In the evening on Monday, as I was taking a bath to relax and unwind from the start of a new week, I developed a migraine. I don’t get them often, so when I get them, they knock me on my ass. And this one knocked me on my ass.
I hoped that an early night in bed and a good night’s sleep would help me wake up Tuesday morning with, at least, a less severe migraine. But that was not to be. I had to call out of work because even the act of rolling from one side to the other was enough to make my head spin. I relaxed as much as I could yesterday. I slept the bulk of the day under blankets, sipping on tea and water, taking Advil, and moving as little as possible.
Today, things are better. I have some brain fog and my head is still a little swimmy, but in comparison to how I felt yesterday, I’m doing great. I even got up a bit early to do my hair and makeup this morning because I thought I had a Zoom meeting, but it turns out that’s actually tomorrow. But, ya know, better to be prepared.
On the bright side, I believe it was Monday that I completed my Goodreads Reading Goal for 2021. The goal was to read 75 books this year, and I met that goal. By the end of December, I will likely have surpassed that goal by quite a lot. And while I don’t think there’s anything particularly special about reading this many books in a year, I do think that it’s a good start to my post-grad school reading routines.
I’ve already decided that next year, while the number of books I set for my reading goal will remain 75, parallel to that will be my goal to read two books of poetry every week, along with a book of prose every month or so. My faculty mentor, Vi Khi Nao, strongly inspired me to set goals I don’t think I can reach so that, even when I fail, I’m still doing better than I ever have before. Reading two books of poetry a week will mean that I read a little over 100 books in 2022, not including any books of prose I read alongside. This feels like an excellent reading goal to set, with the understanding that I don’t have to reach that goal if it gets to be too overwhelming.
There’s a lot happening inside of me right now. There’s a lot I’m processing, a lot I’m thinking about and considering, and a lot I’m thankful for. Yesterday wasn’t a good day, but today is still beautiful.
