February has arrived – praise be. Firstly, apologies for my hiatus on here. I know you may sit, breath held, refreshing the webpage, fingers crossed, hoping for another thrilling insight into the world of annie & emily. But truth be told, January was as every January has ever been – fairly quiet. If I were to be reincarnated one day, it would certainly be as an animal that hibernates through the winter, what a win. Anyway, Mum’s birthday was a week after New Year, and it was wonderful to finally be able to celebrate with her (prev. years have been cancelled due to lockdowns). She had a great time, well and truly deserved for an abso babe.
So, I was wondering what I could talk to you about. Other than the delightful number of chocolate boxes procured from the Ocado Christmas sale, there hasn’t been much to update you on. One month in to 2022 and it’s feeling like a budget-level sequel to years gone by. We could all list the myriad of things that have our anxiety levels edging us ever closer to a full breakdown – from rising inflation & energy bills to the possibility of having to learn Russian to appease our new Emperor, all whilst Bozza calls around his friends to see who still likes him. I can’t help but feel he’s on the verge of having a Gretchen Wieners style breakdown (see Mean Girls for reference), screaming at Dominic Cummings for not letting him wear the silver hoops he got for his Bah mitzvah.
But I digress, I won’t allow Boz to ruin this blog as he has done with the entire country. I usually find January drab – Christmas spirit was thrown out with the last of the sprouts & the weather is cold, dark, and almost apocalyptic at times. So, to counteract this, I’ve decided to chat to you about three things that have brought me joy in what we all know to be the worst month of the year, January.
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My friends seem to be having mid-life crises
Ok, this may not seem like a positive thing, but it really is. I don’t know if it’s something to do with turning 30 that makes you realise that you want more from life, or perhaps the pandemic has helped to give some perspective to the old ‘work-life balance’ debate. But so many people seem to be prioritising their happiness and I am living for it.
I know that some of you may laugh, “this isn’t a mid-life crisis” and perhaps you’re right, but there’s something about turning 30 that made me nervous. I’d spent my 20’s desperately working to try and make some (very small amount of) money, thriving on the feeling of ‘adulting’. But those last 10 years seem to have flown by & I reckon that for some people, myself included, an impending milestone helps you realise that what you’ve been doing no longer serves its purpose.
Recently, one of my best friends had her Passing Out Parade with the Met Police. My other friend applied to university to retrain and pursue their dream of being a pilot. Another quit their job to pursue a career in skincare & dermatology. And another left their job to join a new start-up on a local farm, growing fruit and veg for the cafes in the local village.
It’s difficult to put into words how unbelievably proud I am of each of these friends. One of the most difficult things about making such a big change is recognising that it’s essential for your own wellbeing and satisfaction. The courage it takes to step out of your comfort zone and start again isn’t something that should be disregarded, and to each of my friends – well done, I’ll forever be proud of you.
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I made no New Year’s Resolutions
Congratulations to me – I made it through January without breaking any of my resolutions. How did it take me so long to realise that it’s much easier to stick to resolutions if you don’t make them? If they’re the kind of thing that get you going, the kickstart you need to make the changes that you actually want (rather than what a PT tells you you need on Instagram) – then by all means, crack on.
But for most of us, ergh, really? I enjoy chocolate, I don’t want to cut down on my cheese intake, I like a spiced rum every now and then, meat is delicious, and I don’t want to train for a half marathon or be able to squat 100kg.
Life is so stressful (see intro above). Be happy and do good, that’s all that anyone really wants for the people they care about.
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Dougal
For those of you who don’t know Dougal – allow me to introduce you. My wonderful 10-month-old Cavapoochon – no agenda, no conspiracy, the perfect companion who just wants to be with you and snuggle. I must admit that the walks are much nicer in the summer, but he’s the perfect buddy to make sure that I leave the house, get some fresh air, and walk 5km around the same two parks every day.
I know it’s not that easy, not everyone is in the position to have a doggy. But if you ever need cuddles, just holla – he’s an absolute tart for attention and he doesn’t mind where it comes from.
So that’s it – it’s not a huge amount but I think it’s a pretty good start to 2022. There’s so much going on that originally, my plan was to come on here & just whinge about the many things that seem completely ridiculous at the moment. But there’s no point in that, other than to make myself feel a little better for a couple of minutes.
I hope you’ve all had a good start to the year. It’s already February - brighter days are ahead.
Be happy, do good, stay safe,
Maz x
Photo Credit to Robert Anderson, Ross Findon & Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash
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