In keeping with past promises and current values, I’m collecting (usually) little life updates under the “journal” tag here. I’ve made a soft return to social media but never want to be the reason someone who steps away from those platforms misses out. As such, I’m going to do my best to replicate my Instagram feed in a format that hearkens back to my early-2000s LiveJournal days.
Anyway, the unofficial end of summer has been a whirlwind. Most notably, my childhood best friend and I attended the Oasis reunion tour together on August 31. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Oli’s and my first concert was also together, and also Oasis. We saw them in Camden, NJ as part of the Be Here Now tour in January 1998. What a great full-circle moment to see them again as adults and relive all the jams from our mid-90s obssessed-fan days.
I’m so thankful we were able to do this. I’m also thankful for my college roommate Mary for letting us crash at her house for our big adventure, and my friend Tyson for being the kind of friend who will keep me company in a two-hour merch line on a random Sunday morning in Soho.
(Side note: I’m so glad I popped over to the city, and not just because it relieved us of having to wait in merch lines at the stadium. The vibe was super fun everywhere I went, with Oasis deep cuts playing in a bar in Penn Station and fans taking over the city.)
Because Oli drove down all the way down from Maine, we turned this into our annual visit/work retreat. After sleeping off our 1:00 a.m. return from the concert (him) and taking an early-morning stroll with Mary to partake of North Jersey’s legendary bagels (me), we set off down the Garden State Parkway for the beach.
Let me tell you, this week reminded me why I love these retreats. It’s so rare I get to work deeply on a single project, on its own schedule. I worked with single-minded focus and took breaks where they felt natural. No other obligations pulling me away, no opening my email, just a deep dive into a very satisfying project.
Also, the requisite eating and drinking and catching up with my oldest friend who I only see once a year.
Imagine if every work day started like this.
Far too soon it was back to reality, but not before a mini-visit with my sister and her boyfriend, who were coming into the shore house for the weekend as I was leaving at the end of my week. What an abundant week of seeing my favorite people and places.
The post-retreat/major event hangover is real, though. Somehow I managed to get on the wrong train going home, and my brain felt scrambled for several days after re-entry. Between the anticipation, actual experience, and comedown from the Oasis show, the marathon of socializing, and the marathon of intense mental work during our retreat, it was a lot.
Also, I wouldn’t change a thing — unless there was a way to do it all twice before I had to come back to reality.
I have carried one thing back to reality with me. Oli had me get the fancy Greek yogurt with our beach groceries, and I got spoiled. Since returning I’ve ditched cottage cheese and jam as my small high-protein snack option in favor of homemade Greek yogurt with fresh berries. It’s such a treat. Straining the yogurt I already have is near-zero effort and the results are absurdly delicious. Highly recommend!
Next up: get a couple more solo work retreats on the calendar! I have a lot on my plate this fall and a few big chunks of uninterrupted work time would be a godsend.
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