A Friday Chat About Ch-ch-ch-changes
Shaking things up!
NICOLE: Happy Friday! It’s been… a week, as usual. Exciting and stressful and long long long. But also exciting for me because my novel is published! As of Tuesday!
MEGAN: Yes! This is very exciting! Your book is currently waiting for me at my UPS pickup location and I cannot wait to read it. How was your party?
NICOLE: It went very well! We had a lot of cake and a lot of people, and I probably should have listed the people before the cake, but I was kind of really excited about the cake. I asked Molly Lewis to be my interviewer/moderator, which was also such a smart choice — Molly is great (she’s a singer/songwriter, podcaster, and a whole bunch of other stuff) and if it had just been me up there trying to have a conversation with an audience I probably would have babbled on in some kind of cake-and-wine-fueled sugar high.
MEGAN: Cake! Cake is great! So is wine, and from the pictures I saw it looked like you were happy and glowing and wearing very good shoes. How does it FEEL to have WRITTEN A GODDAMN BOOK! Like the party is one thing, but my god, this accomplishment!
NICOLE: I finished the book months ago, so that accomplishment feeling has long shifted to other feelings, like “are we going to get the paperback finished in time” and “how much do I want to spend on advertising.” But I remember being very excited and satisfied and worn-out when the book was done. Kind of like I feel right now.
MEGAN: Awww, those are all such good feelings! And the other stuff is like, also fine and fun, but still, I am just very excited to read this book and the others. And I’m excited for your visit to New York! FINALLY WE WILL MEET.
NICOLE: I KNOW, RIGHT! I am also excited to come and hang out with y’all. And The Awl and The Hairpin and everyone else. But you… well, I should probably let you say it, right?
MEGAN: LOL, ugh yes….I will see you but not in capacity as a coworker because I am leaving the Billfold at the end of this month to go to Jezebel. And I’m sad and relieved and sad and happy!
Many feelings.
NICOLE: We should just switch over to that Mr. Rogers marathon on Twitch and let him remind us that having feelings is okay. I am so excited that you are going to Jezebel! I have read Jezebel every day for years and years. I am also sad because I will miss getting to work with you. You have been an excellent coworker, and we’ve had a lot of fun.
MEGAN: Thank you! I have also been reading Jezebel for many years and have been writing for them at night for many months and am mostly relieved to have just the one job and some semblance of a life back. We’ve had a good run here, though, and the little team assembled at the Billfold has been one of the best I’ve worked with. I will be sad, but I will have time to process that sadness during the one week I am taking off between jobs — I’m so excited about that.
NICOLE: A whole week off! I am excited on your behalf. Are you planning anything special for that week?
MEGAN: I am going to Miami with my sisters, though I had intentionally planned to do that alone, but then felt bad about not inviting all of them because I guess we can’t do anything separately, and so now I’m going to Miami with my sisters. After I get back, ideally I will: read some books; watch like 100 hours of TV that I haven’t had time to watch; repot all my plants; sleep; bake something?; etc. I bet you $5 and a donut that what I’ll actually do is buy some clothes and sit down for a long time staring into the middle distance, though.
NICOLE: Better than staring at the internet, I guess.
MEGAN: As my future will depend on staring at the internet, I will be glad to not do it for a week in which I don’t have to worry about a job. This is also the first time in my adult career that I’ve taken considerable time off between jobs and it feels very, very strange and also adult. Have you ever?
NICOLE: The only “time off” I’ve taken has been the time it took to get the job. So no. I’ve never really had enough money where I could say “yes, I would like to skip a week’s worth of income.” Now I might, although I probably still wouldn’t because I feel like you have to earn all the money you can? That is a feeling I will have to deal with at some point in the future, because people need rest too.
MEGAN: OH GOD, for YEARS, I have been in the exact same boat. Like, this feels like the first time I’ve transitioned jobs and it’s been in my control. And I’ve worked a lot since I’ve been freelance this past year and managed to somehow have enough money where I can take a break and feel like I’m going to be okay? (Keep your eyes peeled for a How Megan Did Money But Had No Life Really For The Past Year and Change post coming next week.) I’m exaggerating, I had a life, but I didn’t realize how not having weeknights free would get to me.
People DO need rest, though. That’s one thing I’ve learned, but like, actually learned, instead of telling myself that and then scurrying to a blog post.
NICOLE: Sometimes I actually find blogging very relaxing! But yeah, I booked myself a massage/spa day for tomorrow even though it wasn’t in THE BUDGET or THE PLAN because I do need rest very badly and before that I need someone to physically relax my body so it can rest.
MEGAN: My Friday night routine has been to get a little stoned and go to the cheap massage place next door to my apartment sometimes, and even though it’s like…kind of expensive($65 with a good tip), it has always been worth it. A massage is always worth it, unless you hate massages, in which case, go eat some ice cream or something. If you don’t like ice cream, I don’t know, find your own bliss! Don’t listen to me.
Since the people will ask, what is the plan for the Billfold moving forward?
NICOLE: I will be the MC, for lack of a better term. We’ll still have our usual slate of feature posts and interesting news stories and me blogging about the personal state of my finances. I’ll also be leading more Billfold Community stuff—in addition to Do 1 Thing Thursday, there’s also going to be Question Wednesday, Share Your Success Tuesday, and so on. There will be a new call for pitches coming soon, so watch for it!
MEGAN: I’m SO EXCITED to watch you grab the wheel(?) of the boat(??) that is the S.S. Billfold. (I’m sorry.) Also, maybe I’ll respond to the call for pitches! I told Mike when I started here that my entire life is an ongoing Billfold post, and I do think that still stands. But! I’m also excited to discuss the privilege book with you in a few weeks. And I’m excited to meet you. And I’m excited for the future, which is a nice sentiment, given the state of things.
NICOLE: Yeah, me too. I’m excited for the future. I probably shouldn’t read the news for at least another hour, so I can keep that feeling for a little bit.
MEGAN: My god, please, yes. Hold onto that for as long as you can, bud. Also, HAPPY THREE DAY WEEKEND. I hope you have a good one!
NICOLE: You as well! I’m looking forward to the weekend, and then coming back and getting to work with you for just a few more days.
