how I manage my time, for one. Volunteer more, spend more time on writing, reading, painting, needlework. Maybe re-institute my past quarterly solo retreats. We’ll see.

Happy New Year, Day 3.