So, I thought I had decided that Sundays would be my blog day, but I felt a bit stuck. Although everything I’m doing is still fun and exciting, this life is starting to feel more normal, so I found it hard to pick up and write this week. It’s just not as new anymore, and I wasn’t sure what to write. However, I wanted this to be a natural diary or journal, so here’s a bit of a weekly recap. My Instagram, @btscally, will show the past week in pictures, so please follow along there!
This past week (and a half), I’ve felt a little homesick. I’ve started voice-noting instead of messaging my Auntie Ju. Even though it’s been less than two months, I burst into tears hearing her voice (cue crying pic on Instagram for reference, lol). But that was my only tearful moment this week! It wouldn’t be a proper week without a little wholesome cry. I’m trying to voice note people more since I want to be more present and spend less time on my phone; voice notes are a quicker way for me to share everything!
I’ve also been hard on myself about what I’m eating—for both health and financial reasons. My savings are going down, and I’ve spent so much on food, I’ve had to try lots though right?! I’ve enjoyed myself thoroughly, but the guilt has started to creep up. Having lost a lot of weight in 2023, it’s hard and a bit triggering to see some weight come back. I’ve been looking through old photos (you may have seen this on my Insta) to remind myself of how far I’ve come. If that version of me could get here, imagine what this version can do!
After offloading to Clare, she suggested I have a goal to work toward to get back into a routine, and something in me clicked. I’ve dabbled in running, but now I’ve decided to sign up for a long run. There’s one here in May, so I’m going to push myself to run regularly (in a healthy way) and decide on the distance closer to the time. Thanks Clare!
This has shown me just how important routine is. I’ve always known I don’t function well without structure, but this confirmed it. Since I’m not working much, making sure I get up and out, get fresh air, stay active, drink water, avoid overeating, practice gratitude, and take care of myself every day is crucial. I always forget how much exercise helps my mental health—when I’m in a low moment, I never want to work out, but once I do, it’s like magic.
I’ve gotten back into my art a little bit and plan to continue, after visiting an art gallery, I felt excited about creating again. I’d absolutely love to find a way to monetize my art to help support myself while I’m not working many hours at the bar, but that’s something I need to work on and build my confidence in.
Work has been going well. I’ve only done two shifts so far, and while I hate going into a new place not knowing how everything works, it’s slowly starting to make sense. I’ve managed to pick things up quickly thanks to my hospitality experience, though some things are done differently in Canada. I had to get a “Serving It Right” certificate, and here, customers can’t order two drinks alcoholic drinks for themselves at once, the drinking age is 19, and each table has individual tabs, so I need to track who orders what to keep things easy when they pay separately (which I actually love!). And then there’s the accent difference—words like “water,” “tomato,” and “fries” instead of “chips.” Apparently, I sound posh..
Over the past week, I went to see Lola Young, which was amazing! I also went for what was meant to be alittle morning walk, got a bit lost, it ended up nearly 12k, and tried an “Irish Chinese,” which just ended up being a regular salt-and-pepper Chinese food box like we have back home. I had some Asian-flavored Walkers, which were my favorite crisps ever! We cheered on my new friend Ellie as she finished her half marathon with our newly created girl gang, and then we went for fish and chips. The fish and chips were nice, but not the same as back home, and their curry sauce, I’m not sure what their thinking to be honest with you, it tasted more like a madras! I had a roast beef with Ryan and Rachel (it didn’t take me long to crave a roast), FaceTimed my nan (she tells me about the week’s antics and then she’s done, a total of maximum 10 minutes I’d say, but I love it!). I’ve turned into the house “onion person” as i have pre-cooked some meals for myself, felt like a massive hypercrite hah, and i have got back into a gym routine!
I’m absolutely mesmerized by my curly hair and how much curlier it’s gotten since I’ve started embracing it. I bought a hot brush for a different style, but now I think I actually prefer it curly. It feels so flat to my head when it’s straight now, haha. Rigatoni definitely loves his Auntie Cally! He gets all the attention, which he loves, and all the hugs, which he hates.
I’ve been doing a lot of internal work on myself and focusing on my mind, body, and soul, and it’s made me feel overwhelmingly close to my nan. I almost feel like I can sense her presence here with me, which is so comforting.
That’s it for my updates! Maybe I’ll be back on Sunday, or the following Sunday, or whenever—I’m not sure yet!
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