In The Pauses.

Firstly, thank you all so much for your kind words on my little secret reveal. It has been so wonderful to read your words of encouragement, excitement and pure happiness towards this new chapter of my life! Everything still feels a bit… well new and I’m getting to grips with trying to balance everything in my life right now without getting burnt out, so today’s post is quite apt for this particularly busy Monday afternoon. My free time is fleeting at current, with my hours divided between my career, voluntary work, church life and (trying – and failing to have) a social life. The little time I do have in between is used to simply chill out, and more often than not, I swap the social aspect of my day to day life for what I lovingly refer to as my self-care sessions.  With winter in full flux (hello snow showers!), I’ve noticed that as a collective we entered February a little blue. The enthusiasm that thrust us into the new year with vigour and determination has somewhat evaporated, leaving us feeling a lot like cups that are half empty, rather than half full. As it’s winter, a lot of the time I don’t really want to leave my house during these precious moments of ephemeral lull, but this means I more often than not, will have to find fresh ways to keep inspired and happy during the colder months when like a bear, I hibernate (sorry to my irl friends but it is far too chilly!).

I’ve pledged to read a minimum of twenty books on Goodreads this year. I’m currently on book four (i think) which is the Life Of Pi (I’m struggling with the overly descriptive portions – But ploughing through nonetheless because I refuse to not finish it. Reading for me is both educational and an act of self-indulgence. In reading I learn to become a better writer; it forces me to think of the plot, explore metaphors and play with words I’ve never come across before. In reading, I’m transported to new realms, in my current case, I’m amidst fragrant trees and zoo animals in Pondicherry, a few chapters later and I can hear the Pacific ocean roaring in my ears, I can almost taste the salty sea water and I can feel the warmth of the sunset as my eyes follow Yann Martells words across pages. A lot of my free time is spent reading, certainly on my commute or on lazy weekends where I sit cross-legged in bed with a mug of coffee… Speaking of coffee..

There is a special sort of joy that is derived from the mundane moments in life. Really feeling the warmth of your duvet as it encases you on a chilly morning, the plink-plonking of raindrops across your window on a dull grey day, the smell of coffee wafting through the house whilst Billie Holiday’s voice plays softly in the background. Absolute bliss. Sometimes my self-care consists of nothing more than… well, doing nothing. Just sitting in peace with a quiet coffee, (lately, I’ve been enjoying Beanies premium roast or their flavoured instant coffee and for tea, I am in love with Jing’s Bohea Lapsang tea – deliciously smoky. Thanks, Sally!). These little hot drink rituals warm up both my cold fingers and somehow my soul, I think the simple act of just being, not rushing and just enjoying whatever I’m feeling in the moment is something I am really enjoying. Sometimes it’s nice to slow down, especially after a week of battling people on the tube for a seat (the Jubilee line at West Hampstead is comparable to The Hunger Games).

I’ve been fairly absent on social media since my trip to Nigeria in December. I’m not sure if it is social media overload, or just being exceptionally busy but I’ve become slightly detached from my phone, a blessing rather than a curse I suppose, but  recently I decided to refresh my blog reading list, focusing more on writers, creators, photographers, poets, and anyone and anything that would ignite a fire of ‘YES!’ in my belly. I’ve been digging Laila’s beautiful writing, Gem’s delicious recipes, Mariell’s honest posts on motherhood and life and Annette’s moody photography. All these wonderful people (and more such as Rebecca, Chloe, Sara, Michelle) plant seeds of inspiration in my heart that bloom through my own creative pursuits.

So that’s what I’ve been doing in the fleeting moments of quiet. I’ve been reading, resting and getting inspired in this little chrysalis, but winter will soon be coming to an end and then I’ll be emerging (hopefully a rested excited little butterfly). Here’s to a lovely week, everyone

x