In a rash decision this morning – after reading a number of blog posts from fellow NaBloPoMo participants – I decided to sign up, too: 30 blog posts in 30 days (during the month of November). You can read more about it on San’s blog about it here. The reading session this morning reminded me of how much I enjoyed it the first time I participated. It made me feel connected in a way the online world usually does not make me feel. Part of me is a little guilty when I don’t post the rest of the year. It’s like getting out of touch with old friends. I hope, like with good friends, we can catch up where we left of. It’s about priorities. This month one of my priorities will be to post daily and trying to keep up with everyone’s blog posts. I also hope to give my readers a better idea what my day to day life looks like. My sister was asking me the other day what my routine is like. This is something that gets drowned out if you don’t see each other on a regular basis. So hopefully this will be a kind of a daily check in for this crazy month of November with all the holidays looming in the near future.
What other priorities I have you might wonder?
First and foremost my family – they will always come first. I have two teenagers this year, one of them working on their driver’s license what I feel is slightly scary. In the US it is just us four, me, my husband and the kids. The rest of the family is in Germany but we try to stay in touch as best as we can.
Then there is my work. Since we moved here in 2005 I work in the same research lab at UC Berkeley and I really love what I do. I am the lab manager/cell culture fairy/ jack of all trades for them and as the years went on a little bit of a the lab mom because by now a lot of the students could be my own kids and I love them dearly (most days). I work 80% and that seems about right most of the time. I really would miss it, would I stop but sometimes it’s a struggle to keep up with life outside work and all its responsibilities like dinner, laundry and gardening not even to mention keeping everyone’s calendar straight.
Creating something with my hands is my favorite past time – let it be knitting, sewing, painting, baking. I have also started to read more again thanks to a book club I joined. When I was a kid I was a real bookworm.
Last year I started learning Spanish on Duolingo and even though it’s not perfect it helped me learn the basics. I am still keeping up with my streak (453 days) but recently switched to French.
Last month I signed up for a gym that offers classes only. I can talk more about the why and how it is going another day, but this is something that is not negotiable this month so it makes the list.
If you are doing NaBloPoMo this year what is year motivation? What is one of your other priorities in your daily life?
Home here and there 
Yay! I’m so glad you’re participating, it will be fun to keep up with you this month. My motivation for NaBloPoMo is that I have done it many times over the last 19 years of blogging, though not every year, and I only found San and the Cool Bloggers in the midst of November, 2022. I like the challenge of it, though commenting gets a bit unwieldy as there are more and more participants. My motivation in life…well, family, health, paying the bills, and having some fun along the way, I guess. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I guess we started through San’s blog the same year. I have to admit that commenting last year got a little hard but it’s the spirit that counts, right? I am going to try. And good summing up on the priorities front. It’s the fun that keeps me afloat.
LikeLike
I hello. I love reading from you again Meike. I have missed your posts so I am happy to catch up.
I’ve restarted learning Spanish too and just finished day 101.
I’d love read more about your day job … it sounds very interesting. But now come to think of it you did share a bit last year, dint you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am looking forward to catching up with everyone, too. It has been too long.
And the post about my work is here, if you want to reread it: https://homehereandthere.com/2022/12/20/what-i-do-for-work/
LikeLike
Nice to meet you here – I haven’t jumped into NaBloPoMo in a couple years, but my first was back in 2007 !! Good for you for joining the gym for classes. That’s been my main focus at the gym (I do 5 classes a week, and even taught as a groupfit instructor for a few years not long ago!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am in awe. I manage two classes a week right now but would like to do more. It takes some shuffling schedules around but I am glad I at least made the first step.
LikeLike
Meike, I am so happy to hear you’re giving this a go again this year… I missed reading more from you, but you were not forgotten and I am sure many are happy to see your posts pop up in their feed again 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you San and also for getting everyone motivated again! For me the commitment really makes it easier to stick with it. Too many things to do and so little time but in November I make the time (maybe the third year will do the trick and it will stick for good).
LikeLike
Great post! I wish I could keep up with one blog post a day for thirty days, but I shoot for one a week. Good luck!! You’re off to a great start. 🔥
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I could do one a week! After November I always fall off the band wagon. Maybe I need my own 52 posts in a year challenge for that….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a newbie to NaBloPoMo, and enjoying discovering so many other crazy people doing the challenge along with me, and so looking forward to following along vicariously with everybody. Here’s hoping we all make it to the end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome Alexandra! I had so much fun with it since I first joined in 2022. You can do it!
LikeLike
Yay! I’m glad you made that rash decision. I feel bad that I lost touch with some of my NaBloPoMo friends- glad we’ll have a chance to recommect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I completely agree!
LikeLike
hi, I’m new to NaBloPoMo and I’m looking forward to connecting as I too am a creative person doing lots of things.
I have a German friend with two teenage boys that live in the US too, so I already feel good here. 🙂
Wishing you good luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you and good luck to you as well! I spent a chunk of my Sunday updating my Feedly with all the new faces so hopefully now I don’t miss any new posts.
LikeLiked by 1 person