Tag: comic

Walking is one of my favorite things. I just got over having COVID this past week, and I think an extremely long walk was exactly what my body needed after the long rest period. I wasn’t that eager to walk in the first place, but sometimes coffee just has an insane effect on me – I think it’s funny how things in our bodies can change so quickly just because of different substances. I was shaking even after the walk, my body tired and asking me to lay down yet simultaneously twitching and shaking with vibrant energy. Despite that dissonant discomfort, it felt good in a way. It is grounding to feel my body at work, to gain awareness of my internal systems reacting to what I’ve fed them. After a week of illness, it felt like I was being Frankensteined back to life. It felt good to be out in nature, moving my limbs back and forth, back and forth. This week, it feels particularly good to be human. I hope you’re all hanging in there with midterms and looking forward to break!

I’ve had mixed feelings about the weather lately. It looks so sunny and beautiful from the comfort of my apartment, but the moment I round the corner of my building, I’m bombarded with high winds. I walk forward with cartoonish resistance, hoping I’m not going to fly backwards and break every bone in my body. It’s the type of wind that’s so cold, so strong it makes me sweat. It’s so lovably Michigan. I feel like my hair will look like Doc Brown or Albert Einstein when I get to class (of course, it never does). 

I really love how walkable Ann Arbor is, though. Nothing gets me to pay attention to the weather and nature around me like this city, having to prepare for each day out. I take a lot of walks even in this temperature just because it gets me in tune with myself, with the world. There’s nothing as grounding as taking a walk, even if the wind is relentless and the air makes your nose run. Maybe a nice nap under blankets would be nice, too. Enjoy the week and thanks for reading!

I used to run every day in high school. I was on the cross country team all four years, and the track team for like, three. It was hard, yes, but it was really cathartic and cleansing for me, too. I love the feeling of running, the ability to be in tune with my body. Once it gets really intense, my brain feels full – full of joy, of adrenaline, of stress – it’s a magical combination of emotions spurted on by physical activity. I never fully fell out of running after graduating, but coming to college definitely made it harder. I lost my motivation to do it every day, I didn’t have a coach or events to look forward to. But I’ve never stopped; as of late, I’ve been getting super into it again. My apartment building has treadmills that I’ve been getting on almost every day of the week. And I’ve noticed how much harder it’s gotten – running, I mean. I used to be able to crank out six miles easy, but now I’m struggling to finish three. Sweating feels good, though. I feel like I’m sweating out schoolwork, stress, societal pressure. I love it, I can’t get enough. I have shin splints right now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way (despite these being a bad thing). I guess what I’m trying to say is, hobbies are cool; nowadays there is so much push to monetize every single hobby, but running is one that I’ve kept beautifully sacred to myself. I think it’s important to have those.

Welcome back from break! Hope you all had a relaxing time and are doing alright getting back into things. I was sluggish this morning on my way to class, throwing together a bulky, stupid outfit and ready to zone out for hours. My roommate offhandedly made a comment that I looked like a celebrity at the airport (I supposedly captured the comfortable yet mysterious and hidden aura, haha) and though I don’t think it was meant to, it boosted my confidence and motivation for the day. I walked down the street with a childlike whimsy, a runway strut in my mind as I listened to my music and basked in the mysterious feeling I evidently carried. I love compliments like that, ones that are oddly specific; they feel so cute and personal, something that drives me creatively and makes me love the world around me a lot more. Compliments are so nice, which is such a silly, obvious thing to say, but I really remembered that today. Feeling grateful. I hope you all compliment someone you care about soon, too, and have a great Tuesday!