February, Untripped

An intriguing side effect of having broken up with Facebook (we’ve been “just acquaintances” since November 2020 — I’ll wave if I see them in the hallway, but I won’t stop to chat — as opposed to the codependent bedfellows we once were) is no more “Facebook Memories” — which, since I was using Facebook as a place to brag about my adventures, means missing being auto-reminded when on this day, I was on a trip.

It didn’t bother me at first. I rather liked how leaving social media meant that I could take back control of the when, where, and how of my past photography. I still philosophically object to having memories pushed to the top of my view that I did not ask for (such as, when the Facebook algorithm wants you to relive a date with a guy you stopped talking to three years ago). Meanwhile, it’s no coincidence that I started this travel memory and musing blog at the same time that I stepped away from my social media addiction. I needed to fill that gap, in a way that put me in the driver’s seat.

But then came February. My month of adventure. My escape clause. Which has been trumped by the pandemic-induced force majeure clause. (Sorry, my chosen profession is showing.) And I have kind of been missing the push reminders of all the places I’ve been, and may someday go again, because I now have this Life Hack down to an artful science … or a sciency art … a distinction without a difference, really.

And oh, what a fantastic Life Hack it has been. I can attest that the best way to patiently wait out the crappy, cold, snowy, icy, mushy mess that is Michigan this time of year is, in the words of the great Ani Difranco, to “drive, drive, drive out of range.” (Three cheers for conflict-avoidants!)

I’ve typically ventured to Arizona (where my dad is) or Florida (where my “bestest” friend is), but recently I’d found some financial footing and ventured to Jamaica, and gosh golly, that seemed like a great way to level-up my new February tradition. Oh, the places I would go!

Eventually.

Not now, obviously. I’m exploring the boundaries of a homebound adventurer this year. Books, podcasts, episodic TV, movies, different foods, and a rigorous focus on a healthier lifestyle. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, to endure the winter ick this way, but perhaps it’s the choice that I needed at this particular moment in time, and will lead to even greater and sexier adventures to come.

Or maybe not.

But the way I figure it, if you have a choice, it’s usually best to choose optimism.

Stay safe out there, dear readers. Our future journeys are counting on us.