Funemployment!

adj. without a paid job but enjoying the free time

I’m one week into my second stretch of funemployment! Today is also the first day of the bay area’s Shelter in Place order, and so I can’t decide if my timing was atrocious or perfect.

I’m really looking forward to more time for hobbies, and working on projects around the house. I grew up watching my dad DIY most home repairs, and I find it rewarding to do the same. We bought an 80 year old house, which has its fair share of minor annoyances. So far, hardware stores are considered a priority and are still open, but we’re doing our best to maintain social distancing and keep errands to a minimum.

After purchasing our house, I was surprised at how much I enjoy just being home. For my last funemployment, my wish list was dominated by traveling. I’ll definitely do some (once it’s safe and we’re allowed to), but this time I’m more interested in building & nurturing Place Attachment. This is a new idea for me, coming from Melody Warnick’s book This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are, which I discovered through a podcast episode. My mind is still blown by this statistic from her book:

In the 1950s, 44 percent of neighbors socialized with each other at least once a week. Neighborhood cocktail parties and poker games, picnics, and potlucks dominated a person’s social life.

I don’t know how serious I’ll get about accelerating my Place Attachment, but I enjoyed the book and some of the ideas. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is preventing us from meeting up with the neighbors we do know, and also getting in the way of my attempt to volunteer at the local wild animal hospital. It is easy to take more walks around the block though. 🤷‍♂️