I didn’t know how great I had it before March of 2020.

But then March of 2020 happened.

Then April.

And May.

And.

You see where this is going.

Professionals in the arts have been clobbered… myself included. Auditions and jobs have been a scarcity. I will likely lose my health insurance next year, along with thousands upon thousands of other Union actors. It’s devastating, soulsucking, and terrifying, (paired daily with the dull ache for those who are sick and those who have died and those left behind to grieve).

2020 has ravaged us all.

But a little peek of sunlight popped into my corner of the world - last month I booked a guest star job for a Netflix show, and got to travel to Mexico for it. For seven days I was isolated in a stunning oceanfront vacation home, with intermittent Covid testing up to the day of the shoot - hence the weeklong stay due to Covid protocol, regardless of how small my role was! (Um… thank you, horrendous murderous virus?)

So what did I do for six of those days, when not getting a swab shoved up into my brain? I sat on my balcony, read (A Thousand Splendid Suns is an incredible book), woke up at sunrise to watch the surfers catch their waves, walked along the water, ate some delicious things, cried, did crossword puzzles, sat with myself…

It was nice.

2020 has done a number on my soul in so many ways.

And while this job is only a drop in the bucket of what I need in order to qualify for health insurance next year, the trip was good for my soul. And that’s important. I fail to take care of my soul sometimes. Ok, like, a good portion of the times. OK FINE stop looking at me like that, I fail to take care of my soul MOST OF THE TIMES. There. You win.

Here are some pics from the trip. As the kids say on instagram, #takemeback.

I hope you’re all doing okay. Wash your hands, drink water, wear your mask, do some soul things.