Tag: Back to Normal

I’ve mentioned before how much I love my spin workouts and spin classes. With the pandemic, lockdowns, and trying to stay safe I haven’t really been able to indulge in one of my favorite things for months. Getting back to normal, or at least a part of it to me, involved getting back on a bike. Or so I thought.

Recently, meaning longer ago than I would like to admit, I bought myself a spin bike for home to use with various apps and online classes, to get back to normal and get back on a bike. The bike has been sitting, waiting to be assembled. I’ve gone on runs, completed other workouts, and had a lot of down time. I’ve missed spin class and been jealous of other people’s home bikes. And yet, the bike has stayed in its box.

If this is a part of getting back to normal for me, why can’t I bring myself to put it together? Are you resisting anything “normal” for you right now?

I actually plan on making myself put the bike together today (it’s part of my fall “redo” of the house). And while I would love to tell you that between battling allergies and work and all the things, what’s been keeping me from putting together this “normal” piece for me is all of that, I know it’s a little bit more.

Honestly, I’m scared that it won’t be the same. The bike, the classes, the new normal. And loves, it won’t. It can’t. Even if it’s the best bike and the online classes are amazing, it won’t be the same as going to studios that I love with people I love. This bike will be getting back to normal, but it will be the new normal. And admitting that, even after all the months at home and adjustments and precautions, has been difficult for me.

I’m not going to lecture you on what you, or we as a country or group, should be doing about pandemic precautions. It shouldn’t be a touchy subject, but it is, and we all have various levels of comfort with various activities. For me, right now, the bike at home makes the most sense. But it also means accepting that normal right now is not the normal I knew.

New is fun! It’s exciting and shiny. But it can also be scary, unknown, and at times lonely. There are things that I loved about lockdown, and spending more time at home. But there are times when these times feel scary and unknown.
So I’ve left a bike I know I’ll love in the box. I do know I’ll love it. I plan on ripping the bandaid off today, putting it together, and I’m sure later on IG I’ll be posting about how much I love having a bike at home. And even, when things are the most back to normal, I know I will probably love having a bike at home for when I can’t make class, or when I need to workout on my own timeline. The happiness is certain.

However, there’s also a sadness and a little uncertainty. And I would be lying to you if I didn’t admit that, too. Maybe both the happiness and the sadness are part of getting back to normal. And maybe, instead of avoiding that, the truth is we’re lucky to be able to feel so much.
Is that normal?

Wishing us all a week of normality and amazing shoes!
Xo RA

But, what is normal?

I moved to LA when I was 22, convinced that I was on my way to stardom. In LA, they have a few seasons that the rest of the country doesn’t have, like Pilot Season. Pilot season runs late Dec-April, and is when all the new shows are pitched, bought, shot, and picked up by Networks. In other words, as an actress it’s a busy time of year, and a chance to get a JOB. Yet, the year I moved out to LA, people started bemoaning that “this year pilot season isn’t normal”. Between cabLe, online, then the upcoming of Netflix, etc, Pilot Season went from this BIG set thing, to a process that can be anytime, depending on network, etc.

In other words, there is no normal.

Last week, our schedule shifted a bit because of sales. And I hope that you found what you were looking for, what did you buy? Anything?

This week, we’re back to “normal”. Or normal for us. Outfits Monday and Friday. Showcases, brands, trends, etc on Wednesdays. Sunday Chronicles on Sunday’s. Of course, I’ll still be sharing sales picks here on and on socials. And if things come up, we’ll roll with the punches. But, for now, normal.

So, what do we do with the rest of our summer? I’m hoping for days that are filled with nothing and everything. Fancy dresses and flip flop. New clothes and comfortable cut offs. Rose and green juice.
Who said normal didn’t mean we couldn’t have it all?

Wishing us all a week of normal and amazing shoes!
XO RA