I floss my teeth now.It is not because South Africans have particularly good or bad dental hygiene practices.
It is because while I was there, I realized that I put a lot of effort into doing big things. I go to the World Cup in Africa! Direct Girls Camp! Bike down the Pacific Coast!
But I am not as good at the small routine things of everyday life, like flossing. I want to do better at the parts of living that are not big and showy. I want to learn how to get out of my bed without pushing snooze three times. I want to write letters to my missionary brother more frequently. I want to do laundry before there are no underwear left in my drawer.
Traveling (partly) alone in a foreign country could seem like a foreboding challenge. For me, committing to a routine of small tasks - like teeth flossing - is way more scary. I have always associated routine with entrapment and boredom; it is as if I've been anticipating a mid-life crisis since I was 14 years old.
However, last week, I started a full-time job as a clinical therapist. For the first time in my 29 years, I will not be on an academic schedule. I will work 9 to 5, five days a week and have three weeks of vacation.
Before my trip, the thought of this impending schedule caused me great anxiety. But I am trying to embrace it. I am ready to commit to regularity. I am ready to floss daily.
I know I can do big and spontaneous. Now I want to do know that I can do - and hopefully enjoy - small and routine too.
