The Floor is Lava

... is the show that we watched tonight.

It's silly, it's funny, and I think it's a great way to pass the time, though this post really isn't about that. It's just about my day and what I've been up to. Today was actually a little stressful. Sherlock threw up last night and that's the first time he's ever done that. I also noticed that his humidity was extremely low, which is the first time I've ever seen that happen. What's more concerning is that I don't know HOW it got that low. So, today, I called several vet offices, and struggled to just get someone to pick up the phone. It definitely contributed to my anxiety and stress surrounding the situation. Furthermore, no one was available until at least Friday. I decided to just watch him carefully today and call the vet back tomorrow if his status changed. So far so good.

Jess finished his new enclosure and it is quite spacious. And we just purchased some additional greenery and moss to fill the tank. I hope he will come to love it and enjoy exploring all the new places in his new home. We'll see.

Hmmm... what else?

I've been applying to jobs like it's, well, my job. And as most people know, looking for a job is actually hard work and is a part-time job. Between cover letters, updating your job history, and filling in information that already exists in your actual resume on the online form, it can be pretty time-consuming. But, hey, I'm doing the best I can. So many jobs I've found so far just don't pay enough or I'm extremely overqualified for them. And that sucks. But I am learning not to stress about it. I'm learning to take everything, like this "new normal", one day at a time. At the end of the day, I know that I am blessed. I have some security surrounding me in regards to this situation, so I'm going to remind myself of that anytime the stress starts to creep back in.

Oh! I almost forgot. I order a Kobo Ereader! It's similar to a Kindle, but it allows me to avoid the Amazon Ecosystem... at least a lil' longer. I cant wait for it to get here. Reading Dracula late at night on my phone is no bueno for the eyes. It'll be here soon enough, I'm sure.

I can't remember if I mentioned this last time, but I started reviewing my Japanese... from the beginning. Dude, it's incredible to be reminded of all the things you've forgotten when you haven't truly used it in over 10 years! On that note, today is my 50th day in a row of also using Duolingo to help with my progress. Honestly, I couldn't believe that I've used the app every single day for that long, but that's why it's nice to have something that tracks your progress. I'm proud of myself. I feel good about it. And I plan to keep it up for as long as possible.

I went down a rabbit hole while watching The Floor is Lava. Jess and I started casually talking about traveling, once it's safe to do so. (I may have also gone down a black hole of articles and blogs about traveling to Japan/ living in Japan while black). Lately, so many memories from my time in Thailand have just been popping up in my heart and in my mind and the travel bug has bitten me once again. While it'll be some time before we can actually travel again, this feels like the perfect time to set the wheels in motion. We can plan, we can save (sorta) and we can think about where we want to go and when. Maybe one big trip each year? Can I swing it? Idk. Idk what things are REALLY gonna look like when we're on the other side of things. But if I had to take a guess, I would say that I would have to wait another year from RIGHT NOW before people from the US can really travel abroad again. I'm just guessin'. And I'm okay not going out or roaming right now. I'm doing so much self-work and exploration that I don't need any major distractions.

Is time reverting? I know retrograde is gonna be real for the next 5 months, so maybe that's where this motivation is coming from. I've just been enjoying watching old TV shows like Dawson's Creek and Daria. And watching Anime. And studying! Like I was back in high school! You know what the major difference between then and now is? I'm not working. It's almost as if I'm reliving the experience of  high school without the responsibility and stress of working at the age of 14. How peculiar. I am thankful for this experience, as well as my ability to recognize this blessing for what it is. While it's unfortunate that I cannot experience this with my friends and chosen family, I am at least not alone this time, like I was in high school. (I'll save the rest of that for another day)

Anyway, got another interview tomorrow. I hope to actually get some sleep tonight.

Blessings.