Crazy First Week Of February

Seems like I have an insanely mad week to look forward to, but it’s OK, because most of it will be spent with family and friends in Finland.

• Monday: work, lecture (Hungarian Text Analysis), finish assignment (Measurement Theory), gym (managed to run 6K), lunch with TT and his sister.
• Tuesday; gym (body bump), going to the city centre for lunch with TT and his grandma, also need to buy train tickets and print some papers out. Work on a psychology assignment and prepare for Hungarian oral class.
• Wednesday: school work, running, more school work. Pack the suitcase. Wohoo.
• Thursday: get up way too early to catch train for Alicante. Fly to Sweden and keep all fingers and toes crossed that we will make it to the last ferry. Try to study while stressing about trains/planes/buses/ ferries.
• Friday: work, and socialise with family. Complete an assignment. Eat lots of Finnish food and drink battery. Alternatively, sit on a ferry from Sweden to Finland and then work.
• Saturday: study + play in the snow + party with bestest Magdalena.
• Sunday: maybe try to squeeze in a trip to the swimming pool. More studying.

 

Now, work is calling!

Sunday Thoughts

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m currently reading a book called The Cowards (Zbabelci) by Czech writer Josef Skvorecky. It might possibly be one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read.

“Christ, everything in my life always gets fouled up. Always. Every goddamn time. I always have to go somewhere else when I feel like staying where I am and I’ve always got to stay when it would be wonderful to go somewhere else. Something always turned up to make things come out wrong. But that was me. Me all over. Maybe I just wasn’t made for love or for happiness, for anything. I was just made to get through life somehow or other, to live it through and observe it and be a part of it, and to… But I didn’t know why else I’d been made except I knew there must be some other reason, that I had to be made for something more than just that, like for playing the saxophone, maybe. That was the best thing I could come up with but maybe there was something else, too, something even better. There had to be”  (p. 240)

Pink Friday

Happy Weekend, Everyone! Keep your feet warm, eat responsibly and cuddle as much as you can. Make snow angels or dance in the rain. Surround yourselves with the colour of love, health and fairies. Be nice

Crêpes

Just as if three days of pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner wouldn’t be enough, we had lunch at a “crepería” (la Galette) today in the Russafa-area. For 15€ (per person) we filled ourselves with salad, crêpes, cider, coke, beer and coffee. It was delicious! (And I think it’ll take a few months before any crêpe will find its way anywhere near me again).

Sometimes I wish…

…that I had the energy to get up at 7 am every morning. The gym is a great place once you get there. Any ideas on how to achieve that level of energy?

That’s pretty much the truth of the day.

Wunderbar!

Some days it’s better to just eat (lots of) pancake and enjoy the sight of a half-naked Matt Damon on telly. (p.s. did you know that some of his ancestors were Finnish? That would so explain the babyface )

I’m sure you were expecting me to put photos of something more exciting than pancakes here. But guess what; there are days when pancakes covered in raspberry jam is the most exciting thing in a girl’s life. Those days half-naked men are quite low on the list of priorities…

ქართული საკვები [Georgian food]

One of my great findings in Moscow was the Georgian cuisine, and I have really been missing having the possibility to go to a cosy Georgian restaurant to enjoy delicious food and wine. There are no Georgian restaurants in Valencia, and none in Finland either (who’ll come with me to St.Petersburg for some Georgian delicacies?). In Manchester we found an Armenian restaurant, but nothing Georgian. Anyway, to the point. If we can’t go to the food, we have to bring the food to us. You cannot imagine the amount of exciting jumping up and down when I found this book at Fnac on Sunday. For 10€. Now I’m excitedly planning to make all my friends guinea pigs so that I can feed them Georgian food made by moi and Georgian wine bought at the nearest русский магазин.

The great thing about this book (which also has information on the Russian, Ukrainian, Azeri and Armenian cuisines) is that it’s not only full of nice recipes, but there are also lots of lovely photos.

Да!!

It seems that we sometimes create obstacles for ourselves, making some things far more difficult than they really are. For some reason we just decide that it’s impossible, and whenever we have to deal with the matter in question we suffer.  In reality those obstacles might be tiny, though.

One of my exams last term consisted of analyzing a law proposal concerning the security of vital societal functions against a certain type of threats. The task seemed never-ending: first I had to read about 250 pages written in juridical (Swedish) jargon, then try to apply supersoft decision theory to analyze and evaluate the proposition.

The topic was interesting, but it also scared me. The initial thoughts that came to my mind were “I don’t know anything about law, how will I be able to evaluate anything?” and “OMG, I’ve never written anything academic in Swedish, this is going to be a disaster”.  During the process I really started doubting my own intelligence, thinking that it might be a far better idea to start looking for a job at the local supermarket.

But guess what? I passed, and I even got a good mark. For me it really was an achievement, because I managed to prove to myself that my brain isn’t as underdeveloped as I sometimes think it is, and that I also have what it takes to analyze and estimate laws and other types of decisions. There is room for improvement (there always is) but I’m not a totally lost case.

