As of right now, I am 55 days out from my 27 month Peace Corps commitment in Morocco. All that is on my mind, however, is how I just spent the last 30 days…With 55 days left to my own devices, I can think of no better way of using my time than writing. These final two months will be spent with friends and movies, yes.
But, in the end, these 55 days will be used to write about the last 30 days…
today I leave my
love—tomorrow we look for
purpose in our month
I am on my tenth day in Washington State. I came here to figure out a lot. For one, I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to throw myself as far away from the monotony of daily life and prove that I could endure it. Ever since this summer, I’ve been afraid. I don’t want anxiety over little fears to be a daily part of my life. If, however, I must accept it, I want it only on the condition that I view it as a challenge I cannot walk away from. I want to confront my fear head on.
The other reason I came to Washington was for love. That’s not to say that I am in love. Moreso, for the first time in far to long, I feel as though it is a possibility. These ten days have opened me up in ways I haven’t felt in years. This intense emotion has helped me challenge my fear, start writing in new ways, and has made me genuinely happy. I don’t know what to make of these strange twist of fate…but I know now that they are worth it. So long as you do succumb to anxiety and fear, you will find your way.
With Love,
Richard
P.S.–This entire post reminds me of Donnie Darko. Please ignore that aspect of it.
Certain things spark a writer’s imagination. As I think about my writing history, I have three sparks. Change. Romance. Weather. In the past week, I have come across all three. I found romance for the first time in two years. I changed so much–moving and determining what to do with my romantic life. All the while, mother nature decided Autumn would be a short lived thing in Colorado.
My imagination has sparked. While driving back to my home town this Wednesday, I heard that there was snow in the forecast. Before I knew it, my mind was elsewhere. The moment I got home, I started writing. What came of it is my first bout of creative writing in weeks. I hope you like it.
I would like to start off today with a great big thank you to all my readers. Yesterday, I uploaded a very personal piece that I hoped would grab a few eyes. I had no idea. Within 15 minutes of posting the writing, it had 200 views. I don’t know if my writing has gotten better or if I’m just becoming more honest in my writing (or both). But it doesn’t matter. Thank you for all your support.
Today I am starting what I hope will be a new routine. The coffee shop I write at is 2.5 miles from my house. It is the perfect distance to walk. Today I made the trek and feel great. It is the perfect way to get my mind going so I am prepared to write when I arrive. It is also perfect practice for the Peace Corps–which is less than 150 days away now. I hope this new routine will improve my writing, help me add some muscle, and shave off the final 30 pounds I need to lose. Only time will tell.
With Love,
Richard
P.S.–For any of you who missed my piece yesterday, here it is: Struggle & Love
On a whim, I decided I needed to write about something that has been plaguing my mind for the past few days. I’ve tried to write about it a couple time before. This time it just came out. It is one of the more philosophical pieces I have ever written. It also gets to the basis of what I believe in life and living. I hope you enjoy.
I have three heavy-duty, time-consuming projects going on right now. First, I’m four days into The 50 Day Memory Challenge. Second, I have a large Elance job. Third, I need to finish the third draft of my manuscript. It’s getting difficult to sit down and figure out which one I should be working on. This is the third day that it has been like this. In the end, it goes like this.
1. Memory Challenge. It’s quick and makes me feel creatively accomplished when I finish.
2. Elance. Since I accomplish creativity early, I feel like I have the energy to do monotonous work.
3. Edit. Doing this last means that I can do it for as long as I want without causing a problem.
I still might have to take a break to go on another adventure. The fire here in Fort Collins is kind of crazy–37,000 acres in 48 hours. It’s starting to hit the outer edge of town. It’s still 0% contained and burning lots of houses to the ground. I went on two expeditions yesterday–one brought us close to the flames. The other got me pulled over. What does today’s adventure bring?
Here is today’s memory:
Twenty pages of editing down. Today was utterly exhausting. Lots of yard work followed by an afternoon with my grandmother followed by a couple hours of editing. It is the good kind of exhausting. The kind where, at the end of the day, I feel like I have accomplished a lot. And the day isn’t over. I have plans for what sounds like an incredibly strange evening ahead. I can’t wait.
I started the 50 Day Memory Challenge today. I’ve been wanting to start this for quite some time. Having Jordan preempt me was all the encouragement I needed. My first one comes from the trip I made to Europe during my Senior Trip. I hope you like it. More to come over the next 49 days.
Richard T. Reilly 