Dagger's Progress as a Nomad

[Severine]

Woo Italy! Really glad your baggage arrived safely. I'm always terrified of losing mine.

 

Florence is such a wonderful city. My favourite place there is the Loggia dei Lanzi and if you have time it's absolutely worth a visit. It's very centrally located, easy to get to, and free. Some of the most beautiful sculptures I have ever seen, and I love the way they're just out there in the public square instead of locked inside a museum. 

 

There's also a seafood restaurant on the south side of the Arno where I had one of the best dinners I've ever had, but of course I can't remember the name of it... 

 

I'm sad about all these dead spiders! I mean, I know a lot of people don't like them so I understand, but it still makes me sad because I absolutely love them. I spend time on the spider subreddit because I am dork and I'm working on getting better at identifying different spiders by sight  Anyway, I appreciate that you only squash them when they're actually near your bed! Sounds like a reasonable compromise for the spider-wary. L hates them too, so I am Official Spider Remover in our house   I just relocate them to the outside.

 

Any ideas what your three summer novels are going to be about? Do you plan out plots and such in advance, or just let it come to you as you write?

 

Sorry to hear that Florence is just as hot as it was here. You know, right after you left Boston it got a lot cooler...perhaps the sun loves you and is following you?

 

Your goals look wise and healthy as always, and the fitness retreat sounds amazing. I hope you really love it and that you feel ready for your Norwegian adventure by the end. Remember to take a photo now and again during your treks through the Tuscan hills

 

I'm curious to see how the wrist stretching goes, btw....updates requested.

 

I had a bunch of other stuff to say/ask but I will post this and then post later when I can remember.

[Dagger]

15 hours ago, Severine said:

Florence is such a wonderful city. My favourite place there is the Loggia dei Lanzi and if you have time it's absolutely worth a visit. It's very centrally located, easy to get to, and free. Some of the most beautiful sculptures I have ever seen, and I love the way they're just out there in the public square instead of locked inside a museum. 

Thanks for the recommendation! I read this before going out today so I went by it. Very cool place, plus I took the time to sit on the benches around the edge and read for a while. Inspiriting to sit among great works of art and reading about fighting the resistance that is stoping me from writing (The Art of War by Steven Pressfield).

 

15 hours ago, Severine said:

I'm sad about all these dead spiders! I mean, I know a lot of people don't like them so I understand, but it still makes me sad because I absolutely love them. I spend time on the spider subreddit because I am dork and I'm working on getting better at identifying different spiders by sight  Anyway, I appreciate that you only squash them when they're actually near your bed! Sounds like a reasonable compromise for the spider-wary. L hates them too, so I am Official Spider Remover in our house   I just relocate them to the outside.

I'm actually starting to be sad about it too and it weirds me out. But at the same time when they get near my bed I has no remorse. I know they do good stuff, like eating other bugs and I'm not a fan of bugs.

 

15 hours ago, Severine said:

Any ideas what your three summer novels are going to be about? Do you plan out plots and such in advance, or just let it come to you as you write?

I generally don't plan. I have some vague ideas, like different started projects or series I could work in, but nothing concrete. And for each of those projects I generally only have impressions before I start writing. Like I'll have a character in mind, or a setting, or a problem or something to start with. And often I'll have like sign posts along the way that I think will happen (usually only impressions again), but they could or could not happen and never quite turn out like the impression first was like when I do write them.

 

15 hours ago, Severine said:

Sorry to hear that Florence is just as hot as it was here. You know, right after you left Boston it got a lot cooler...perhaps the sun loves you and is following you?

Yeah, the sun do love me when I travel. Plus it is Italian summer. They aren't cool in any way. So when I decided to go to Italy in summer I signed up for 30C days.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

15 hours ago, Severine said:

Remember to take a photo now and again during your treks through the Tuscan hills

I will

 

15 hours ago, Severine said:

I'm curious to see how the wrist stretching goes, btw....updates requested.

I have not started yet. Will probably start it during resort time or drop it then, which ever feels right at that moment.

