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Courtney Leigh Allen

Courtney Leigh Allen

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Author: Courtney Leigh Allen

Posted on December 1, 2016March 24, 2018

The Year I Camped for a Month Without Quitting My Job

In the past year I spent 33 nights sleeping in a tent. That’s 33 times that I woke up tangled in my sleeping bag with hair in my face. And 33 times I gladly swapped my cozy queen size bed for a cold, starry and quiet night outdoors. I didn’t camp for a month straight. …

Continue reading "The Year I Camped for a Month Without Quitting My Job"

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I don’t think I can say anything that hasn’t already been said. And we should be listening to the black voices that are organizing and leading here. But for me, books have always been where I go to learn and unlearn. To all of my white friends, what books have you read lately by black and brown authors that talk about race? Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race is good, and Robin DeAngelo’s White Fragility has been on my list for a while. I’ve also been thinking about systems of oppression, institutional racism and the business of oppression (and capitalism) and would recommend picking up Evicted by Matthew Desmond, American Prison by Shane Bauer or Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Friendly reminder that if you can buy from an independent bookstore, even better! And that you can also download audiobooks via your library and the Libby App for free. If these books aren’t available now, put them on hold! Libraries will frequently purchase more copies when there are long hold lines for digital titles.
Last year I didn’t get to backpack at all. I didn’t know it at the time, but I just felt so terrible most of the summer (and honestly most of 2019) from my infected gallbladder. This weekend we did a small backpacking trip at a local park that has a hike in campground, and I’m so excited to get back to it this summer. I also figure it’s a good activity that will allow us to avoid small towns and social distance. Plus since having my gallbladder removed I have realized that the 8 years I thought I was allergic to dairy, I was actually just experiencing gallbladder symptoms. So bring on the Annie’s mac and cheese cooked on a jet boil!
Is this a style blog now? This is my new life in 2020, teaching myself to sew (this tank top being the @helens__closet ashton top with linen from @fabricsstorecom) having nothing but an abundance of TIME. To sit on the balcony, to sew, to drink maybe too much wine, to walk around the neighborhood, to try and make the smartest choices for us right now and trying to not let my anxiety spin out of control. To balance work and grad school and mental health. How are y’all doing?!?
It’s March 1st, and I have needed this fresh start to a new month. I am finally feeling like myself again, after a truly absurd start to 2020, including a gnarly viral infection that lingered for 2 and 1/2 weeks before turning into a sinus infection, an attempt at a relatively routine surgery that ended with me going into anaphylaxis on the operating table, an overnight hospital stay to ensure I didn’t have any further reactions and finally the second attempt at gallbladder surgery that went well! but required recovery. Not to mention starting grad school in January! For weeks I felt so defeated knowing that I didn’t feel well but there wasn’t anything for me to do but rest and wait. Asking for help and admitting I was not okay felt like one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I am so relieved to finally feel like Courtney again, though I am still taking advantage of lots of rest and trying to continue to move slowly. Thanks to everyone who checked in and sent hugs and cards and a big, big thank you to Netflix for dropping Love Is Blind just when I needed trash TV the most. XO.
Extremely grateful for 2 years with this guy, for his jokes and support and adventures. But also because he brought me warm chocolate chip cookies when I was stuck in the hospital last night!
Spent four days without service, by the fire and in the hot springs as a belated birthday and early anniversary trip. With grad school starting next week, it was very nice to hit pause for a few days.
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