This is beautiful

My grocery store sells kratom and kava drinks next to the energy drinks. It’s insane to me, there’s no indication of the intoxicating effects or the risk of addiction on the cans

When I bought my house I discovered a treasure trove of old cast iron pans in the (very modern) oven. They all looked like this and smelled like rancid oil. It was not fun to deal with lol

I love that! There’s a park in Florida (Myakka) that probably looks nothing now like it did when I was a child, but it’s what I think of when I call myself a “child of the swamp”. Like, that’s what I’m made of and that’s who I am despite being away from the swamps for decades.

Anyway, thank you for sharing this post! I live on the opposite side of Montana now, but you definitely got me thinking that’ll make a nice road trip before the summer ends

my thought-carousel is devouring my soul

Hah! That’s such an apt description! There’s a song with the lyrics “sick cycle carousel”, that I have used to describe the spiral to my therapist. I might have to steal your phrase now xD

There’s definitely some freedom to living alone, and it’s amazing that you live in a city that has resources. I know you’re worried, but everything you’ve said in this post makes me think you’ll do quite well with this new part of your life. I’m rooting for you :)

Do libraries in Vienna also hold workshops and such? My local has a makerspace, and every quarter they will hold workshops to teach people how to use a sewing machine or 3-D printer. If nothing else it’s really interesting to go and observe these events.

I’ve been afraid to even tell anyone in real life that I have the disorder, because people always think narcissistic or anti-social when they hear “personality disorder”. And, to be honest, I wasn’t very aware of cluster C myself until I was diagnosed. I’m glad it’s rare, because it’s a very difficult thing to yearn for deep connections and never feel worthy of them. Although, it is nice to know there are others who understand the fear-patterned thoughts

Anyway, you’ve got this! And feel free to reply here or dm if you need an internet stranger to cheer you on through something

I have AvPD too. I think you’re doing the right things, you have a support network and you are capable of setting boundaries. It is scary to start out alone with this disorder. Dunno about you, but I’ve always felt like my head is an easier place to be when I have people to reassure me that I’m not doing something wrong or haven’t offended someone.

I have lived alone for almost ten years now, and sometimes that fear of loneliness and of becoming a crazy cat person rears is head for me, too. I have kind of embraced the hermit life though, because like you I have enough support in my life to feel some social fulfillment from the few interactions I have every week.

For people like us it’s really important to find low-stakes opportunities to connect with people especially as we’re not young adults anymore. Being a regular anywhere is a pretty good start, whether that’s regularly walking a park or being part of a book club

This is one of the most striking parks I’ve been to. Some sections of the badlands are like walking on an alien world

I’m surprised they didn’t pause the order after the accident with one survivor, especially because the 787 Dreamliner was part of the inquiry last year

There’s four justices over the age of 70 (one is Sotomayor). Not that age means much in regards to mortality when one has the resources that they do

Last year I found a lifeless bird caught in the decorative fence meant to keep my dog from jumping off the terraced part of my yard. It was really sad, but I learned that leaving a strip of tall grass behind the fence prevented the birds from flying through it.

Last month a robin broke its neck on my front window, so I’ve decided the entire place must be cursed

https://montanafreepress.org/ https://mtstandard.com/

I also enjoy erininthemorning, just note that her wife is part of Montana state legislature and she’s labeled left-biased

There’s a growing split in the state between the old-school Republicans and MAGA right now. There have been a few MAGA bills aimed at lgbtq+ and environment that failed because the few old schoolers were convinced that those bills were against the state constitution, and the values like privacy and freedom that the magats claim to hold dear.

It’s honestly been really interesting to watch over the last year or two.

deleted by creator

I struggled with night terrors from PTSD for a long time. Developed a binge drinking habit to try and cope, because I didn’t want to sleep anymore and had to knock myself out.

Eventually I was able to get help. Two years with the right therapist (many more trying to find her) and I actually only get night terrors once a month or so now. That might sound like a lot, but weeks of refreshing sleep between episodes makes life so much easier to live. Things have taken a slight dive since the start of the year, but I know once politics and security are stable again I’ll be okay. Being able to rephrase my brain from “torturing” me to “coping any way it can” has helped, but I think the journey to dealing with nightmares is different for everyone

deleted by creator

For some reason Lady and the Tramp reminded my mother of The King and I. So I had to watch both in the same week for the first time, and it was a very weird experience lol

Edit: I just looked them up and they were made four years apart! I assumed the Disney movie was made in the 80s because I saw it in the 90s lol

I’ve been repeating that “monument to man’s arrogance” line for ages! Totally had forgotten where I heard it first. I might have to re-watch a few episodes tonight

Oh, definitely. It would probably be irresponsible to not monitor his media unofficially. It’s the way he is acting like this is an official method of open communication to mediate between governments that’s ridiculous to me. Maybe I’ve forgotten how things were before Twitter shut his account down, but I’m still amazed he doesn’t have people who can get him to understand how bad this is

deleted by creator

Pakistan hasn’t withdrawn the nomination yet. It was just the Ukrainian who seemed a bit misinformed who withdrew it