2018: Complete!
2018 was a funny old year. There were some proper milestones such as buying my first property and reaching my ten year anniversary at work, big life events. Our trip to Naples in March was a real highlight too, as well as a couple of camping trips we took. But certainly in the second half of the year, I couldn't shake the feeling that life was sort of passing me by.
Doing up the flat meant that during that glorious, long hot summer we had, we were spending a lot of time indoors instead of enjoying all those outdoor leisure activities we love like cycling, walking, camping, drinking in pub gardens, etc. When we did finally get away camping on the August bank holiday, it was overcast and not very warm. I saved up a lot of my holiday allowance through those hot summer days and then found that Les' wasn't able to take any time off so I took a trip to Bulgaria with my friend that also had terrible weather. Everyone's memories of summer 2018 will be of sunshine and blue skies but I was always either in an air conditioned office or inside my flat with a paintbrush in my hand.
By December, both Les and I felt really run down. I am always a little sensitive to the shorter, darker days affecting my mood and the run down to the winter solstice and Christmas seemed particularly difficult this year. I am usually so cheerful about the festive season but I felt like I was in a daze, it all seemed to come around so quickly.
I managed to get nine days off over the break though and I'm happy to say it has restored my mood and my energy levels somewhat. I had been piling the weight back on, not running, not practising tai chi except in my class, eating too much high carb food and high sugar treats, drinking a little more alcohol than I would like, staying up too late, too often. It's winter, so to some extent you're inclined to hibernate, but it just leaves you feeling crappier when it's sustained over a few weeks. It's an awful cliche to make new year's resolutions but crossing over a new year does give you a definite point under which you can draw a line and say enough's enough, time for change.
The comforting thing is that I've done it all before so I've no worries about achieving this goal. I will get my good habits and with them, my good mood back. I am already starting to plan trips and we have tickets for Shambala in August so there are things to look forward to.
Hope that everyone reading this has a happy and peaceful new year :)
Doing up the flat meant that during that glorious, long hot summer we had, we were spending a lot of time indoors instead of enjoying all those outdoor leisure activities we love like cycling, walking, camping, drinking in pub gardens, etc. When we did finally get away camping on the August bank holiday, it was overcast and not very warm. I saved up a lot of my holiday allowance through those hot summer days and then found that Les' wasn't able to take any time off so I took a trip to Bulgaria with my friend that also had terrible weather. Everyone's memories of summer 2018 will be of sunshine and blue skies but I was always either in an air conditioned office or inside my flat with a paintbrush in my hand.
By December, both Les and I felt really run down. I am always a little sensitive to the shorter, darker days affecting my mood and the run down to the winter solstice and Christmas seemed particularly difficult this year. I am usually so cheerful about the festive season but I felt like I was in a daze, it all seemed to come around so quickly.
I managed to get nine days off over the break though and I'm happy to say it has restored my mood and my energy levels somewhat. I had been piling the weight back on, not running, not practising tai chi except in my class, eating too much high carb food and high sugar treats, drinking a little more alcohol than I would like, staying up too late, too often. It's winter, so to some extent you're inclined to hibernate, but it just leaves you feeling crappier when it's sustained over a few weeks. It's an awful cliche to make new year's resolutions but crossing over a new year does give you a definite point under which you can draw a line and say enough's enough, time for change.
The comforting thing is that I've done it all before so I've no worries about achieving this goal. I will get my good habits and with them, my good mood back. I am already starting to plan trips and we have tickets for Shambala in August so there are things to look forward to.
Hope that everyone reading this has a happy and peaceful new year :)