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Pre-Resort Time, 2017-05-31

• Write 500 words per day at least, 0/4
• Allow space for me-time (see "Tasks Outside Goals" for details), 2/4
• Intend to start stretching my wrists daily, no points though.
• Fly to Florence via Frankfurt and check into hotel, May 29, 1/1
• Visit some places with art and/or other touristy things, May 30-31, 2/2
• Check out, take train to nearest station to fitness resort and get situated, June 1, 0/1
• Unpack and set up home/ritual/calm space, June 1, 0/1

So I didn't do writing, but I touched the project I plan to write in June. I have about 5000 words from last year and started going through it to remember and to pull out character and world building details. This would be fantasy, and this is all you all will learn for now.

 

So not as much as I wanted.

 

I've also been sneezing like crazy yesterday and more today and now my nose is getting a little stuffy... Tomorrow I go to fitness resort?!?!?!?! I don't want to get sick...

 

So early to bed today.

 

No me time really. I kinda took it, but not with the intention behind it. So I am not counting it. ^____^

Also, uploaded picture to Instagram and yesterday my blog post went live. (PM for links.)

[fleaball]

I hope the sneezing and such is just your body adjusting to the new environment and not actual sickness. *sending thoughts full of vitamin C*

[Severine]

Yeah maybe allergies to some weird Tuscan pollen?

 

Hope you feel better ASAP!

[Dagger]

12 hours ago, fleaball said:

I hope the sneezing and such is just your body adjusting to the new environment and not actual sickness. *sending thoughts full of vitamin C*

 

10 hours ago, Severine said:

Yeah maybe allergies to some weird Tuscan pollen?

 

Hope you feel better ASAP!

I am hoping it is pollen or just adjusting. I do feel better after a long night's sleep. Perhaps eating a better dinner than fruits and cookies would have been advisable too, but I was too tired to go out and get dinner. XD

 

Depending on how I feel this afternoon I'll see if I'll join fitness activities today already. Depends.

 

It'll be so nice to actually set up stuff for a longer stay.

 

Also my belt partly broke. Probably still useable, but I'll have to see if I can fix it fully at the resort since all my pants are too big in the waist from losing 10 kg last year. And I hope they will be looser in six weeks!

[Dagger]

And now I'm at the resort. Resort time starts tomorrow.

 

Considering the sneezing happened a lot while on the one hour afternoon hike, I'm guessing pollen. So I asked and apparently there is quite a bit because it just got warmer like a week ago. So I took an anti-histamine and will take it daily for the next week or so and then see how it goes with it.

 

At least I've only been sneezing, so my body have been ejecting it out to not get worse. ^_____^

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Pre-Resort Time, 2017-06-01

• Write 500 words per day at least, 0/4
• Allow space for me-time (see "Tasks Outside Goals" for details), 3/4
• Intend to start stretching my wrists daily, no points though.
• Fly to Florence via Frankfurt and check into hotel, May 29, 1/1
• Visit some places with art and/or other touristy things, May 30-31, 2/2
• Check out, take train to nearest station to fitness resort and get situated, June 1, 1/1
• Unpack and set up home/ritual/calm space, June 1, 1/1

So this last day of the pre-resort time, I did take me time in doing a Kate thing. (Surprised?)

 

I also did movement with about an hour long hike up and down a Tuscany hill. I'm going to hopefully get much better cardio (or whatever it is called... tell me because I can't remember... please. ) from going up and down those for the next 6 weeks. I'm also completely unpacked and set up most of my bedside table with nice things.

Also, so far the food is proving good.  I'm thinking I'll just eat full portions (I have the option of going half-portions for weight/fat loss) until Sunday and then re-evaluate whether I want to ask for half-portions, just eat less of what I get, or if it is the right amount of food to support my fitness and creativity.

 

So over all my pre-resort time have been successful. I'm moving more towards the dedicated meditation/ritual me time which I want to bring back in (felt like I didn't quite want it after Costa Rica, I guess I wanted to feel more comfortable again in that space for good or bad). I also hit all the little daily task lines.

 

Writing needs a serious boost. Oy oy oy! Only 14 more days to prove to myself I can do this. It'll help now that I'm in one place and it won't go away anytime soon, so I don't need to do ALL THE THINGS RIGHT NOW. Some can wait, so I'll be able to spend more time on not exploring or recovering from exploring.

