Happy Friday! 

I hope you are having a great week so far. 

I inadvertently took last week off from Megan Away. Last week was really busy with work and time got away from me. It’s crazy how I can be so tired when I am hardly leaving the house. It’s definitely harder to find balance when there is a lot to do and the weather is cold and rainy so you don’t want to get out as much anyways.

This week has been much more manageable and the weather has been nicer. I am definitely looking forward to the weekend when I can have all the naps I want haha.

I’ve seen some people on Instagram say that they are finding it difficult to read during these uncertain times.

Well, I am not having that problem, but I have noticed some changes in my reading habits.

When - I don’t have my daily commute to and from work, which was usually one of my key reading times. I find I am reading more in the mornings before I even get out of bed. I also squeeze in some reading when I sit down for my lunch. I definitely missing crowding around the lunch table with my coworkers, but it’s nice to have that mid-day brain break and quiet time.

Where - I have been plowing through audiobooks because I listen while I go running! That’s right… sometimes I run! haha… let’s be real, I go for very slow jogs up and down the streets, or sometimes to a nearby park. This is definitely a new habit. I usually get my cardio in at the gym, where the coach pushes me through a 15-20 minute treadmill block. I find running outside so boring. Audiobooks have been providing that extra motivation I need to get out there. This has been especially effective because I have been listening to good audiobooks.

What - I am also seeing a change in the types of books I am drawn to. Usually, I love my thrillers and mysteries. But lately, I love rom-coms and light reads. I want to read fun books that make me laugh out loud and have happy endings. I usually see a book I want to read and then I request it from the library and have to wait six weeks for it to become available. This month I had a big lag when none of my books on hold were ready yet. So I had the freedom to -gasp- just read whatever I wanted when I wanted. Whaaaat. It felt like the olden days when I would just go to the bookstore, pick a book, and just read it right away. And it was my birthday month so I bought a few more books than I usually would too. It’s been pretty great. I have read some really good books this month. I might need to do this more often.

How - I usually prefer reading ebooks because it’s convenient for reading on the train (on my phone). Ebooks are also great for reading before bed because I can fall asleep and I don’t have to worry about turning off the lights - I can just drift off when my eyes get heavy. However, because I am reading more during the daytime, I have been reading more paperback books. This is also because some new releases are only available in Australia at this time and I can’t even get them in ebook format if I wanted to. It has been nice switching it up and returning to classic paper books. Not going to lie, it feels weird sometimes. It takes more effort to hold it up haha. But I’ve forgotten how nice it is to just automatically know how far along you are and how much you have left. It feels really good to get to the end and just have a little skinny bit of pages to get through and you know the story will wrap up soon and you will find out what happens.

Overall my biggest takeaway about reading during a pandemic is that suddenly I have a lot more guilt-free time at home to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies. It’s different than before, but the thing about being a lifelong reader is that’s just who I am and what I do haha. I’m already the type of person who has a book with me everywhere I go. I’ve definitely had days where I spent way too much time on my phone or used up all my data watching Netflix. But I would much rather get lost in the pages of a story than scroll endlessly on social media.

If you are struggling to read or to enjoy something that you used to, then I recommend you leave it be for now and wait until it excites you again. Or find a way to change your hobby habits to fit in with your new temporary lifestyle.

Happy Reading :)