HTMW Recaps: May 2019
I normally add a quote to the beginning of each post that sums up or enhances my writing. However, I’m going to use my monthly recaps as an opportunity to sum up the month – be it the mood, the weather, my feelings… Anything really. Following on from April’s recap, where I said I’d been feeling down recently, I’ve upped my game to try and spend more time in nature and with animals to help improve my mental well being. I firmly believe that professional support provides guidance and provides tools to help cope with bad mental health when you’re feeling its ill effects. However, I also think you that getting outside and spending time with animals are two quick and sure fire ways to help improve mental well being if you need a boost!
‘There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.’ – Henry David Thoreau.
In January 2017, I announced I was going to start monthly recaps on my blog. If you missed last month’s recap, you can find it here.
May felt busy.
Work was pretty hectic, but there was also a LOT of drinking that occurred throughout the month and a distinct lack of sleep. I’ve come into June feeling tired. I’m too old for burning the candle at both ends these days!
I’ve also been continuing the work I started to improve my mood and outlook on life. I mentioned in my April recap that I’ve not been properly happy for a little while, and there’s lots I need to do to improve that. However, things are underway and I’m feeling positive. Keep your fingers crossed I improve slowly over the next few months with professional help and that my anxiety / lack of self-confidence / general shit slowly gets under control.
The Highlights
I started horse riding again after years out of the saddle!
This was something I really wanted to start again, as I felt it would help improve my self-confidence and spending time with animals always improves my mood! I’ve ridden on and off now since I was five years old and getting back in the saddle felt pretty awesome. I’d forgotten how many muscles you use! I’m starting with schooling and I’ve had two lessons so far, both of which have exhausted me! I hope to try and have lessons at least twice a month going forwards. Hopefully, I’ll continue riding Harvey, the horse I’ve had both lessons on so far and we can build an epic partnership together… Watch this space! Needless to say, it’s been amazing to start riding again. My smile is a mile wide when I’m riding Harvey!
Walking from Hever to Leigh.
Another of my initiatives to promote good mental well being is to walk more. As such, E and I have been trying to escape the city at least once every six weeks and spend a day hiking in the countryside somewhere around London. This was our second hike, and a thoroughly enjoyable one it was too! We strolled past three castles, enjoyed the beautiful Kent countryside in May and spent an hour exploring the National Trust village of Chiddingstone, which is as picturesque as it sounds! I always return to London after our walks feeling relaxed and happy, so they’re something I aim to keep up in the future! Our next one is in a couple of weeks time.
A night away in Birmingham visiting J.
Since J left London, I’d not been to visit her in Birmingham, so was happy to take the time out to travel down one sunny Saturday and spend a night with her. We had a chilled evening out in the Digbeth area of the city. I ate THE best bao and salt & pepper fries at the Digbeth Dining Club. Honestly, so delicious. Afterwards, we had a drink at the Dig Brew Co. and rounded off our night at a cool little pub with walls full of old computer motherboards and screens showing video games. The next day, we hiked in Clent Hills Country Park, with glorious views towards Shropshire and the surrounding area. It was a lovely weekend and great to spend so much quality time with J!
Day drinks with A, O and G.
We planned a day together a while back, and settled on a day of drinking at the Wetherspoons in Camden. It turned out to be a really fun day, with lots of laughter. My favourite part (aside from catching up with my friends)? The fact you can order drinks to your table using an app at Wetherspoons, so we basically didn’t need to move unless we needed the toilet. Winning!
Round Two at the Gherkin, and another burger…
Mum came to spend a weekend with me towards the end of the month. I planned a surprise trip up the Gherkin for her first evening in the city, which we both thoroughly enjoyed! The vibe was a little different to the previous time I visited, with more of a Friday feel, but the drinks were just as good and the service was better second time around! We managed to snag a table facing north which I loved (looking towards my house!) and had a good long chat over a couple of drinks each. Afterwards we went, yep, you guessed it, to Honest Burger… You can’t beat a Beyond Meat burger post-Gherkin! It’s official!
A quiet week in Wales.
As part of my ongoing self-care, I may be spending a bit more time back in the home country this year. My work kindly let me work from Wales from time to time, and this was one of those occasions. It was blissful to be surrounded by nothing but silence and peace and enjoy Wales in the late spring time, one of my favourite times of year. I can’t wait until I next head back, later in the summer.
The Lowlights
I lost my New Zealand green stone!
I think I held it together pretty well when I realised that my beloved piece of green stone had somehow disappeared from around my neck without me noticing, but I was (still am) pretty devastated. J bought my green stone for me while we were both living in New Zealand and we gifted pieces to each other. It had special sentimentality and my necklace of trinkets doesn’t feel quite the same without its comforting weight and coolness against my skin.
Mum has promised to buy me another piece when we return to NZ in a couple of years time, which will be a beautiful replacement I am sure. I am also somewhat comforted a little by a tale told to me while I lived in New Zealand. Apparently, if you lose your green stone, Maori stories suggest that this means it has done its work with you and is moving onto another individual. It’s a nice sentiment, but still didn’t quite take the sting out of the loss.
