I looked at my calendar this morning and noticed that I have a nail appointment this Sunday - an appointment I'd booked the last time I got my nails done which was exactly four weeks before March 3. And because the dates fall on the same days of the week in both February and March, I suddenly remembered what happened on Feb 3, the day of this previous appointment.
It was the date on which Shane's parents had landed in Edinburgh and it was soon after they'd settled down that I left to get my nails done. When I shared this interesting tidbit with Shane, his immediate response was, "Holy shit, it took us a whole month to get our lives back in order?", to which I said, "you mean, barely get our lives back in order?".
Because there are still heaps of laundry to be folded, clothes to be donated, kitchen drawers to be organised and general home admin to be tended to. And don't get me wrong, Shane's parents were not the whirlwind that shook up our lives. If anything, they brought us comfort in the form of food we craved but never bothered to cook for ourselves. No, our whirlwind started sometime towards the end of January and went on until last week (read the previous blog for all the gory details). In fact, it might still be going on considering all the chores I just listed above. I must have just gotten used to it.
It honestly feels like we both got back from our holiday in Europe on New Year's Day and blinked once. Just once, and we were magically transported to March 2019. If this is the speed at which this year is going to pass us by, then no one better say a word the next time I'm asked my age and I say twenty-five.
With all of that said, I would still be lying if I tried to claim that this "whirlwind" was nothing but terrible. There were terrible moments, yes, but the good, as always, outweighed the bad. And since I have rambled on for one and a half blog posts about more bad than good things, allow me to draw up a list of things that truly made me happy/proud this year:
Mental health first: One of the first things I did this year was to put my mental health above all else - my ego, fears, false emotional investments, and in some cases, people. I took active steps to embrace people and circumstances that bring me joy and to eradicate those that suck the life out of me.
General health: Ever since the flu, I have been drinking a minimum of 750 ml of water per day, religiously consuming multi-vitamins, increasing my vitamin C intake in particular by having 1-2 clementines and 1 cup of warm lemon and honey water every morning, having healthy and nourishing soup for lunch on most working days, and cutting back on caffeine and alcohol intake in general. I have also been exercising twice a week and just this week, I got back into the habit of crushing that 10,000 step goal on my Fitbit. I feel good from within :)
Creativity: I have completed a creative project that I started working on in November 2017. Other people are currently doing some work on it after which I'll have to go back and work on it some more. One day hopefully in the near future, I'll be able to share it with you. I'm also happy that I'm writing every day now. I wake up early without any fuss because I'm excited to write. This has been working out so well for me that I might just become a morning person! There's a sentence I never thought I'd write.
Self-care: There have been many a bath drawn with relaxing essential oils and a nice movie playing in the background. I have read eleven books so far this year and am currently reading two. I'm continuing last year's new year resolution of getting my nails done professionally as it makes me feel very put together. I got my hair done at my favourite salon just yesterday and cannot stop smiling every time I pass a reflective surface. Next on the list: my first ever massage which I'll be getting in March.
Self-esteem: For someone who has struggled with this for a major chunk of her life, even acknowledging that I'm more confident now is a big step. I'm thriving at work to the extent that I'm super excited to be given more responsibilities and having to deal with challenging situations. I've learned to control my stress levels and not many things make my heart rate go up (in a bad way) these days. A gratifying thing that happened just this week was when a complete stranger walked up to me and said that I appear to be a very confident person. I guess if I appear to be that way, I might just be getting there step by step. I'm also now satisfied with my level of financial independence wherein for the first time in my life, after putting away a satisfactory sum into my savings, I'm able to treat my loved ones to experiences and things they deserve. I never thought something like this would contribute to my self-esteem but boy, does it make a difference!
And on that positive note, I'd like to bring this braindump to an end.
Do share your list of proud accomplishments so far this year in the comments below!