Hey hi!
GOOD GRACIOUS, aren’t you glad we’re done with Zoom? (knock on literally every single piece of wood in the universe. I am knocking SO HARD)
I arrived on campus just last Sunday because I really did not want to be stuck inside my tiny (though charming) dorm room for online class all day, doing nothing but sitting in front of my computer and walking to and from the heavily sawdusted area that is the Bon. That being said, I am very happy to be back now :) I missed my friends dearly, and it’s very nice to be back in the rain. I come from the desert, so any moisture whatsoever is greatly appreciated. Along with this readjustment, I’ve been discovering new ways to tune in with myself and my environment, whether that be to calm down, focus, or just try and feel better. I’m in Voice & Movement this semester, so my enrollment in that sort of prompted this. However, this kind of change was also prompted by a New Year’s resolution that I’m determined to stick with as well as an ever-growing friendship with an extremely responsible person. Though I consider myself to be rather responsible in most areas of my life, I’m really looking to open myself up to growth, allowing change and maturity to come my way in whatever way possible.
Aaaannnnyyywaaaayyyys… VOICE & MOVEMENT! Oh, how lovely it is! This past week for class we went on a walk together in Tryon, and it was just BEAUTIFUL! We’re really working on breath and vibration right now, and golly gee is it making me realize how tense I am. Ironically, the more I become conscious of my desire to loosen up and relax, the more tension I suddenly feel…..like, EVERYWHERE. My back has been experiencing chronic pain for quite some time now, but it just seems so much more amplified now. One of our textbooks in class mentioned that in the process of fully relaxing, we must unglue our tongues from the roof of our mouth, and that has really been tripping me up! All I think about now is whether or not my tongue is tense at the top of my mouth. My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my jaw hurts, my eyes hurt (though, I believe we have good ol’ 8 hours of Zoom in a single day to thank for that one). However, I did some work with one of my good friends the other day, and it really helped me feel more at home in my body. I simply felt…aerated. So far, I’d really recommend the class. I’m VERY excited for what its future holds.
I’ve also been addicted to my planner lately. Planning out everything I need to get done in the day and, get this, actually sticking to it! Not procrastinating was another of my New Year’s resolutions, and I’m rather surprised to still see myself at it! 2022 is my year, folx, I guarantee it.
I’ve recently gotten into tarot and crystals (such is my duty as a liberal arts student in the PNW), journaling, drinking more tea, drawing more, and reading for pleasure. Honestly, as basic as these things might seem, they’re actually quite lovely. I kind of LOVE being this person. It’s allowing me to learn more about myself, learn more in class, and focus more on what I really want to achieve. It feels splendid, guys, it really does.
Okay okay okay, enough about my self-help journey. I know what you’re all here for.
For the Love of Soup!
This week’s soup is the wonton soup from this Thai food truck in Sellwood! I’m gonna be totally honest, I cannot remember the name of this lovely establishment, but it was an orange food truck on SE 13th Ave! Okay, full disclosure, I am very allergic to shellfish, so I could not personally enjoy this soup, but of course, I had my wonderful bestie with me who was more than up to the task :) He said that it was a very good soup!! Not very flavorful, but very comforting and homey.
Soup Review: 4/5 stars
That’s all for this week, Pios! I wish you all the best with our first week of in-person classes, and I hope you all find some time to spend on yourselves :) You deserve it!!
-Mack
(they/them)
email: mwille@lclark.edu
insta: @mack_mae11