 

Also, it would be good to start the stretching, but I won't sweat it until I do writing regularly plus a lot of me-time.

 

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-02

• Write 1000+ words per day (needed word count might change), 0/41 — nope
• Allow space for me-time, 1/41
• Intend to start stretching my wrists daily, no points though. — nope
• Do yoga/swim every day unless body doesn't feel up to it (or it is canceled), 1/X — I need to redo the count in some way
• Do hiking every day unless body doesn't feel up to it (or it is canceled), 1/X — I need to redo the count I think
• Do circuit/barre training every other day (or more often) unless body doesn't feel up to it (or it is canceled), 1/X — I think I need to look at the count for this too

So I've been looking closer at the schedule and I definitely need to either do a new count of how many I will aim for or figure out how I'll count along the way. Like tomorrow there will be like a 2,5 hour hike in the morning, instead of morning yoga. But then in the afternoon I can do yoga if I want to, at the same time I realized I'd get more writing time if I instead did a swim later in the day when it isn't quite so hot (like 17-18 instead of the 16:00 yoga). Of course, that is assuming I am writing.

 

I didn't do writing today. I did finish off what I needed to so tomorrow I haz no excuses to not create new words. Well technically I added probably around 30-50ish, but I also subtracted between 10-30ish, so I think I ended up with like 30ish more words.

 

I did yoga, barre class, and the afternoon hiking. Plus after the hiking was a quick trip to a nearby village/town for some ice cream and socializing that I went to. All of those side trips I probably won't go on because time!

 

And my me-time was drawing an oracle card for the day and it was quite fitting. It talked about infinity in the way that long projects takes consistent effort and work, and like a lot of it. So pretty fitting for writing a novel, ya?

 

I'll figure out the new count of fitness things when I'm not feeling super tired.

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-03

• Write words every day, 1/41 — I killed the word count requirement, because it is more important I write every day rather than the amount. I wrote about 500 words today
• Allow space for me-time, 1/41 — nope
• Intend to start stretching my wrists daily, no points though. — nope and I think I'll take this off the list for now. I'll revisit it in a couple of weeks and see if I have the mental space to add it.
• Do yoga/swim every day unless body doesn't feel up to it (or it is canceled), 1/X — I need to redo the count in some way
• Do hiking every day unless body doesn't feel up to it (or it is canceled), 1/X — I need to redo the count I think
• Do circuit/barre training every other day (or more often) unless body doesn't feel up to it (or it is canceled), 1/X — I think I need to look at the count for this too
• I'm changing these to count any day I spend two hours on fitness stuff. Like yesterday I spent three hours because I did all three activities. Today I spent 2-2.5 hours hiking and really wanted to get writing done in the afternoon. So...:
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 4/82 (so 41 days makes 82 hours, and I'm not counting the extra because I'm looking for daily fitness, not a certain amount)

I said a lot of things above. So I'll be counting hours for fitness. That way I'll hit at least two classes per day (although I might count 20-30 minutes of swimming as one "hour", it is more of two activities or one long one thing) or I'll do the long hike (which they have twice a week) and then I don't have to do more on that day.

 

In the afternoon I so needed a nap after the 2-2.5 hour hike before lunch. But instead of taking a proper nap I tried to cut it short, but still ended up losing just as much time. That is also one of the reasons I only got 500 words because I needed quite a rest. And I suppose that will stay as my normal for at least the first couple of weeks.

[Rebel Pilot Gar]

Hope you are liking the Resort so far! I like how you changed your tracking to better fit the resort activities. Maybe I'm biased because I track by time - but it's a great way to have flexibility in choosing your activities. 

 

Doesn't matter what activities as long as you are enjoying them and getting some benefit (mental, physical, etc) from participating. 

 

Good luck on finding time (and mental energy) to get your writing done. Do you tend to edit as you go or just sit down and write?

[Dagger]

8 hours ago, Rebel Pilot Gar said:

Hope you are liking the Resort so far! I like how you changed your tracking to better fit the resort activities. Maybe I'm biased because I track by time - but it's a great way to have flexibility in choosing your activities. 

 

Doesn't matter what activities as long as you are enjoying them and getting some benefit (mental, physical, etc) from participating.

