SUMMER SUMMARY

[nonesensed]

Another summer over and yet more lovely memories to treasure. I've been back at work for a week now - adjusting to both that and living alone again takes a minute.

My sister and I always try to match our vacation time and live with our parents for the summer, so going from five weeks of living with other people to once more moving a 5,5 hour train trip away from all my closest relatives is...rough, but in a bittersweet way.

Sticking my full summer recap under a cut:

• Worked all of June and the first week of July while struggling with asthma + allergies still going haywire, so that was "fun".
• First week of vacation: Took the train up to my hometown and got so spoiled with delicious food and good company 💖💖💖 One of my childhood friends came over with her mother, partner and kids and we all just hung out and had delicious soup 💜🩵💙 Then my family and I went on a little road trip up north, visiting family-friends, my uncle and aunt, and finally checked out Santaland in Rovaniemi. Super fun trip 💚💚💚
• Second week of vacation: Mostly chillin', playing Hades 2, watching The Wheel of Time, and helping out in the café that the parents' "hembygdsförening" runs. One more session of D&D (Dragonkeepers' campaign) was also played!
• Third week of vacation: NärCon! The big convention in Linköping my sister and I go to every year and meet up with friends from Norway 💖💖💖 And other friends too, but we don't exactly run into our Norwegian friends any place else IRL. Several days of cosplaying, artist alley shopping, ttrpgs, and all that nerdy goodness. Two of sister's friends were there promoting their visual novel "Ribbit in my ear" and I highly recommend check out their free demo! It's in English. And as always the Nordic Cosplay Championships/NCC were a delight. I especially loved the Swedish contestant - gotta cheer for my own countryman! - and the Cabbage Salesman from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but all the contestants were so talented!!
• Fourth week of vacation: The last week my vacation time overlapped with sis', so we spent a lot of it playing Hades 2, working on our comic (a little) and finishing The Wheel of Time with the parents, plus starting The Book of Boba Fett (mom demanded Baby Yoda 😁) and picking berries. The only downsides were severe thunderstorms and a big water leak.
• Fifth week of vacation: More hanging out with the family, with sis swinging by after work. Halfway through the week, I and the parents took their car down to my home. They stayed a few days and then went to visit some friends nearby.

And that's my glorious vacation in a quick summary!

Btw, NärCon always unlocks the AMV-lover-part of me (well "clips of animation set to music"-lover, it doesn't have to be anime 😆) and this year was no different. I wish to one day write something that causes the thrill I feel when I watch a really good AMV 🤩 (a really good show/anime intro causes that same kind of feeling).

Here's a link to the AMV competition:

Watch on YouTube

And here's a link to the general "vibes" compilation that played right before NCC started:

Watch on YouTube

In other news, I've been getting repeated reminders of the fact that Creative Hobbies Take Brainpower. Not that I didn't know that already, but I clearly needed to be smacked upside the head with it a few times. For the last 2-3 years I've tried to compensate my lack of reliable, consistent free time with trying to do EVERYTHING in the few moments I've had free and that way leads to burnout. This video is just the latest in a line of Don't Do That To Yourself reminders that I really needed:

Watch on YouTube

Will do my best to remember this now that work's started up again, and make sure to hang out with friends as well as do hobbies CONSISTENTLY. Not rushing things, just enjoying them 🩵 And doing one thing at the time. Plus trying to deal with My Health that's still fucked. Wish me luck!

(A few friends, sis and I had a digital movie night tonight, which was delightful 💖 We watched a double feature of the classics Kung Fury and Repo! The Genetic Opera - plenty of ridiculous, bloody fun 😁)

Comments

[scintilla10]

Oh! Five weeks together sounds like such a lovely stretch of time with your family! Your adventures sound restorative and relaxing. :D

NärCon sounds like such a good time, gosh! So glad you got to go!

Oooh, thank you for the video on creative burnout, will save for later. I have felt a lot of that this year, too.

Not rushing things, just enjoying them This is lovely! I need to remember this too.

Good wishes for your health getting unfucked as possible. <3333

[nonesensed]

I got to put all the overtime to good use at least 💖 It was such a good vacation 💜

NärCon is always great fun! And the cosplayers competing at international levels are insanely talented 🤩

Sending you good creative vibes - may we both recover from creative burnout and relearn how to not rush hobbies but enjoy them 💙

Good wishes for your health getting unfucked as possible. <3333
Thank you! Working hard on unfucking that health as I write this (trying three new meds and I think - fingers crossed - we finally have some winners). Hope your health is kind to you!