$ sudo plant grow --needs-water=false

i'm not really near the age to feel real burn out, but i just like plants cause they make me feel less alone. i live by my lonesome, so i like having some sort of reminder of life near me. at first, i had no idea what i was doing and some of my buddies would die, or have several very near-death experiences.

i've found that online guides and advice can only help so much. the real key is to actually give a shit. you get to know your plants well after you see how your watering schedule and sunlight exposure affects them. i suppose this is more for indoor plants, as i live in an apartment and don't have much of a garden aside of my balcony.

another thing that helped was going to the nursery where i bought them at and talking to the workers. they are always very kind and offer really specific instructions for the species you're buying. i've begun documenting things about each species: observations on water schedule and amount given, soil changes, repotting, sunlight exposure, etc. i also draw them, it's like a weird scientific bullet journal. i can understand why anyone, especially a programmer, would get into this. it sort of feels like you're emulating Darwin and his experiments.

i think people my age misconstrue what owning a plant is. i've seen a lot of other students at my uni utilize plants purely for aesthetic reasons. sure, that's a thing, but plants are pets! it's a serious thing to take care of a life! although plants are fairly autonomous, i think they require just as much thought, care, and patience as other domestic pets.

I went through the same emotional roller coaster