Shiny Objects

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Post-trail feelings
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Post-trail feelings

presented in chronological order

Magpie
Nov 30, 2021
10
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Post-trail feelings
shinyobjects.substack.com

The first few minutes:

are we done?

we’re done!

it’s over.

it’s over?

*confused crying*

*happy crying*

that feeling you get on the very last day of senior year in high school when you have your first-ever conversation with that quiet metalhead guy who sat two desks down from you in Western Civ all year and you realize a) he’s really nice and kind of cute and b) you’ll probably never see him again, and that’s not actually sad because whatever, you only ever had one conversation, but like, whoa!, so you sob quietly while unloading the dishwasher until your mom comes and gives you a hug. Except you’re in front of a trail sign and it’s windy.

let’s get married!


The first few hours:

I’m hungry

am I hungry?

*being in a car makes you uncomfortably sweaty for some reason*

there are so many things to do! (excitedly)

there are so many things to do. (exhaustedly)

hotel room feelings

I don’t want to eat pizza anymore but also I don’t want to make decisions

INTERNET

naptime


The first day:

hotel is house?

where is house? want house!

*avoiding bank account*

i do not like any of these clothes and yet i am powerless to resist the urge to buy them

why do so many people want to talk to me?

quiet panic attack in the shampoo aisle at Target

I’m not overtired, you’re overtired!

oh I was just hungry


The first week:

Excitedly making plans to do things - but later, when we get home.

I’m not going to do things now, are you crazy? We’re not home yet.

I’ll have energy when we get home, I promise.

I’m excited to go home.

(whining) wanna go ho-o-o-ome!


Home:

is it over? are we really done?

we’re really done!

house house house house house

the house looks slightly different than I remember it. UNACCEPTABLE.

surge of joy expressed through frantic but haphazard organizing

my pots! my pans! dinner! television! laundry!

where did all the forks go?

why am I tired?

do you know where I put my robe?

i want to do things but i also do not

*blog guilt*

obsessively researches vaccuums, does not buy one

oh right I’m supposed to shower

why did I buy all these clothes?


Work:

how do you do, fellow kids?

mhm. hmmmm. interesting.

please don’t ask me about the trail

the trail? It was… long.

(with secret joy) sorry i missed your text, i was in a meeting

oh right, I’m good at this

cannot feel blog guilt because I am at work and therefore busy

this is fun!

you mean I gotta do this again tomorrow??


The first day off after being back at work (today):

Sure, but let’s cuddle first

I just need a cup of coffee

I just need to drink my coffee and then I’ll get up

I’m getting up at ten-thirty, I promise

Let me finish reading this article

I’ll get dressed in ten minutes

Since you’re up, can you get me another cup of coffee, babe?

But bed is so cozy!

No, I’m really getting up in ten minutes.

I mean it this time

Okay just one more article

Fuck, it’s noon.

(to myself) I’m UP! I’m UP! Jeez!

Okay, I’m not technically up, but I’m thinking about it.

Okay, now I’m up.

We’ll get going in half an hour, I just need to write a thing real quick.

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Purple Haze
Nov 30, 2021Liked by Magpie

I loved it raw. Welcome back! I'm Back! Damn I'm Back!!

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