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date: 2019-07-05
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I’m writing this on Friday sitting on a train to Berlin. This is causing one of those fun moments that is both completely mundane (just a weekend trip, nothing unfamiliar) and interesting for self-observation (how unlikely that this became my normal). Having a visitor around to perspective-project with also encourages renewed wonder at the unique qualities of our lives.

I’m becoming increasingly aware of how the stress of uncertain income wears me down. Even when I have a comfortable cushion, I suspect the times in life when I worried about every penny have left me unable to relax without confidence in employment. This is probably why it was so important to me to run The Artificial as a business and take a salary that allowed it to maintain plenty of runway.

Now that I _technically_ have risk of my contract expiring, I feel less rested, have skin blemishes, and my legs are more tight than usual. Nothing terribly concerning, but worth observing.s