Every day is exactly the same

So this is one of my favorite NIN songs. Its a little hard to admit in public, but honestly it just speaks to me when I'm at my worst. It's what runs through my head when I hit that point where I really really need a break. A break from work, from being a mom, from being a wife, from being. Pre-Covid I was pretty lucky to travel a little. I saw some really neat places around the country and sampled the best of some amazing cities (always the city life, usually for a college fair or a robotics competition). Travel helped me with that need to escape. After I finished work responsibilities I could walk around the city, an absolute stranger, without purpose or a need to be somewhere or do something. I'd stop into a restaurant with a cool vibe, sit at the bar, eat a peaceful dinner and people watch. I got lucky a few times and would meander through a museum or around a unique art exhibit. A few times I considered hitting a concert but never really found tickets that were reasonable, I definitely hit a few baseball games over the years.

When I'm not traveling (which the newish job probably won't have any/much) I'm fortunate to have Gatherers and Hunters of other caves who tolerate my presence. I'll occasionally ask Hunter if I can have a break and play with my friends. One of my favorite activities is visiting a good roof top bar. This is personally one of my favorites where I live. It is within walking distance of my office and where I took classes so it was always an easy choice post exam or big event to unwind and watch the sunset or the clouds pass by. This was my first visit to one with the return to normalish life post-covid. No mask required, I could actually sit at the bar, and it was a calm beautiful afternoon. Had a little rainstorm that pushed dinner to a different location but it was nice just to be me for a few hours and not be all of the rolls I've chosen to fill. I returned home, refreshed, kinder, more patient, and more like Florence + The Machine's Dog Days Are Over than Trent's Every Day is Exactly The Same.