When the fog starts to clear

A list of things currently lighting up my days.

Welcome to So Relatable, a bi-weekly newsletter that helps creative folks improve their craft, achieve their goals, and eat better snacks. I’m glad you’re here! ✨

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Last week, I was driving home from yoga after my 6 a.m. class. It was warm and humid as I steered my car east, directly into the rising sun. There was a break in the trees along the horizon, and suddenly the morning light caught the condensation on my windshield. For a few terrifying seconds, I could see nothing in front of me but a solid white scrim. One flick of my wipers and the fog cleared, the road once again revealed. Even though it wasn’t raining, I had to keep my wipers on the whole way home, had to keep clearing my own way until I arrived safely at my door. 

Which is another way of saying: I’m still not writing, but I’m getting closer. 

A few months ago, when it was still cold and dark, I worried that I would never feel creative again. Now, the sun is shining. The fog is beginning to clear, or I’m beginning to clear it. Either way, I can see the road in front of me. 

Earlier this week, Katie from

My Sweet Dumb Brain

shared some monthly glimmers. Her post reminded me that I collected some of my own glimmers late last year, and I think it’s time for another installment. I may not be writing, but I am exploring, reaching, risking, dreaming, and hoping. Here are some recent moments that caught the light and held it. 

☀

Climbing at Pilot Mountain: Nathan, Chase, and I spent a weekend in the mountains, attempting to rock climb outdoors for the first time in a very long time. We succeeded in that no one got hurt, we managed to climb a number of routes, and we had an extremely lovely time. Climbing indoors is fun, but climbing an actual rock with the sun on your back, a tiny bit terrified that you might die, all while surrounded by incredible views and dear friends? There’s truly nothing better.  

Hosting a garden party. Yesterday we threw a semi-impromptu garden party to show off everything happening in our little front yard farm—including the 14 new baby chicks we just added to the flock! For snacks, everything I served included at least one item from the garden—blackberry cobbler, mini quiche with backyard eggs, goat cheese and honey, and focaccia with caramelized onions. It was a lovely gathering of friends, parents, and children, and I hope it will become an annual tradition. 

New baby chicks. The baby chicks, mentioned above, are doing great! For the first time, we ordered them through the MAIL, which was a surreal and exhilarating experience. They all survived the journey (HOW?) and continue to thrive, with one sad exception. Nature doesn’t mess around. Per tradition, the theme for this flock will be vegetables, and I look forward to deciding which chick will be named Pumpkin, Butternut, Sweet Pea, Rutabaga, etc. 

Fashion experiments. When it comes to clothes, I prefer the comfortable, the familiar, the same few items I’ve been wearing for 5+ years. But lately I’ve been venturing out of my comfort zone, treating the daily task of getting dressed as a game instead of a chore. One day, I imagine I’m the backup singer in a 70s folk band. Another day, I embrace my corporate alter ego. Last Tuesday, I was a bohemian poet penning a sonnet. We tell so many stories about ourselves—why not make them fun? 

Embracing activity friends. I continue to build my social life around exercise, which is the best way to connect with friends and stay in shape. (Friendship is an active verb, after all!) Lately that includes BodyPump at the YMCA, Monday night run club, indoor climbing sessions, and yoga + coffee dates. Activities also anchor you to a certain date and time, which is key for maintaining friendships when everyone is so busy!

Slow morning walks with the dog. It’s getting warmer, which means Calvin, our 14-year-old BFF, needs to walk before the temperatures rise. I bring my cup of coffee and we meander through the neighborhood at a snail’s pace, sniffing and pausing and thinking and occasionally rolling in the grass. He may be ancient, but his priorities are still on point.

Instagram breaks. During our trip to Texas for the eclipse, I took an Instagram break. Once I returned, I still didn’t feel like scrolling. I don’t have anything profound to share about this shift, and I haven’t quit entirely, but opening the app is no longer my default. As a result, there’s a bit more space in my brain, more room to wander and daydream. I don’t always need to be entertained or distracted—sometimes, just sitting with myself is enough. Sometimes, it helps the fog clear.

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Snack Break

One final glimmer for the road: last Saturday, Nathan and I rode our bikes to the Cargo District, where we sat in an extremely hip courtyard, sipped beers, and devoured the latest offerings from Salita Pizza, a takeout window pizzeria that makes THE BEST pizza in Wilmington and maybe the world. This spring delight pictured above included pesto and lemon!!! If you’re local and hungry, give them a try—you won’t regret it.

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Relatable Recommendations

• Reading: Wellness, by Nathan Hill, about a 40-something couple going through a mid-life crisis which cleverly lampoons the modern ways we attempt to cope. If you loved Fleishman is in Trouble (which I did), you’ll probably like Wellness. The present day stuff is sometimes a bit too over-the-top, but the flashbacks to the couple’s early days and the 90s art scene in Chicago made me feel achingly young again.

• Watching: The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. Dangerously delightful! Fallout, based on a video game I have never played. Delightfully disturbing!

• Growing: The peas are climbing, the blackberries are flowering, and the corn is nearly knee-high. We really need to install a drip irrigation system, because watering an entire front yard full of vegetables takes entirely too much time.

• Eating: Mason jar salads, consumed on the terrace during my lunch break. It’s a crime to eat at your desk when the weather is this nice.

• Feeling: On the edge of something good, and ready to tip right over.

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Coffee Club Contributions

Thanks to Beth W. for sending me a little glimmer.

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👋 About Me: I’m Chrissy Hennessey, an enthusiastic snacker and native New Yorker living in coastal North Carolina, where I stayed after earning my MFA. My writing has appeared in a decent number of journals, I’ve received fellowships to some fancy residencies, and I’ve written three novels, all currently unpublished. This newsletter is a passion project I started in 2019 as a way to connect with readers and writers, share my creative journey, and build a community. Thank you for being here!