Too many leaving drinks at work this month!
So many of my friends are leaving work! It’s sad, and has been particularly hard this month with both G’s moving onto new roles. However, I know that some of the people leaving will remain friends and in the case of my G’s, we’ll remain besties!
The death of relatives.
I have two Great Uncle Tommy’s (one on each side of the family) and both sadly passed away this month, on the same day! It’s tough when family members are lost, but both lived good, long lives. I was glad I was in Wales so that my parents could attend the funeral of my Irish Uncle Tommy, which happened two days after his death. It will be strange returning to Allihies in the future without him being there. He was part of the soul of the village. In honour of him, and his brother Willie, I’ll re-share my story from the time when I attended Willie’s funeral in 2014. You can read it here.
Some bad sleeping.
Bad beds, loud noises, too hot, lots of tossing and turning, late nights… All the reasons to not sleep well this month. I’ve become a tired mess! June will be for recovering…
Posts This Month
HTMW Trips in 2019
A round up of all the trips I have planned this year, including a weekend in Munich, some time spent in Austria (my 28th country!), a holiday in Jordan and nearly two weeks in Uzbekistan towards the end of the year… 2019 is a big year for travel! Read the post here.
What I Read This Month – May
All This I Will Give To You by Dolores Redondo.
The second of the nine free books I downloaded on World Book Day, as gifted by Amazon. In this case, the book was originally written in Spanish and is set in rural Spain. As with The House by the River (as read in April), it is not my usual kind of book, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it!
It’s a bit of a murder mystery, who-dunnit, crime book. The main character, Manual, loses his husband in a supposed road traffic accident, but everything is not as it first appears on the surface. As Manual begins to dig deeper into the mysteries surrounding his husband’s death, a litany of destruction, abuse and historical family drama rises up.
The author keeps us guessing well throughout the book as to who the culprit was that killed Manual’s husband. As the mystery unravels, the novel also explores character development and the feelings one experiences during grief. It’s not entirely and not always focused on the crimes that have been committed. Friendships blossom. Enemies show their faces. It’s a well written and well executed novel.
This book was longer than I imagined, and I read less this month, so I only read this book. However, I would recommend it, especially if you have a longer holiday you’re going on, or a period of time where you’ll be offline and want a distraction.
Instagram Pictures of the Month
My photos this month are from London, Wales, Birmingham and there is one throwback shot from New Zealand.
I choose these three images based on which got the most likes on Instagram and then tell the story behind the picture. Disclaimer: They are not necessarily my favourite photos!
Blue, Green, Gold – Rob Roy Track, New Zealand.
In all honesty, I don’t remember taking this photo. I was scrolling back through my iPhone shots at the beginning of the month and found this sitting innocently among the photos of mountains and lakes. I loved the light, the colour play, and decided to post it. Maybe it was the caption I posted it with, or perhaps people loved the unusual quality of the image like I did, but it garnered 75 likes on Instagram! Widely popular, but my usual standards…
Serenity in Camden – Camden Lock, London.
G and I took ten minutes for her to smoke a cigarette. It was dusk. The normally bustling Camden Lock was quiet, calm, almost serene. Before I even realised, G had snapped this photo of me gazing out across the flat, unwrinkled water. Although I don’t normally post photos of myself on Instagram, I liked this too much to stick to my normal rules. It’s proof that even the busiest parts of London can be peaceful sometimes, even if only for a moment.
An Eagle in the Sky – Powys, Mid Wales.
‘I immediately saw an eagle’s face in the clouds!’
I scrolled back to the image and looked again. E was right, the head, hooked beak and eye of an eagle could clearly be seen in the clouds. It was pure chance, of course. Until she commented, I didn’t see the eagle at all, not even while I was taking the photo. It was just an image of home, my place of refuge. The eagle was an added dimension, an extra bonus.
My Favourite Image: May 2019.
For 2019, I’ve introduced something new. I’m now adding my personal favourite image of the month in these recap posts. This means that you’ll now get to find out even more about my life in London or my travels!
Bluebells in the Wood – Hever, Kent.
This is not my favourite photo of the month in terms of content, but I like the day that it reminds me of and what it depicts. Long walks in nature, escaping London and exploring some of the beautiful English countryside at a lovely time of year.
Coming Up in June
I begin the month rounding up my trip in Wales. I’ll be back in London for a week and then it’s time to hit up my 28th new country – Austria!
I’ve been dreaming of visiting Austria for years, and literally cannot wait for this trip. First up I’ll be exploring beautiful grand Vienna. I’m indulging my love of train travel and taking a ride to Innsbruck for two nights, where I intend to let me inner Sound of Music out and sing from the tops of all the mountains… In all seriousness, Innsbruck has been on my wish list forever, so I’m incredibly excited to go! And then back to Vienna for a final night before home…
I’ll also be horse riding some more, climbing the O2 (!!), getting out of London for a day hiking somewhere with E and generally enjoying spending some time back in the big smoke!
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