Mostly the change was to take my body into account. Going from walking as the only activity (and not brisk walking) to suddenly try and do 3 hours of more intense (than walking at least) fitness every day isn't easy. And if I tried for that, I'd be doing fitness and resting and getting no writing done. Yesterday showed me I need to respect that I am taking my body through more than usual even if it doesn't feel deathly hard in the moment.

 

So two hours seemed like a good thing to aim for. So I'll do at least two activities per day except on long hiking days, then I can be okay with just the hiking.

 

8 hours ago, Rebel Pilot Gar said:

Good luck on finding time (and mental energy) to get your writing done. Do you tend to edit as you go or just sit down and write?

I kind of do editing as I go, although the writing teacher/mentor were I picked up how to do it calls it cycling. The word editing have certain connotations that doesn't fit with what I and my mentor do so that I think is a big reason for calling it something else.

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-04

• Write words every day, 2/41 — ca 900 words today
• Allow space for me-time, 2/41
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 6/82

I did yoga and circuit training today. There was no hike in the afternoon (the guy who does the hikes had his one day off a week). I also managed almost double the word count from yesterday so that makes me happy.

 

I'm thinking tomorrow I'll either skip the morning yoga and write then, or skip the circuit training and write during that time and also catch a little time after lunch. There should also be time after the hike too. So that could be quite good. Plus I'll be talking to one of the trainers tomorrow so we can figure when I should take rest days and how they'll look like and such.

 

Circuit training today was challenging, but I'm also finding I'm getting better and better and being comfortable with discomfort. One of the biggest reasons I've had a hard time starting a fitness habit is because I never learned that the discomfort is normal when you are growing muscles or cardio. You can't just do it all at a nice level or just a smidgen above that. Or I guess you could, but you'd progress very, very, very slowly.

 

So while I might not be giving as much as my body could, I'm definitely giving more each time because I work on being okay with the discomfort. Leaning into it so to say. And don't worry, I won't go overboard.

 

I'm still kinda struggling with adding in meditation or that kind of me time. I'm not quite sure why. I guess I don't have the mental energy over to put the focus there since I'm putting 75% of my attention on getting writing done and the remaining 25% is used to get to fitness classes and meals on time. Interestingly enough I seem to be playing with getting there just in time instead of 15 minutes early, which means I'm often up to 5 minutes late instead... oops.

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-05

• Write words every day, 3/41 — ca 600 words today
• Allow space for me-time, 3/41
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 8/82 — HIT/circuit training and hike

Today turned out partly really good and partly not what I planned. Morning worked out well, I decided to skip yoga and I wrote before the 11:00 am HIT and got about 400 words. I didn't worry about it because I'd have more time later to write.

 

Then in the afternoon I napped after lunch and before the hike. This is happening quite a bit.

 

Then after the hike, there was trouble with our snack time. They usually make absolutely great snacks, so it isn't something I want to miss plus I'll get hungry after the hike. But the snacks were in the yoga room and yoga was still happening because it started late.

 

So I have a shower first then go for snacks at the new time... except... yoga didn't only start late, they also for some reason decided to do an extra long session?!?! So instead of spending time writing, I was standing around waiting for snacks for 25 minutes.

 

I'll admit I got somewhat annoyed, probably because I was hungry. So after that I didn't want to focus and write before dinner. Instead I just chillaxed. Finally after dinner (that took longer than normal by about 30 minutes), I wrote about 200 more words.

 

Bah... It kinda fits with the oracle card I drew today though. It was a jester playing with small puppets on strings, like a small theater thingy (I'm not sure what it is called and too lazy to try and find the answer). And the card was basically saying either you can be manipulated or you can be the manipulator. And that so fit today. Like I choose not to do yoga (partly because of the card because it actually made me realize I wanted to skip it), and I did writing after breakfast because of it and then it feels like in the afternoon that someone else was pulling my strings and making me throw all my plans out the window.

 

Anyway, I have a possible plan for tomorrow that I hope works out. But I'll see what the cards and my body says tomorrow.

[fleaball]

8 minutes ago, Dagger said:

small puppets on strings

Marionettes?

[Dagger]

3 minutes ago, fleaball said:

Marionettes?

Yes, thank you.

