Wrong 🗞️ Slow News Day #60

Hey,

I do travelling—and coliving, more specifically—wrong.

What I see in a lot of people, a lot of the time, is this adventurous spirit of wanting to get out into the world and explore everywhere nearby (and not so nearby). At Château, that means trips to places like Bayeux, Honfleur, and Mont Saint-Michel. Weekends get packed with day trips and activities, people leaving early and returning after dinner.

I don’t do that.

My experience of this whole lifestyle is more like:

Bask in the closeness, community, and social variety that’s abundant throughout the week, then use the weekend to recharge. For me, this lifestyle is a social one. I’m here for community, not ‘travel’. I’m sure I’d enjoy visiting some of these places, but when I consider the energy expenditure of hours in the car and walking around an unfamiliar, busy place… I choose the evenings spent playing board games and laughing over apéro every time.

By excluding some parts of the experience, I get to enjoy even more the bits that mean the most to me.

It’s not a stretch to connect this to my mostly introverted nature. I love being social and I reach a point where it’s the last thing I want—retreating to recharge and spend some time with myself. When the majority of the community are out on weekends, I get to plod about quietly by myself and soak up the silence.

Another point is that I might be scratching my adventuring itch by finding running routes in the area, too. That’s added some colour and variety to my daily scenery, which I’ve enjoyed a lot.

Going against the grain isn’t wrong if, in yourself, it feels right. I’m not always great at listening to the quiet voice inside me and I can struggle to hear it when I face the noise of doing things differently, but this is proof that I can.

So, having written all this out, it’s time to admit that my first sentence was a total lie. I’m definitely not doing it wrong. I’m doing it my way—and nothing could feel more right.

Slow down guide

Need a little help moving slower?

Ease your way out of Friday afternoon with this newsletter, a nice cup of something, and a little background music. Steal my setup if you aren't sure where to start.

After I press send, I’m opening up the second bag of Crankhouse beans that Bex got me for my birthday. This one’s their Aponte Honey roast. Tasting notes of pomegranate, lime, and dark chocolate—need I say much more? Get that in your brewer, I think it’s going to be good by any method.

Musically, I’ll hand it over to Pleasure Systems and their poignant Blur. Shades of Owl City (bloopy synths), Elliot Smith (gentle, morose vocals), and The Postal Service (the previous two kind of smushed together). It’s sad, full of heartfelt poetry and beauty. It’s a story of love and hurt, of hope and worry, of legacy and beauty. When I hear it, I stop and listen. Really listen.

I felt broken, then I felt alive
I fell into you like the snow upon the roof
I knew that I could love and you offered me the proof
And I loved you and I always will
And you loved me, I can feel it still

Take it easy,