After an unexpected hiatus, I’m back and roaring to go! Slightly annoyed with myself for allowing this to happen of course, but to be completely honest, the last months got the better of me. As a result, I haven’t felt ready to share much of anything, which brings us to this more-than-fashionably-late post. 2018 recap.
Looking back, 2018 has been a series of new experiences, change and personal development. The year started off with a lot of self-doubt and ended with unforeseen opportunities and challenges. Not to mention the quarter-century crisis-bang-cut, which I’m not yet regretting!
Getting to Know Berlin
Over the course of last year, I finally felt ready to take advantage of the city and all it has to offer. Big or small, there are so many things that make Berlin so special. Still haven’t warmed up to the club scene (mostly because I can’t be asked to go out after 11 pm), but there’s always more to look forward to, right?
I’ve come to see Berlin as a network of small self-sufficient pockets of life. You can live within your own bubble and never need to venture to the other side of the ring-Bahn. With that in mind, last year was all about getting out there and connecting the dots, or rather the kiez. It’s truly been a blast to think “Ah ha! This is where this street leads to!”. As a result, I can now somewhat suggest interesting things to do and see in this city.
Taking Breaks
I don’t think I fully grasped how incredibly lucky I am in regards to vacation days until the subject came up with my Canadian friends over a bowl of spicy Thai soup. In the grand scheme of things, 25 days a year isn’t that much. It was enough, however, to allow for a few exciting city breaks and some time to slow down and decompress (and do some baking).
Be it for an entire week, or just a day here and there, I really appreciated being able to take a step back from the everyday routine and treat myself to some much needed R&R.
Learning About my Skin
Along the lines of the last point, over 2018 I took more time to be kind to my skin. After getting completely hooked to the Emma Guns Show, where the likes of Nadine Baggott and Caroline Hirons share their wisdom of all things skincare, I’ve become more confident in knowing what I should actually be putting on my face.
My skin is usually quite parched and sensitive so having a better idea of possible irritants has been game-changing. A few standout discoveries this year have been the Eucerin Urea Repair face cream* and Uriage’s Micellaire Thermal Water*. Both have made their way into my daily routine and I couldn’t be happier about it. Gentile and unscented, they provide my skin with what it craves, without irritating it or clogging my pores.
* These items were kindly sent to me by the team at Newpharma.
Rediscovering Movement
For a little while, I lost touch with exercise/movement as a whole, forgetting just how much it contributed to making me feel calm and at ease. I started trying out new activities near the end of the year and it’s been great!
At first, it was a little daunting but soon enough, I let loose and surprised myself with how far I could actually push my limits. No matter the class or the workout, the end of every session left me clear-headed, proud and strong.
I definitely want to pursue this in the year to come. The problem remaining is that there are now too many classes and not enough days!
And just like that we made it through another post and another year! 2018 was a complete whirlwind to say the least and I still can’t quite wrap my head around it. Can’t wait to see what the rest of this year will bring…peaches? 2018 recap.