The bliss of an outdoor cocktail and not knowing when I'll live again.
It's been a bit of an emotional ride, but here we are.
Hey babe,
I’m going to make this short, sweet, and not about sex for once. Well, I’m going to be having a lot of it (as usual) but that isn’t what I’d like to remark on today. For sex stuff, scroll down and see my Good Reads and the latest Ask Gigi Column.
Today marks the first day of the London pubs open their outdoor seating areas. I long to pop over for a (very) socially distanced drink, but I don’t see myself doing much socializing until after I have a vaccine. I know basically no one in London and haven’t done anything social outside of a socially distanced picnic and a few nights with my Bubble for the last year. We ate out a couple of times when the pubs were open - outside, of course - but it feels like a century since we’ve been locked away.
It feels like the stakes are so much higher now. I’ve seen the way Long Covid has affected so many of my friends and clients, the lasting damage, and the very real fear of the unknowability of what the future holds for those who have suffered from this illness. The firsthand knowing of how deadly and scary this illness really is has my brain emotionally overloaded on the reg.
I think it will be best for me to do as little as possible until I feel safe enough to do it.
I can’t lie. It’s been a tough week for me, emotionally and physically. Last weekend we had a socially distanced pod-picnic and I paid for it until the following Tuesday. Everything got me: A hangover induced migraine, diarrhea (sorry if that’s TMI, but I if it is, I don’t give a fuck), and non-stop vomiting. Oh, and the fatigue. I felt like I was in the midst of the flu for 4 straight days. Anyway, cheers to being 30, I guess.
I’m so tired of everything and I’m really ready for real life to begin again. It feels like if I don’t sit on a patio and sip and Aperol spritz with a few of my girlfriends, I may not survive. But I will.
We all will be OK. I’m starting to feel hope (maybe? I forget how it feels) again. All the vulnerable groups are vaccinated in the UK. I want a fucking outdoor cocktail. I know how stupid and trite that sounds but I long for FUN. I think we all feel robbed of the time we’ve lost. It was taken away and even as things begin to open up again, they’re still not tangible in a way that feels safe enough to enjoy them.
I love you. Stay safe. Get vaccinated when you can.
This week’s mantras:
I am the captain of my own boat.
I am responsible for my own actions.
I deserve happiness.
I will love myself.
I love you. Have a great week.
XOXO Auntie Gigi
~Good ReadsSsSssSsSs~
How Strengthening the Pelvic Floor Can Improve Sex, Regardless of What Genitals You Have
For TheBody this week, I delved into the ever-fascinating world of the pelvic floor. It’s not just people with vulvas who should be aware of the pelvic floor—it’s everyone. In a recent interview with TheBody, Patrick Wenning, M.P.T., CIMT, a physical therapist in the Washington, D.C. metro area, laid out the pelvic floor and what transgender people should know about it. Building on that, I decided to lay out how your pelvic floor can impact your sex life.
How to Make Peace With Your Jealousy
In this piece for Swell, Reina Gattuso, explores her journey with jealosy, how she made peace with it, and offers great advice on how you can shake hands with the Green Monster so it doesn’t ruin your life. Look, jealousy is a completely normal, human emotion. But it does need to be tamed and interrogated in order to be a part of our beings in a healthy, functioning way.
How Long “Should” Sex Last?
For Swell, I decided to figure out exactly why we’re so obsessed with sex lasting a long time. It’s impossible to boil down such a complex set of questions to a single answer, but what it basically comes down to is that we have a destructively narrow view of what “sex” is (.ie. P-in-V intercourse), a view that is perpetuated by sexual shame, purity culture, and a lack of comprehensive sex education.
What to expect from ADHD in relationships
In this article from Medical News Daily, the author gives us a chance to take a look into the different aspects in which ADHD can affect relationships - and not just in the negative ways, but also the positive ways.
Some of the positives mentioned and explained in the article:
Positivity: People with ADHD tend to have a positive outlook, which can help navigate the difficulties of any relationship.
Openness: People with ADHD tend to be open, and so they may be happy to speak about topics that others may avoid or ignore.
Empathy: People with ADHD may be more willing to help and see things from other people’s points of view.
Resilience: Actively working to overcome the challenges of ADHD tends to make a person more resilient. In the context of a relationship, a person with ADHD may persist when others give up or have extra coping skills.
~Watch this~
How can we unlock the door to our own authentic sexual well-being? Sex educator Emily Nagoski suggests that the key is realizing that we are all normal, whatever our proclivities. In this playful but informative take on sex positivity, she delves into the science of sexuality to demonstrate how we can shed our insecurities and define pleasure on our own terms.
~Ask Gigi~
Ask Gigi: Sex Positions That Are Great for Intimacy
Looking for some sex positions that can up that intimacy factor? I’ve got you.
Try these 3 romantic sex positions to get that spark going like hot, hot heat. If sex positions were romantic gestures, these would be those gestures. Pop that bottle of red wine and get to it.
That’s it for me this week, pals. I love you. You are smart, brave, and so goddamn sexy. Don’t forget to use lots and lots of lube, put yourself first, and take your antidepressants. Stay hot. Smoochies.