[Vibrantella]

On 04/06/2017 at 8:56 PM, Dagger said:

the discomfort is normal when you are growing muscles

For some reason I'm fine with this, it's almost enjoyable and something to be proud of.  Cardio discomfort - not so much!

 

Your fitness retreat sounds fantastic, it's great that you have time for writing too.  I hope your plan works tomorrow, but if not - it will all work out in the end!

 

BTW, we must meet when you get to London (and before I leave for France)

[Dagger]

9 hours ago, Vibrantella said:

For some reason I'm fine with this, it's almost enjoyable and something to be proud of.  Cardio discomfort - not so much!

I grew up with parents who didn't even see working out at a necessary evil, just mostly like an evil. (Obviously they knew it would be good for them, and my stepmother walks the dogs every day and such, but otherwise...)

 

9 hours ago, Vibrantella said:

Your fitness retreat sounds fantastic, it's great that you have time for writing too.  I hope your plan works tomorrow, but if not - it will all work out in the end!

Thanks! (And you reminded me off it this morning, good!

 

9 hours ago, Vibrantella said:

BTW, we must meet when you get to London (and before I leave for France)

We definitely do! I didn't realize you were in London! I'll be great to met you!

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-06

• Write words every day, 4/41 — ca 1400 words today
• Allow space for me-time, 4/41 — drawing a tarot card and journaling
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 9/81 — only hiking

So the plan for the day was to rest from the morning activities (yoga and HIT) because I started to feel really stiff in my shoulders yesterday during the hike, which isn't a place that would normally get stiff from that. So instead I wanted to put a focus on the writing. And voilà! 1400+ words.

 

I'm very happy with that. It could have been more, but I'm alright with 1400. Next time I do a rest/writing day, I think I'll aim for at least 2000 words, unless I've started to write a lot more daily by then. I kinda need to get to 1000 daily words, but I'm not stressing about it. Better to keep it fun and keep doing it every day than stressing about a word count.

 

I also reduced the hour amount for my exercise, since today was a rest day. I'll probably aim for 1-2 days a week were I only do like the hike, or perhaps one yoga lesson and spend the rest of the day writing/resting. Perhaps Thursdays and Sundays will be rest days in the future, or I'll just take them when my body tells me to.

 

I did the same hike today as last Friday and it went better because of three things I guess:

1. I've been hiking minimum 1 hour every day except one since Thursday
2. The weather was cooler today, so only around 26C instead of 30C
3. I paced myself better so I didn't let the worst hill take my heartbeat to max

I'm definitely already noticing a difference from hiking every day for five days (minus Sunday, the hiking guide's day off).

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-07

• Write words every day, 4/41 — nope
• Allow space for me-time, 4/41 — nope
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 11/81 — long hike

I am not sure how to describe yesterday (I didn't report in last night). I didn't write. I did no me-time.

 

Beside the morning long hike, I read fiction, I did a ten minute nap, I checked things online. I went to bed early.

 

I never felt an urge to write. Neither did I really feel the press of my June 30 deadline.

 

Today I feel the resistance and the unwillingness to do anything. I am not sure how to navigate it. Should I force myself to a fitness class? Should I get myself writing? Should I try to find a way back out of this emotion? Or do I just need to ride it out and I'll feel okay tomorrow?

 

I don't know. If I could just curl up in a cave for a few hours and not see anyone, that would be good. But breakfast is in 10 minutes and the group is currently 15ish people. I want there to be less people...

[Vibrantella]

You will have made your decision by now - I wonder what you chose?  Everyone needs a rest day.  On the other hand, sometimes doing something active energises me and gets me out of a rut...

 

Whatever you decided, I'm sure it was right for you at the time.

[Dagger]

6 hours ago, Vibrantella said:

You will have made your decision by now - I wonder what you chose?  Everyone needs a rest day.  On the other hand, sometimes doing something active energises me and gets me out of a rut...

 

Whatever you decided, I'm sure it was right for you at the time.

I did do something fitnessy, but on my own terms. I went for a swim and then I joined the afternoon hike. More in my report later today.

