6 years and a day ago 

September 25, 2014

Solo date 7

Starting my day with the sunrise and a walk at Rotterdam Kiwanis Park

Watching the sunrise is always something I enjoyed, but didn’t get to do enough of. I honestly live to look at a pretty sky. Something about the city life and all those years spent in skies drunk on polluted light. Moving upstate, I became obsessed with the simple beauty of the sky, even with crappy weather like today. I love the idea of finding the right spot to look at the sky where I live. I especially love finding beautiful places in Albany.  

People I’ve dated have not always wanted to partake in waking up early to see it. That’s for sure. This is again the whole point of  these dates. I need to learn to do the things I enjoy on my own, if need be. I don’t need anyone to do the things I think are fun or worthy. These things are worthy of time because I deem them so. 

I have passed this sign a million times and never thought to stop. Finding new places near where I live has been amazing.

Let’s be real. Besides rugby, there are few things I will force myself to wake up early for. Rugby is the sole exception. I wake up for rugby because it’s always worth it. Maybe I need to push myself a little harder for some new experiences with these dates. Maybe some other things are worth that push, too. 

Fitting in 100 solo dates in a year will actually be difficult timewise so I may need to do some of these dates like this, before a day with other people or before work. Maybe I need to find some time in between life rather than shut life down all together. Today I made the exception to wake up early for me. I am the exception.  

When it comes to people, I should really be the one I’m making the exceptions for. Want to get up early to watch the sun rise? For you, girl?! Absolutely. Let’s do it. 

I know that people I’ve dated would have found this dumb or boring or unworthy of making yourself wake up. They may have thought it was silly I called it a date even. 

To me, this is the perfect date for today. This is all I want right now. Some solitude, some comfort, and to be in some beautiful place. I’m done doing what other people think is interesting or worthy of time. The smile on my face right now is telling that this is worthy of time.

Hey, Michie,

You’re worthy of time. You’re worthy of the time to do all the silly things that make you smile and that you think are worthy of waking up for. Remember that. 

Learning: Wake up for the things that make you smile. 

Present Day 2020

September 26, 2020

Again, this cycle of life continues to amaze me when I see these learnings– some of which I need to read at this point in my life.

Today, my wonderful mom and her partner Eileen are on the way to visit me in my new home. They are bringing my new puppy sibling Flurry. Because of this, I woke up early to write this blog and take some time for myself. I continue to work to wake up for the things that make me smile or schedule them in as I am going to take that one step further.  

Flurry and I photographed as we were honored on National Daughter’s day 2020

I would like to say I woke up today for the sunrise because THAT would be some synchrony. However, I happily took the sleep my body gave me for at my older age of 31, I appreciate sleep in a whole different way.  

The synchrony is in the fact that Eileen and my mom are two of the other people in my life that do appreciate the sun rise and in the years since that solo date, we have woken up many times together to watch it. The three of us appreciate a pretty sky as well as a similar types of ‘adventure’. Finding people that like to do the same weird things you like is also a great thing. Finding people that will wake up for the same adventures for you is a great thing.  

Learning: Wake up for the people that make you smile. 

All of these mentions of rugby are crushing my prop soul a little since we still cannot play with COVID. Reading this I am reminded that I did find a whole bunch of other things I love and will ‘wake up’ for, both literally and figuratively. Happy I didn’t unlearn every single thing that 25-year-old lady tried to teach me. I still can’t wait to get back on the field and see what these little runner legs can do out there in the future.

Past Michie, 

Jeez! You’re killing it, girl. Thanks for writing me. I think I needed you. I am basically a first year teacher again with this virtual thing– you would seriously hate it. Laughing that you thought IEPdirect was hard or something.

Guess what, I ran 20 miles this week. Did you faint? I think you fainted. 

I will write again soon; the next solo date is October 5!