big day!

a few weeks ago i joined a therapist directory as a "life coach," and today i got my first client inquiry and had an intro call. it's been a little over a year since i did anything this close to therapy, and though i was a little unfamiliar with how to structure a brief intro call (i'm used to full-length first sessions as a therapist), it felt amazing to be doing work like this again, with the changes i wish i could have made as a therapist (like not diagnosing). it made me more excited to flesh out more marketing materials and really go for it, so that i can get more client inquiries and make this a real thing! i've wanted to have my own practice for probably four or five years at this point. i tried to set up a therapy private practice once before, but it was too much to juggle at the time, and i still didn't like diagnosing, so even going out on my own didn't fix that fundamental disconnect. i'm very excited to pursue this direction more!

i also started the day with a swedish tutoring lesson, which taught me some interesting new things, but i also want to try out some different tutors as well, so i can better evaluate fit. i like the tutor i'm seeing, but i'm wondering if there might be someone better suited to handle my particular level. so i ended up booking a tutor whose profile i had seen before and liked. the only problem is she lives in australia, so her available times are not quite convenient for me. the trial lesson i booked with her is tonight...at midnight! she does have some more reasonable times, but i wanted to strike while the iron is hot (before today it had been a whole week since my last swedish lesson, and that was enough time for my nerves to build back up—i'd like to minimize the chances of that happening again!). 

all this talking today, and my throat is already a bit sore from all the singing i did over easter weekend. after some quick mental math, i estimated that my fiancé and i spent over 8 hours in church over the long easter weekend. it was especially nice because of a few things: 1. it was my fiancé's first time spending easter in a church, let alone a catholic one. 2. he played guitar (and sang!!!) at easter vigil mass and sounded and looked so lovely. 3. it was my own first time in several years to attend more than just easter sunday mass. and my first time in germany too! there were lots of differences that surprised me, but also a lot of comforting similarities. 4. i felt connected to the meaning of easter for the first time in a very long time. to the point where i actually got confused why there were bunnies everywhere, lol. it felt good to appreciate the sacrifice and the love behind the holiday. 5. i finally felt comfortable to sing at normal volume during mass! often there aren't a ton of people at the mass we normally attend, so it feels quite vulnerable to sing aloud, and i either just read or whisper along. but we recently attended a cool adoration event with more contemporary songs (including english ones that i know and love!) and i got out of my comfort zone and sang louder than usual there, and since then i've felt much more comfortable to finally sing out! it also helps that my fiancé says how much he likes to hear my singing voice. 

oh yeah, and i got back on twitter yesterday! it felt a bit strange. i think the break really severed something, in a positive way. it feels like when my phone broke in college and i subsequently fasted from social media for months, then when i returned to instagram, i never felt the same draw to it afterwards. i'm not sure what my relationship to twitter will be moving forward, but i'm thankful for everything it brought into my life.