I hate to do this, but I need to start today with a brief whining session.
I got 2 hours of sleep last night, and only because I went to bed ridiculously early. Why, you ask? Well, because the neighbors (yes, THOSE neighbors) had a party with people shrieking in the community room, the hallway, and their apartment from about 9:30-12:30. And also they had their music (and accompanying bass) up louder than ever. So loud that I was able to record it on my phone and can now share that with the apartment management. I’m at the end of my rope. I can’t live like this – no one can. Sigh.
So! Whining over. I have now managed to post 30 days in a row and I’m sure you will all be standing and clapping at your computers when I tell you that I am going to take a brief hiatus. But what this test has taught me is that engaging with this community online is even more important to me than I realized. You all know more about me than most people in my face-to-face life.
I assume that others also pick and choose the information they share with any person… yes? Because that’s definitely the case for me. There is no one that I can think of who knows literally everything going on in my life. I do wonder, though – do people share everything with their spouses/partners? Or are there things that they still keep to themselves? The people in my life kind of fit into buckets, for lack of a better term. Family, obviously. Friends-who-are-family. Work friends. Work colleagues. People I see regularly with whom I don’t have an ongoing relationship outside of the context in which I encounter them (e.g., the apartment manager who will be getting my email shortly).
But here? I don’t share everything, not even close. But taken together, I think you all have more knowledge of what’s inside my head (for better or worse, ha) than even some of my family members. And I so appreciate that. I appreciate your support and your comments and your commiseration when I only get 2 hours of sleep. I appreciate you coming by and reading my ramblings. So thank you for coming by, my friends. I hope you go well into the weekend, and that you take some time for you and those you love. <3
Congrats on making it through your 30 days of posting! I have so enjoyed reading along! And, what an accurate point to end on. I think so much of me peeks through in my writing vs. how I awkwardly connect with most folks in real life, that the same might be true for me, too. Enjoy your break and I’m hoping you get some rest! (this week, indeed…)
Lindsay, it has been so nice getting to know you from your comments here, and on others’ blogs. Particularly during a really challenging time for your family. <3 My writing definitely reveals more about me than my speech, since (like many, I suspect) I find it difficult, sometimes, to make sure I hit on all of my points and that I am as coherent as possible. You can't edit what you've already said! 🙂 Take care.
Two hours of sleep! Oh Anne, that is the worst. Ugh. I’m so sorry it has been a long, tough stretch lately, but you’re nearly there and I hope you get some dedicated time to sit back and BREATHE <3
Thanks, Elisabeth. Not fun at all. It reminded me why I no longer work nights then go to a full day of classes instead of going to sleep. The last 2 nights have been better. It was even worse than I knew – I learned more from the apartment manager on Friday, and the info definitely made my eyebrows go up.
Anne, congratulations on finishing the 30 days! of course there are things that are un-bloggable but I usually try to be as humble and as honest as possible on my blog. It’s not anonymous, like, I have my real first name attached to it but I just write about things in my heard, but yeah nothing TOO, TOO personal. Enjoy your well-deserved break!
Such a fine line, isn’t it? Between sharing of ourselves and oversharing. And it’s different – as you point out – on blogs vs. in real life. Online and in person interactions are so interesting. 🙂
Yay finish line! Boo neighbors.
I know exactly what you mean about buckets. While of course I chat to my friends and family about the same stuff that goes on the blog, it isn’t the same. This is the place where I can ramble about whatever is on my mind, and also see what other folks are thinking about.
Yes! I love my blog for posting about the things that make me wonder. I don’t know that I’ve posted on that, specifically, but I often drive people in my life completely bonkers by constantly wondering *why* something is the way it is. Or, wondering what an unfamiliar building houses. Or, really, well, anything. 🙂 My father is like this, too, and it drives my mom bonkers. (Which means, when we’re together, I also drive her bonkers. :>)
I mean, doesn’t everyone have to compartmentalize what they talk about with other people? My FIL hates dogs and doesn’t care for my conversation about Hannah. My husband does not need to know the details of my hiring woes at my volunteer position. My co-workers don’t need to know about anything.
