I’ve been keeping myself free of any plans, even on the weekends. I’ve been joining things spontaneously if/when it feels good. I’m not bored at all, either. A friend asked me what’s new as she’s been out of town and I said “hmmm not much. just running and hanging out with Russ.” I love not having a lot to report and that’s usually my baseline. This past year was the exception and now we’re back to our regularly scheduled program.
Spending time in my own space—on my balcony reading, at my table eating dinner or watching a movie with Russ is what my life is all about. My apartment feels like a cozy haven and my neighborhood is an extension of that. I’m being much more selective and reserved with my time (for once in my life) and it’s given me energy and a sense of intentionality.
This past weekend, I made one solid plan which was to meet my new friend for a photo exhibition that would be closing within a few days. Her and I have similar taste in movies, music and activities. She dropped out of nowhere and I feel grateful to have showed up to our first friend date, even if I wasn’t feeling up to it at the time. We met at the Delphi Lux for a late night showing of I Saw the TV Glow. Afterwards, we got a drink and sat outside. We immediately clicked and I decided right then and there that I would be sure to put forth effort into seeing her regularly. So, we made plans to go see this American photographer’s exhibition at C/O Berlin, a place I haven’t been to in almost a year where I saw another American photographer’s work on display.
Afterwards, we got an eis and walked through Charlottenburg, her old neighborhood. We eventually made our way to the Schloss and walked all throughout the grounds while we talked about places we’d traveled, books we’d read and our latest fitness routines. As I walked through the manicured grounds, I felt guilty Russell wasn’t with me. I felt even more guilt when I saw the animals roaming freely knowing he would have the time of his life there. I made a mental note to walk him to the palace on a cooler day so he could enjoy himself thoroughly. After our long walk and talk, we stopped to grab a bite to eat and sit outside. We talked about meditation retreats and her upcoming yoga teacher training. It made me revisit the idea of finishing my yoga teacher training sometime in the winter… we’ll see.
The day before, I left my schedule wide open to the possibilities of doing whatever I wanted. Peter texted me and asked if I’d like to do a 10k run with him through Tempelhof and that sounded good to me so I agreed. He came to pick me up and off we went. We ran and talked for an hour before concluding our run at a coffee shop with a large pastry and a hafermilch capp. Then, we decided to walk for a bit because the weather was particularly nice and we weren’t exhausted from the run. We eventually parted ways, knowing we would meet up a few hours later for a dreaded Ikea trip. I went home, took Russ on another walk, sat on the balcony with him and took a little nap. Then it was time to haul myself across town to help Peter with his Ikea run, my least favorite activity on a Saturday but a favor for a friend in need.
The trams weren’t running due to a demonstration/parade so I arrived at Alexanderplatz feeling a little defeated. I quickly grabbed a bike and set off in the direction of his new apartment. I was impressed at my ability to navigate Berlin with a sense of direction I didn’t consciously know I had. I rode down the street with a nice breeze and the frustration I felt initially quickly went away. Now, I’ll spare you the details of our Ikea run but cut to the part where we had to carry a couch to his fifth floor attic apartment. To my surprise, it wasn’t all that bad. He started to scream PIVOT and this broke my focus a tad and made me laugh. Anyway, it was important to me that he got his stuff upstairs and could start to feel comfortable in his space. I know what it’s like to not feel settled in your space and how unnerving it can feel. We did as much as we could on this Saturday night and we parted ways at a stoplight waving from across the street.
I got home and as always, immediately grabbed Russell’s leash and out we went. He was so happy to see me when I got home and buried his face into my shoulder. I decided that despite my exhaustion and 35k steps that day, we’d go for a decent walk around the neighborhood and I’d attempt to stay awake with him for a while. And I did. We watched TV together on the couch and he quickly fell asleep with his feet twitching, making little whimpering noises. I always assume he feels safe to fall into a deep sleep once I’m home. The feeling is mutual when I have him by my side, too.
Fast forward to now, the middle of the week and I’ll see my new friend again tonight for a free concert series. Tomorrow I have therapy across town and Friday, I leave for Prague. I’ll try to work a run, spin class and a strength class in there if I have the energy.
We’ll seeeeeee!