Balancing the (Reading) Rhythm

September 8, 2019

Woah, sorry my people, I have definitely been gone for a bit.

Real deal for a minute? I went back to work as a school teacher, met my new students (love ’em), but I’ve been figuring out a new building, new schedule, new time change. I’ve also become a new teacher mentor for a fellow colleague, and, if that wasn’t all enough, I am starting a graduate class on Tuesday. I suddenly came to the realization that I am in need of balance– work, gym, friendships, marriage, and this little side project that I love oh so dearly. Still real deal? It’s hard.

Something that has changed significantly is the amount of reading I have been doing. I still read every day, but I am not consuming as much as I used to in terms of content for this site. Don’t worry, though; I have a HUGE back log for the future. But it makes me sad to not be enveloping myself in YA text ALL. THE. TIME.

I had this nice little routine during the summer. I would get up religiously at 7 am and sit in my new apartment kitchen and read. It calmed me and made me ready to take on the day. I haven’t been doing that, and the funny thing is that I have the time to do morning reading with the school time change. I just haven’t.

I’ve let work consume my days because I wanted to get settled and to also feel ready every day. But in doing that, I’ve lost time for myself, reading time, that makes me feel ready to take on the day. I need that back.

I think I need it even more than I did in the summer now that I have this graduate class where I have to read a textbook. Remember that post about slow readers? Remember how I said that nonfiction is where I slow down? Welp, just finished my first chapter, and I had to annotate the pages to focus and connect. It took me awhile. I need time for fun reading, for returning to what brings me joy.

Reading brings me such happiness, and I’ve gotten out of the rhythm of being able to enjoy it. Nighttime isn’t enough because I’m sleepy, and I feel the tiredness slowly creeping into my eyes and closing them. So I need to bring back the mornings for me…

Anyway, I wanted to explain my absence on the site and the instagram (if you follow there!). But, I have to say, the site makeover makes me giddy (and thankful for my husband who was behind it all!), and the new librarian at my school is just as obsessed with YA and instilling a love of reading in our kiddos, so that’s positive as well!

Just letting you know what’s up and how I struggle, too, to make time for reading. I’m working on getting back into the groove and being intentional with my time for me.

Here’s to working on that!