Changing Pace

Somehow, in 2025 - despite crossing off a lot of big moments (graduation, first career job, moving to our second apartment in MN) - I ended it feeling more lethargic than I ever have before. Even over a half a year into the job, time management is a struggle, and staying after hours is pretty routine for me. At my last shift, there were two of us left in the building and the other veterinarian in clinic asked if I was close to finishing up since she knows I don’t like to lock up, to which I told her not to worry or wait on me as I’ve gotten used to it. Usually, I am not staying for too long, but sometimes up to an hour and a half or so plus working through lunch to finish up client communications, do a little extra research on the conditions I am encountering, etc. My personal life couldn’t keep pace, and so the time spent at home started to look like as minimal activity as possible and less and less of any beloved hobbies. It was hard to motivate myself to schedule anything or even follow through with scheduled events, despite being extremely excited about them when planned. If you know me, going to the theater and getting a little dressed up (ideally, correlating thematically to the show) is one of my all-time favorite activities, and Phantom of the Opera is one of my top favorite musicals. I had gotten nice tickets as a treat upon getting my first paycheck and even pre-planned my outfit back in the Summer, but when December came around and the show was in town, I couldn’t even be bothered to put on some makeup. I still loved the show, but it wasn’t the experience I’d envisioned and I wasn’t the person I envisioned attending.

I am definitely someone compelled by the idea of slow living and not utilizing convenience at every opportunity. I just read this article by Emily Stochl that used the term “Friction-Maxxing”, which really got me thinking (especially with AI becoming more commonplace even in my workspace).

But this was not slow living, it was lethargy. And 2026 has brought the motivation/opportunity to buck-up, rather than kick-back. In January, we went bowling with friends (what a step into the past - even the screen animations haven’t changed!), I went walking during a snow flurry with another pal from school, we’ve seen the Timberwolves play with my father-in-law, walked around the World Snow Celebration in Stillwater (the snow sculpture with rats on and around the fish carcass was my favorite), mailed a care package with various treats to a friend, watched Chicago at the Orpheum, and delivered a home cooked meal (chicken pot-pie) to a coworker recovering from surgery.

This past weekend we attended Luminary Loppet for the first time and biked 16 miles round trip to avoid the struggle of parking. Plus, it fit the theme since it is a fundraiser for an organization that helps connect people to the outdoors. Considering much of what is going on in Minnesota right now (which was not ignored at this event), it is a surreal experience to also bring together thousands of people on a frozen lake at night in 20°F weather with candelit luminaries, ice sculptures and memorials, fire dancers, hot chocolate (or beer for those who could handle a cold beverage in that weather, as true Minnesotans seem to be able to), food trucks, and bands. This was definitely one for my scrapbook - another hobby I am revisiting - between eating bratwurst at a firepit with strangers, seeing families drag their snowsuit-bundled babies in little sleds across the lake, and biking away from the event with a live bland playing “Jessie’s Girl” (one of my favorite 80’s songs). Biking 16 miles in below freezing weather when I cannot remember the last time I rode a bike was perhaps not a wise decision, but it certainly wasn’t lethargic. And I only fell once! It’s true that I was nearing tears by the time we got home but I have no regrets. I felt like one of those twenty-something pulling ridiculous carefree stunts in films and TV shows with no regard for the consequences.

I’m still getting restful time but it’s focused on reading. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women was my favorite book of January and I immediately went to the bookstore to grab one of Lisa See’s other books. Every other book, I revisit the Noodle Shop Mystery series I got for Christmas by Vivien Chen - such fun books. I read Wuthering Heights to be prepared for the movie, though I’m inclined to believe they took a lot of liberty with the story to make it romantic… It wasn’t my cup of tea, but I enjoyed some of the dialogue. Currently, I’m reading Remarkably Bright Creatures.

I haven’t been cooking or baking too much, since I’ve been trying to be more cost-effective with our groceries. Or I’ll spend a little extra on one nice ingredient, like a meaty ham hock from a farm store for ham hock split pea soup. I’m also just repeatedly making this coconut rice recipe from recipetineats with various additions (red lentil curry or Japanese rolled eggs). I add extra sugar to the rice since I like it on the sweet side and then it reminds me of a similar dish at a local restaurant.

All-in-all it’s been a strong start to the year and I’m glad to feel like work only comprises some of the memories, rather than all of them, despite it taking up about the same amount of time.