It’s been a hot minute since I have been popping in here but I think it’s high time that we catch up.
Things haven’t been exactly smooth sailing for me in the past few weeks but I am over feeling like being tossed about by the waves of my emotions. So I have decided to take actions. And the first step will be to get back into showing up here more regularly again. Sounds like a plan, right?
My other step in my really sophisticated action plan is to really really try hard to just keep moving and trust the universe that at some point things will fall into place. Sounds kinda passive and it surely is but I am out of ideas of what to do besides that.
But instead of over-thinking this right now let’s just to a plain old catch-up. I have my cup of coffee ready, I have linked up with my girl Meghan and I am ready to spill my heart. Sort of.
Okay, so I think in the past few weeks I really got into working out regularly again. I only make it twice a week but at least I really make it twice a week. And the best part, I have fun with it again. Now I just need to work on my outfits!
All in all, I try to implement a few more healthy habits in my everyday life. I try to eat more veggies and less crap. It works to some extent. And as my Moscow Mule shenanigans have become more and more frequent over the past few months I decided to cut myself off of alcohol for a bit. It doesn’t suck nearly as much as I had anticipated.
I haven’t been able to make any progress on the ‘what’s next’ front. I had my last session with my career counsellor but I am still none the wiser. It sucks but I can’t let this wreck my mood. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. I believe me almost 50% of the time. I try to improve that percentage though.
The good news is that I finally signed with a publisher to get my thesis out there. I was deliberating whether to go with the bigger publisher or the one with a better reputation in my field and eventually decided to sign with the more prestigious one. The chances are better that it will be picked up for reviews and from bigger libraries. We’ll see. Now I have to do a few more rounds of edits. Good times!
As I have a lot of time to spend however I want to I am indulging in playing with my camera a lot. I have found some interest in concept photography and do some stuff with butterflies at the moment. It pushes me to up my photoshop game and that is a nice side effect.
I also forced my poor husband to play model for me to practice my portrait photography skills. There is so much to learn but it’s actually more fun than I had thought it would be. This is one of the pictures where I didn’t get an eye-roll or death stare. Probably because he didn’t look at me.
Apart from that, we have been going out a lot lately. The weather has become a bit nicer and we have definitely (and hopefully for good) entered spring.
We went to see soccer matches at the pub twice and even went out to see one live at the stadium. It was fun and the atmosphere was really catching.
We met up with a bunch of friends on various occasions but the funniest and most freeing thing was when we went to my sister and brother-in law’s place the other night to play a game with them and Stefan’s cousin and her boyfriend. I haven’t laughed as much and as hard in forever. And I have been in high spirits ever since. Laughing surely is still the best therapy.
Sushi also helps.
This Monday kinda feels like a fresh start and I have already scribbled down a lengthy to-do list. I am actually looking forward to crossing out a lot of stuff today. It gives me that nice little rush of excitement and I can surely do with some of that.
Happy Monday guys, what are you up to right now?
Laughing definitely helps and Moscow Mules don’t hurt either so I’m sad you’re taking a break from them. At the same time, I understand and I’m glad it’s easier than you thought. For the most part, I’ve been drinking herbal tea in the evening, and while it’s not wine, it does relax me.
I adore seeing all your fun and fancy photo and photo shop skills. You have a knack for it and always impress me.
Happy Monday. Miss you.
I guess it’s so easy because I fell from one thing right into the next. Now I just drink alcohol-free beer mixed with lemonade. Most days I really don’t need the alcohol but want to drink something different than water. And as much as I have tried I just associate tea so much with being sick that this isn’t an option at all.
I really do have a lot of fun with all the fancy photos I get to create right now. Next time (and I hope that’s sooner rather than later) we have to play with our cameras together. Ave can be our model 🙂
Miss you, too! And I really try to sneak in a visit this year 🙂
Crossing stuff of my list always improves my mood. That’s a good idea! Loved the butterfly pics. You definitely have great camera skills. so glad I found your blog! I enjoyed this post a lot.
Right? It’s so satisfying 😀
Thank you so much!!! I am going through a huge butterfly phase right now and really enjoy creating these pictures! Thank you for your nice comment. This really motivates me to show up here more regularly again 🙂
Hello lovely! Glad you are starting the week on a high! Laughter, working out and a crap tonne of veggies, yeah that defintely seems like a happiness booster!
When we went on the whole30, I really thought it was going to be hard stopping alcohol, even though we only drink at the weekend. But I think once we broke the connection of routine it was surprisingly easy. So I can understand what you mean!
My parents arrive today and will be with us for just under 4 weeks. I can’t wait to see them but at the same time our apartment is tiny (well, perfect for the two of us!)… This is going to be an experience!
I think for me it’s mostly the need to drink something with an actual taste. Aka not water! I drink a crapton of Radler right now. I think you Brits call it shandy?!
Oooh, I am so happy for you that you get to spend time with your parents! Though I understand your concern about the living space. I hope you guys get to have a lot of fun and have a few great weeks together!
I just don’t understand how you make those photos. With the butterflies. I want to ask, but thennnn I also kind of don’t want to know. Keep the magic of mystery. You can sort of tell me though, if you want to….
“Sounds kinda passive and it surely is but I am out of ideas of what to do besides that.”—> Me. To the T. Its like, I’m done trying to hustle and force things. That hasn’t worked for me. I’m trying to find that balance between total fatalism – just waiting for something to come to me – and active drive. I’ve still been working, but not hustling as desperately toward my career goals as I was a while back. It’s exhausting. And when it doesn’t get you the answers you hope for, you just kind of throw your hands up and leave it up so some other power.
Hahaha, sure 🙂 I think about writing a post about it as I got a few questions on here and Instagram. So if you want to know the specifics you can read that. But if you prefer to keep the magic alive my vague answer would be wire, nylon cord and then photoshop 😉
Oh gosh yes, yes yes. The balance between total fatalism (me a few weeks ago) and hustling to being on the verge of a burnout (me last year). It’s an elusive balancing act. Let’s make a pact. If you figure out how that all works you tell me and if I figure it out I’ll tell you. Double the chance to win so to say ;-P
Love that idea of trusting the universe. As an avid over-thinker myself, I can definitely relate.
Those butterflies. HOW!!! I am blown away.
I wish we had a button to switch off the over-thinking. That would be so handy!
THANK YOU 🙂 The magic of photoshop with the assistance of some wire and nylon cord!
I just started working out again after being super inconsistent about it for far too long. I forgot how good it feels after a really sweat workout, definitely making my days better!
I 100% agree. Though it’s definitely hard to always keep that in mind when you feel like being run over by a truck after a workout like I do today 😉
lol- for real. I can’t even bend down today my butt is so sore from a million squats this morning.
Hahaha same! Though it were lunges in my case 😉