Vicky Blogs: COVID-19 (& beyond)

I've recently started doing some research on the recommendations for women when they begin trying to conceive (TTC - a new abbreviation that I've become aware of).  The internet, as many of us know, can sometimes be a bit of a black hole.  You go in looking for one thing and come out with a million more questions and even more confusion than you started with.  Which is why, I didn't JUST go to the internet.  I also sent texts out to all of my friends who are already mommas and asked them to share with me what they did during this stage. What I received from friends was a sense of excitement that this journey was close to beginning for me, knowledge sharing about what worked for them, questions about the timing we were considering, and ultimately just support and an offer of being there for whatever questions come up during my research & the process in general. I maybe shouldn't have chosen the week of my period to dive into all of this.... as most women know, hor...

I've recently started seeing a new therapist.  As you may have seen from my last post, I've also been thinking about visiting smash rooms to let out emotions (still haven't managed to try one out yet!).   For me, therapy has always been a space where I am able to get vulnerable and real with someone who really doesn't know me.  And even though it happens every time I return to therapy for support, I'm always surprised to hear the shock that many mental health professionals have at my steadfast and lofty standards, for myself exclusively.  These standards, of course, began for me at a very young age. In psychology, the concept of nature vs. nurture is often discussed.  This is the idea that both nature and nurture play a role in how someone turns out. Experiments have shown that even identical twins can develop significant differences when they grow up in different environments.  Most research, however, eventually posits that both nature and nurtu...

I have two fabulous friends who both work in the TV/film industry as second assistant directors.  I wish I could say that I was even one tenth the connoisseur of their art as they are, but sadly I only dabble.  I just recently started watching a show that one of them worked on a few seasons of -  Younger .  More on that later...    This weekend, I found myself getting the scary news that one of my best friends was suddenly in the hospital.  This friend is a generally healthy, active, and wonderful individual.  Their partner texted me early one morning that they had an arterial dissection on the back of their head at the base of their neck. I'm not happy to share that I've actually had two other close friends go through something terrifyingly similar over the past few years.  Neither of these friends were really given a clear answer as to why they had these episodes.  The recovery, though lengthy and requiring close monitoring near the ...

I like to think that it's known by those who are close to me that I'm always trying to put good energy out into the world, even when I'm struggling or really not feeling all that positive.   In this blog, I've written once before about a stranger noticing the bumper sticker on my Subaru (it says 'I hope something good happens to you today') and telling me that they hoped I also had something good happen to me.   Recently, I had another stranger at the post office tell me that they really liked this bumper sticker, citing how impatient and mean people have seemed to be lately.  She said it was refreshing to see someone trying to make others smile & feel good. In the same day, I received a message on LinkedIn from a previous colleague.  I didn't work very long with this individual, but the culture of the organization we worked at was less than stellar.  This individual praised me for sharing my journey, both the ups and downs, in this blog.  He ...

Lately, I've been feeling like I need to try out some new hobbies.  I'm open to suggestions from any readers out there! There are only a few people who know me well enough to know the twisting and confusing journey I've been on the past few years with my back injury, shifting personality and just general struggles.  Even those people would likely identify my hobbies as the same that I've always had - anything physical/sport-related, baking, and being incredibly busy with friends. While I still have a fairly busy social calendar, I've definitely veered away from the other two hobbies.  I am trying my best to get back to some semblance of the type of shape I was in when I was playing basketball in college, but it's been quite the challenge.  It's honestly a pretty unrealistic goal.  I'm getting older & have more limitations now than I did when I was in college.  Some days this can be a pretty debilitating thought to have.  I ride my Peloton bike most...

Lately, I've been feeling more introspective.  Sometimes I see this as a blessing and am grateful for an opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of myself.  But other times, I wish I could turn it off. I consider myself an extrovert and have for most of my life.  Post-pandemic, or quasi-post-pandemic, or whatever the hell we want to consider this time period that we are currently in........ I feel as if I've shifted how I see myself on the scale, sliding closer towards introversion.  I don't really feel like this shift was sudden or conscious.  It was, instead, gradual, and caused or influenced by many external factors. Firstly, the pandemic restricted travel and socialization in general for quite some time ( ~2 years maybe?).  As an extrovert, or at least I think I can still say that I'm an extrovert, I thrive off of the energy I get from socialization with my people.  And I didn't get a chance to see so many of my people during those rough 2 years. Se...