Goooooooooooood morning, afternoon, or evening, wherever you might happen to be!
Well, I did it! I swam through freezing cold water at this last weekend’s ‘Coupe de Noël’! And it was so much fun I’m thinking of putting together a medievalist team for next year’s edition—perhaps with each team member dressing up as a different pilgrim from The Canterbury Tales. There are plenty of medievalists to choose from here in Switzerland, but we’ll see how much enthusiasm the idea drums up!
Give yourself (and someone else!) a treat
To celebrate a successful first few months of Page by Page (successful thanks to you!), I’m running a tiny holiday special: for every paid subscription, I’ll give away another paid subscription for free to the person of your choice! Maybe there’s someone you know who could use a little encouragement, advice, or humour in their lives. Or maybe you simply want to buddy up with someone else so you can each get a paid subscription for 50% off. It’s up to you! I’ll run the deal until the end of January.
Give yourself a break
At this time of year, it’s easy to feel pressure to make everything perfect. My wish for all of you is that you find a way to relieve yourself of some of that pressure. Maybe it’s by letting that one extra holiday chore/task/project/event slide. Maybe it’s by carving out a little time to enjoy something just for yourself. Or maybe it’s by finding a way to laugh about whatever unanticipated disasters may arise. That’s certainly always been my go-to, as this past week’s conference horror story attests!
Giving myself a break
My instinct is usually to squeeze in as much work/reading/writing as possible whenever I have free time. The holidays may be busy, but I often see them as an opportunity to catch up on work. Not so this year! This year, I’m giving myself a proper break so I can enjoy time with my extended family, who will be visiting me here in Switzerland (I’m on my way to pick up the first family member right now!). I’ll be back at Page by Page in the second week of January.
As ever, thanks for reading. This is a reader-supported publication, and the best way to support it is to become a paid subscriber (either at $5 per month or $50 per year). If you’re really feeling generous, and you’d like access to the archives, the ‘Things That Worked’ series, the ‘AMA Q&A’ series, and regular feedback on your own writing, as often as you like, you can become a Founding Member ($150).
Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful break—I look forward to seeing you in 2023!
VB,
M