Week #18 | The Highlights

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 Hey friend, how has life treated you this past week? The sun was out for more than 24 hours and I actually got to soak it up, so everything was looking up for me! I’m introducing a weekly highlight reel on this substack. Partly because I haven’t been writing as much as I would’ve liked, but also because I think it’s a lovely way of keeping memories outside of the daily journal I keep.


Life

This was by far the nicest week I’ve had in a while! I had to work 4 days, but really got to enjoy the beautiful sunshine we’ve had this entire week. I’ve even just come off a shift where I got to experience a Turkish wedding party picking up the bride. It always sounds like the biggest party whenever they’ve got a wedding going.

You know how people say that around 25, there’s a specific and important part of your brain that starts developing? I feel like I’m really hitting that stage. I feel content in life right now, but I also want to completely uproot everything and change life as I know it.

Health

(this was actually last week, but I’m too happy not to share it)

As of the 24th, I am officially in remission!
Now this might not really mean a lot to you if you don’t know me, so allow me. Since 2021 I’ve been struggling with Crohn’s disease and the medicative circus surrounding the chronic illness. But it looks like we’ve finally found something that actually works for me! None of my tested values have been this low since I started getting treatment, so there was me, dancing and celebrating all day at work.

And while that sounds wonderfully positive, I feel as though I’ve been neglecting my health as well. I should’ve gone to my practitioner’s for one or two small things earlier in April, but I refused because… well, I just didn’t fancy sitting at the doctor’s office AGAIN. This week though, we’re putting on our big girl pants and book an appointment.

Also, this past Monday we’ve started strength training at my physical therapy group, and I’m loving this high-intensity, more challenging way of working out. Come October (when the group ends), I’m gonna be in the best shape of my life!

Reading

It’s been a bit slow in the reading department, but I’ve been working my way through two books at the moment:

  • Falling Hard for the Royal Guard - Megan Clawson

    It’s corny, it’s cheesy and the writing isn’t the best, but it’s wonderfully entertaining. I think I may be enjoying all the little tidbits about the Tower of London more than I am enjoying the romance… oops.

  • The Book that Wouldn’t Burn - Mark Lawrence

    This is a buddy read with a friend and old-colleague of mine and I have to say, I’m really enjoying this one so far! I’m really on a fantasy kick and this one is scratching all the right spots in my brain right now.

Movies/Series

I love watching shows and movies in the background when I’m cooking. It’s very calming to have something playing while I’m trying to rustle up dinner or create a new recipe. This week I’ve really been focused on guilty pleasures.

  • Bob’s Burgers: the movie (a true guilty pleasure and one I rewatch pretty much biweekly)

  • Tarzan

  • The Book Thief (the fourth of May is Remembrance day and I wanted to embrace the spirit by watching a truly heartwrenching movie)

  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

  • Beauty and the Beast

  • Star Wars IV & V

  • The Proposal

  • Supernatural S3

  • Bones S4

Honorable mentions

I made gyoza! I’m currently house-sitting for some relatives and I’ve decided to make cooking a new habit. Whenever I have the time and energy, I try a new recipe from one of my cookbooks or one of the many, many magazines, Pinterest Pins or Tiktok video’s I have saved. Yesterday, I made gyoza and I’m damn proud of the way they turned out! In my enthousiasm I’d made waaaayyy to much filling, so now I have potstickers for days!

I’ve been looking into booking a holiday abroad now that I’ve been cleared for take-off lol, but I’ve got my confirmation quite late, so everything is CRAZY expensive now. Maybe I’ll stick around the country for another summer and book something for the Fall…. Who knows, but I do know I want to leave the country at some point this year.


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