Year 2 Winter Break Week 3 (January 2-8, 2017) Part 3 of 3!

Winter Break Ruminations

One of the things that stood out for me towards the end of this break was the idea of "building a new family." I feel like the 2016 holiday season was one of merriest I've had since transitioning into "adulthood." Several factors could have allowed this to happen: having the agency now to schedule my break and be able to move back and forth between New York and New Jersey when I wanted to, I have grown more equipped to the cold weather, I've settled in more with my relatives in New Jersey and have forged deeper relationships, etc.

There is something rewarding about having to wake up in the morning and have people by the dining table whom you want to talk to over brunch. Or have people whom you like enough to watch TV with late at night over coffee and snacks. All this at the same time having the liberty to retreat into one's room when one needs the privacy and space. I've been asking myself how can I surround myself with people whom I love and who love me back and yet be able to have my own space? How can I build community around me?

A List of Things:

I have been quite a workaholic during the first two quarters of second year and I wanted to explore being kinder and "easier" with myself during the third quarter. In order to help me find balance in self-care and rigor in the craft I've come up with several questions for myself to guide me in choosing when to do things:

Do I want this?
Do I need to do this?
Do I need to do this now?
Will it help me?
Is it healthy for me?
Is it the healthy and loving thing to myself for me to do this now?
Is it in line with what I want for myself in the bigger fabric of my life?
Is it worth it?

A List of Alcohol drinks I tried over the break:

Courtesy of my cousin, Jerel and drinks with friends in New York

Grand Coffee (Grand Marnier)
Champagne Cobbler (Champagne, Maraschino Liqueur)
Spiced Rum Milk Punch (My favorite!)
Old-Fashioned (Bourbon)
Bourbon Manhattan
The Blood and Sand (Scotch, Sweet Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur)
​Larceny
Jameson
Brandy
Beers (Over at The Alementary at Hackensack): The Porter, Let's Begin (Sour-Gose), To Helles Und Bock (Maibock/Helles Bock), American Tradition (Pale Ale-American)

Book-read!

I finished reading Alain de Botton's "The Course of Love" this break. If you want to learn more about what this novel wishes to push-back against, check out this video from "The School of Life":