But, I also think that my blog readers probably know more about me than anyone else! It’s surprising what just a few paragraphs here and there can reveal about you!
It is, isn’t it?! Also, waitaminute – your FIL hates dogs? Oh, dear. I can understand being frightened of them, but hating them? They’re furballs of delight. Well, for the most part. I could see hating snakes, or spiders, but… huh. You must have to censor a lot of what you share around him! Anyway, I agree – you all know more about the minutiae of my life than many in my family (including, ahem, the extended family members who still think I live in another state…).
Congrats on doing 30 in 30!
I don’t think anyone shares everything, or at least I don’t. There has to be something that is private! I keep a lot of things private, which may be surprising since I talk about everything from going bald to my love of mint chocolate. I think when you’ve had a blog for a long time people think they really know you, and in a way they really do. But it all depends on what you show to the world!
Totally depends on what you show, Nicole. I think I share a lot here but there are many things I need and want to censor. It’s interesting to me, too, that there are things I haven’t shared with ANYONE, and don’t know if I ever will. Well, except for my personal journals. I should probably indicate somewhere that those should be destroyed without anyone else reading them, in the case of my untimely demise…
Also, yes for mint chocolate – both chocolate that is mint-flavored and overt mint-chocolate combos (e.g., peppermint patties). 🙂
I am going to miss checking this blog every day!!
Ugh we had the LOUDEST neighbors at our first apartment in Madison. Definite happiness stumbling block.
Oh, I’ll still be here regularly – and probably more frequently than in the past! You won’t get rid of me quite that easily. 😉
Sarah, I think we should get together for coffee and (after the virus update) share stories of living-in-a-college-town. Sometimes it’s just… yeah. Different. I’ll go with different. Ha!
Way to go, Anne. Look at you… after posting “apologies” for not posting regularly for a while, you showed up here for 30 days in a row. Can you believe it? Now you know it’s possible and it isn’t it nice to feel more connected through it?
No worry, nobody expects daily posts, but I hope you show up here more often… because I know what you’re saying: the blogging community is an intimate, yet “neutral” place to share bits and pieces that even don’t get said to people who are close to us in our daily lives. It’s an interesting thing to think about, right?
And you know what, San? It was so. much. fun. I may even “officially” do NaBloPoMo next year. That is, assuming you’re up for getting us all on board. You are such an amazing connector of people. 🙂
Intimate yet neutral – the perfect description. The other thing I love? It makes me aware of opinions/perspectives that I didn’t know or think of before. The blog(ger) world really stretches the boundaries of the little life I have created for myself, and I love it (and all of the bloggers) for doing that. <3
Belated congratulations on doing your own personal NaBloPoMo. I didn’t realize you were participating until the very end, and I was so overwhelmed with keeping up on my own end that I missed a lot of your posts. Now that the furor has calmed down I’m trying to be better about following the blogs I especially like!
Thanks, Jenny! I didn’t make it public, since I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it. I miss posting daily already, and of course this week has been bonkers so… here’s hoping I can make a post happen today or tomorrow.
I had to skip commenting a few days on your blog -sorry! And I’m still (again?) catching up. Your posts anticipating Christmas are so much fun to read. 🙂
It has been SUCH A DELIGHT to get daily posts from you over these 30 days, but I understand needing a break. I needed the same after finishing NaBloPoMo. I hope this means you’re up for NaBloPoMo 2024!
Thank you! I loved showing up here, too. And, here’s the weird thing – I miss posting daily! It was so much fun to come and just share a few (or many) thoughts. This week, of course, has been insane, so I’m hoping to put up a post today or tomorrow. I LOVED reading your daily posts and especially those week-in-the-life posts. 🙂 (And yes, I’m in for next year, for sure!)