It’s been a while, I know, but I am happy to finally reconnect over here. I owe you an explanation for my disappearing act so this update will be a bit longer than usual.
My last communication dates back to March 2023. Apologies for going MIA; last year was a whirlwind, I found myself stretched thin, and side projects took a backseat.
After compiling 33 consecutive mixtapes, skipping the APR 2023 one felt weird. The perfectionist in me didn’t like it. For the first time, I did not stick to my monthly commitment. I eventually moved on, telling myself I would not skip the next one. But then the next month rolled around, I was knee-deep in work and the MAY 2023 mixtape never saw the light of day.
This pattern of ‘convincing myself and failing’ went on for a few months, and I abandoned the project, telling myself I’d get back to it when I have more time. “Be open to change; it’s okay; things are not meant to last forever,” I scribbled in my notebook in September.
Despite the break, I never stopped listening to music and kept saving standout tracks in a playlist; a pool of songs that might come in handy at some point.
During that time, I also found myself reminiscing about the process of compiling these mixtapes. The research and writing exercises it enabled, the thrill of finally getting the sequencing right after many iterations, the simple act of sharing music, the exchanges and new connections it fostered, and the joy of discovering a great song knowing it might eventually find its place in the mixtapes archive.
Some things are not meant to last forever, but others will call you back at some point. You find yourself pulled towards them, unable to dive back just yet, but you know deep down that the door is not completely shut. The timing is just not right.
2024 began with a strong desire to reconsider what I was allocating time to in my life, and whether that was truly aligned with my priorities, interests and aspirations. For a while, I’ve contemplated reducing my work hours to give other projects a fair shot. I’ve recently decided to shift gears and switch to part-time work from June onwards to experiment with a different way of managing my time.
New phase. More time for personal projects. Let’s see what the second half of the year brings.
With that, I am happy to kick off the mixtapes again! Hopefully you’ll hear from me again at the end of June. Also, I'll be skipping the track description from now on to keep it lightweight.
Happy to be back,
Choucri
