Some Self Flagellation for NaBloPoMo’s (Almost) Last Day

Today is Sunday, November 29, 2015… Does that mean tomorrow is the last day of November?? Holy smokes! That would mean tomorrow is the last day of NaBloPoMo—except I already “lost” the challenge. I missed a good 5 or 6 days, I think. I posted on November 21, then missed the 22nd, but posted (something cool, I think) on the 23rd. But that was the last one! Good grief, that was 5 days ago!

Dang. I’m disappointed.

Perhaps I have good reasons for missing it. For one, it was the holiday and I was traveling, visiting with friends and family. I knew it was going to be difficult keeping up NaBloPoMo during that time. I was also exhausted and felt like I was already working most of the time I was away. I needed a little break, and wanted to be present and be with my family.

The little cabin we stayed in while in Stafford, Virginia.

Also, most of the days I missed were in Stafford, Virginia, where Alex’s parents live. They live in a gorgeous ranch house of sorts next to the Potomac River. They also have pretty weak Internet there, and we were staying in a little cabin—with no bathroom—on their property, not in their house. In fact, I tried to do a blog post one night when everyone went to bed early and we were still up, but I couldn’t access the Internet from inside the cabin. It was quite odd being sans Internet in this day and age.

But this all feels like I’m making excuses. I hate feeling like I’m making excuses. I did check email and Facebook a few times while I was there, so I probably could have taken some of that time to do a quick blog post. Perhaps I also could have insisted to my family that I needed time to get some work done. Alex was stressing about working too, so perhaps if we had banded together we could have had time alone to work.

But that’s not why you see family or get together for the holidays.

I admit too that I felt like some of my posts were not very interesting, and I was already doing a number of “just get something up there” posts, so I didn’t want to do more. I know they can’t all be golden, but when every one of them feels lame or like I’m taking the easy way out, that’s not cool. Hopefully they weren’t all as bad as I thought. I did like a couple of the ones I did while I was away, like the Artomatic photo gallery.

I also confess to being unsure what to write about. My trip was generally great, but family is still family, and as much as I love them (and I really do), we still have our stressful moments. It’s so much easier to focus on the stressful moments than on the good ones, even though I try to be relaxed about things. I also think it’s harder to be relaxed about things when it does involve family. So my family was most present in my mind, but I was hesitant to write about what was going on with them for fear of insulting anyone or saying something they wouldn’t want known. (Not that they read my blog that often.)

It’s complicated, and I do struggle with that. I want to be open with my readers, on the chance they might relate to what I’m going through, and I like writing about what goes on in my life. It can definitely be cathartic. But you still have to consider those around you, who may not want all of their private lives out in the open. Just because I’m open on my blog doesn’t mean I have to share my family’s or friends’ secrets.

The view from the cabin, Stafford, Virginia.

Now I’m on my way home from Virginia, writing this on the plane. I can’t wait to get home and see my kittens, and sleep in my own bed. I’m even looking forward to getting back to work, starting with a couple blog posts. Even though NaBloPoMo is almost over, and I’ll probably need at least a little break, I am hoping to keep up with my blog more regularly. Just not necessarily every day.

How about you, readers? Have you succeeded with NaBloPoMo, or whatever November challenge you were doing this month (if any)? If you write, how do you balance what you write with what you’re feeling personally, and with the wishes of your family or friends?