Woo! First monthly update of 2016! High five! (Or not, whatever.)
I have not started this month off with a bang. The most I’ve really done is reflect, book a couple of things, like flights to a wedding of my boyfriend’s friend in Philadelphia in April and some trips which I go into further down in this post.
So I guess I’ve done a few things… but my point is, I suppose, that it’s nothing that has physically taken me much further than getting my purse from the kitchen counter.
But, it’s ok – I’m not as… glum and unmotivated as I have been the last few months of 2015. This usually comes naturally to me at the end of the year and at the beginning of the new one, I’m planning ahead and putting into action what I’ve been reflecting on. (Refer to my post on my year in 2015 and 2016 goals.)
So, without blabbering on too much and go into how my muscles ache from trying out Kayla Itsines workouts, here’s my monthly update for January…
Where I’ve Been:
Apart from skiing in Vermont the first two days of January, I’ve solely been living it up (ha) in Toronto.
Highlights of the Month:
Booking trips!
This seems like I’m scrambling for things, but there’s honestly something that comes from booking holidays that is so exciting and breathes a new energy into me.
I’m going to go back to London! Eeeeeee! I cannot wait to see my family and friends and cats! It will have been 8 months since I’d have seen them or been home, which is the longest I’ve gone without seeing my family.
I’m also – for the first time ever – going to have a sunny, warm birthday! In November it’s usually getting colder and/or raining, so I’m really excited to go properly away for the first time to the Bahamas! We’re not doing touristy Bahamas like Nassau or Atlantis (neither appealed to me at all) – we’ll be going to the Exumas, which will be a lot more secluded. It’s also where the swimming pigs are, so no further explanation is really needed.
Skiing
It was very cold, pretty windy and shockingly crowded (this isn’t actually shocking, it was New Year’s Day which sat on a Friday, but it still aggravated me) but I love skiing. Every time I go, it feels incredible and like I’m at home in some way.
Meeting people
This month was a bit better socially – I’ve said in a previous monthly update that it’s very hard to make friends when you’re just working abroad (as opposed to studying abroad) and we definitely have to make a bigger effort. This month, it was really nice to finally meet up with some travel bloggers at a Travel Massive event in Toronto. I’m looking forward to going to more, and I’ve started to get a bit more motivated to put myself out there.
Lowlights of the Month:
Not going anywhere
This makes sense since I get itchy feet all the time. But even within Toronto, we really haven’t done much. I think December was so jam-packed, and I was ill over that time too, that I really just wanted to be lazy this month. The weather here is also a huge factor: all I want to do is sit inside in the warmth with a hot chocolate and watch TV. Seeing as it’s actually scientifically proven that you get more blue in the winter months, I’m going to go ahead and blame it on that too. Bring on spring!
Most Popular Instagram:
My Instagram Pick:
What I’ve Been Writing:
I was going to say I’ve been lazy, and although I could have done better, I’ve actually not been that bad… let’s hope I improve on this next month!
First Christmas Away from Home: How Was It?
When You Can’t Let Go of a Place…
What I’ve Been Reading:
I’m SO happy about how I’ve tackled this one I’m actually writing this section of the monthly update first. I recently discovered Evernote and how I can save articles I read on my work computer, on my laptop and on my phone and save them all in a folder. How simply genius is that?! It now means I can keep track of the blogs and articles I’ve loved around the web and share them here, which was the original plan for this section.
Here’s what has hit a chord with me this month:
New Friendship is the Last Great Romance – On Being
The Things that Made Me Me – Travels of Adam
The Refugee Crisis: Why Come to the Calais Camps? – Flora the Explorer
Two Years of Blogging: Taking Stock – Mochilera Diaries
5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Take a Year Abroad during University – The Well-Travelled Postcard
I’m also reading Tina Fey’s Bossypants. I figured after loving Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, I’d give this a go. It’s making me chuckle so far and it’s interesting to compare Amy and Tina’s little nuggets about life, from the meaningful advice and opinions to the hilarious stories.
What’s Next?
Myself and my boyfriend are hastily trying to put something together for March, a trip we’ve wanted to do for a while, but I’m not going to jinx it… If all goes well, we’ll have this sorted soon into February.
Otherwise, we’re exploring more of Toronto, especially its food scene. AND, we’re going dogsledding! I’m really excited as this is a big Canadian bucket list item and it’s such a relief to know I can do this close to home within our province. Thank you to The Planet D’s blog post for introducing me to Winterdance Dogsled Tours and the possibility of doing this awesome activity in Ontario.