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-08

• Write words every day, 5/41 — very few
• Allow space for me-time, 5/41 — Finally took some proper time here
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 13/81 — 20 minutes swim (counting it as an hour since it is kinda 2 activities/hours) and hike

I finally today figured out what the problem was. I needed to refill my well. So two days ago I focused and did more writing in a day then I've done for quite a while. And then I didn't spend the time the next day to refill the well so today my mind finally got grumpy about it.

 

After breakfast, which I spent with myself not talking to anyone (too grumpy), I took my tea out into the sun and sat and meditated/asked the elements for help clearing out and refilling me. Then the rest of the morning I spent on exactly what I wanted to do. Some time on the forums, then I went for a swim and finally I played some Sims 4.

 

They also finally got me a bigger desk. Mind you, it isn't big, but at least I can now have my water bottle on the desk and I can use my ergonomic stuff so I write on a bluetooth keyboard and the laptop screen is raised to the right level. Very nice.

 

In the afternoon, I mostly took it easy. I went on the hike, I wrote for many five minutes, I played a little more Sims 4 and then I lingered after dinner talking to some of the other people at the resort (the fitness thing isn't the whole resort, instead they rent part of the facilities. So the hotel have other guests too).

 

All in all I feel much better and with new focus. I'll probably keep going out for a morning meditation in the sun. Basically I'll make up some phrases, some things to ask of the elements to focus on the here and now and let go of bad energy, other people's energy and calling my energy back, etc. Plus reigniting the passion/fire, and more.

 

The after dinner talk was pretty fun and I got some possible future story/book titles out of it. ^____^

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-09

• Write words every day, 6/41 — good day today
• Allow space for me-time, 6/41 — spent some lovely time in the sun thinking of the elements and then got up to go back to my room before I really had decided to
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 15/81 — HIT and pretty heavy hiking

Today was a good day. I got up, skipped yoga because I didn't feel like it. Then wrote a little after breakfast before doing HIT which was so much fun, but only because I could see some technical improvement, like I did all the way to the floor lunges without my knees hurting (correct technique helps a lot here!) and I got deeper in my bodyweight squats. So very happy about those things. I also think I managed to keep a plank longer but since I haven't been timing them that is hard to say.

 

I'm also noticing a difference in how fast I can go uphill while hiking, although today was slightly worse due to doing HIT before lunch. (Hike is at 16:00.) Still better than it would have been a week ago, and I did some more writing before it.

 

Then a snack and shower, and then I did a little writing before dinner too until I was 130 words from 10'000 total words. So guess what I did right after getting back from dinner? I wrote about 200 words to get me past at least 33% of the June novel. And that is one day early if my novel turns out to be 30'000 and I want to write the same amount every day.

 

Pretty happy about that.

 

Tomorrow is a long hike (ca 2.5 hours) and then I'm taking the rest of the weekend off to rest my body. I might do a swim and take a simple walk (read not so much up or down) by myself, but nothing strenuous. It'll give me time for laundry, writing, refilling the well, self care, and such.

[Dagger]

Daily Report, Resort Time, 2017-06-10

• Write words every day, 7/41 — Eeeeh... like less than 100 words, but I did touch it
• Allow space for me-time, 6/41 — not really
• Spend two hours on any fitness activity/-ies per day: 17/81 — long hike

The long hike today really tired me out. So I spent most of the afternoon chilling, then laundry and napping and then after some Sims 4 playing I revived enough to cycle through words I wrote yesterday. I basically didn't add much but touched up about 600ish words. So that is something.

 

Most of the group that has been here this week, left this morning, and some new people arrived today. A very fun group that I feel a connection with. So I see a lot more social happening in the next week. I'll just have to plan around that for my writing.

 

Tomorrow I'm taking a rest day. I might take a swim in the pool or a very easy walk just around the property, but otherwise I'm resting my muscles and my heart (those hike really build my stamina, geez). So I will put some serious time into writing because now I'm basically 10'000 for ten days and I need at least 30'000 on June 30 and the novel needs to end. Five more days to decide if I can do this, and I feel it is possible. I just have to balance fitness, me-time/refilling-the-well-time, and writing. And now I know I can not expect a lot of words on long hike days because I really do get tired from them.

 

It is a work in progress and I feel like I'm navigating it quite well, but it would be good with a few high word count days.