Things we ♥ right now

Spring. It feels like spring even if it’s only January and there have been some rumours about snow on the Spanish east coast tomorrow. But. It. Feels. Like. Spring. Anyway.

You know what it feels like when that peculiar spring feeling is starting to take over your system?

No matter how uncertain life seems to be, there is a feeling of hope, of things getting better soon. Those crazy butterflies are swimming and jumping and playing in your stomach, reminding you of how wonderful life actually is. They offer you great promises of wonderful things to come, and provide you with both comfort and faith when you need them the most.

coffee, upcoming detox, endorphins, cuddling, running, the sunshine, the sore muscles in my bum, analysing decision making and problem solving, planning future trips, music, laughing with friends, colours, water, warm blankets, cold drinks, the wind in your face, good books, people watching, kisses, life.

Sometimes you need to search for those good feelings and memories, and then catch them, put them in a cage in the mind, so that they will be there whenever you need a quick happiness boost.

Soon, very soon, both TT and I will be cuddling with the world’s finest Tomi!

Treats

Cherries, fresh coriander and Swiss muesli are some of the more exciting findings of this week. A week that has been really strange, to say the least. Tonight we’ll go for dinner with some friends (to an Italian place it seems). What happens next is still a mystery waiting to unfold itself.

The Magic Bag

The other week when TT came back from France, I met him at the train station. For some reason he carried my handbag for a while, before asking me how many bricks I was carrying around on: apparently my handbag was a lot heavier than all the luggage he needed for a few days in France.

So what’s usually in that magic bag?

 

Money, two notebooks, about 100 pens (in the pencil case), sugar (instead of using it, I steal it from the coffee shops), hair bands, 2x lip balm, passport, metro ticket, book on cognitive psychology, filofax… and a laptop and a bottle/can of something to drink.

The bag: from H&M

The keys That little guy always makes me smile.

Swedish Pop Saves The Day

Killing Your Arms

Today I decided to do the P90X arms and shoulders-workout at home instead of going to the gym (the rest of the day has been spent in front of the laptop: the horrible essay is finally done!). One of the toughest (and also one of my favourites) exercises in that particular program is the side tri rise. Basically you lie on one side, while pushing yourself up with your upper hand/arm, like this:

 

Yes, it’s harder than it looks. Tomorrow I will try to kill my legs on the treadmill  

The image is borrowed!

etc - och så vidare...

"Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for."

-Dag Hammarskjöld-

Wenn man nicht schlafen kann

Was sollte man machen, wenn man nicht schlafen kann? Go me, I just wrote a sentence in German without any help. Earlier this week I solved a math problem. Am I clever or what? *

Basically it's midnight and  a coffee, one red bull and a coke later, my little brain refuses to go to sleep. So I'll just work on the deadly essay (it's so impossible it's going to get me killed, just wait and see) while you get to admire the photos of my day. Shh. It's an honour, don't you dare disagree with me.

Nice bags under the eyes. Zombieland next!

Oranges...

One of the best coffee drinks EVER: coffee, chocolate, milk and mint. Delicious!

 

* I have not solved a math problem (or formed any sentences in German for that matter) since high school, so I'm quite proud of myself. Doesn't mean I'm extremely clever, though.

Comfort Food

The best comfort food for me is something warm and soft, something that reminds me of home.

This one is a classic that instantly brightens my day: rye bread (and a little bit of butter) with lots of tomato under a thin layer of cheese. Oregano and spicy sauce on top makes it quite the culinary experience. Heat in the oven until the bread is crisp and the cheese has melted completely.

Needed…

These ones come from Sweaty Betty, and they cost £15 + delivery. With a bit of luck I’ll find a pair that is just as nice somewhere in this city.

Do not read.

Today is one of those days that should not be remembered. Not by me, anyway. My laptop number one went to computer heaven and i have been feeling like the worst creature on the planet. Yeah, thats probably not the whole truth, but please let me exaggerate in my own blog, its the only place where i can feel sorry for myself without suffering from enormous amounts of guilt. Speaking of guilt, its a feeling that should be thrown in the bin at this very instant. I feel guilty because im not happy all the time. I also feel lonely and miserable, maybe im not strong enough to walk this path? Add to that a chronical belief in never being good enough. Should i throw away my dreams and just live like everyone else? I feel guilty for disturbing people with my worries, they have enough of their own. So i keep quiet, until the explosion comes and all those hidden feelings tumble out in the form of pure hysteria. And do you think i feel better afterwards? No. Just guilty for being such an inconvenience to others. You cannot imagine how tired im of my own behaviour.

Ordinary Friday

Laptop #1 decided to take a rest from essay writing (shouting at it didn’t help much), so it was time to find the camera so that I could document this absolutely ordinary Friday. The second Friday of 2011.

One has got to go.

There are far too many interesting phenomena that need to be studied in the world. How on earth will you ever be able to choose just one or two?

Simply Delicious

There hasn’t been much food pics in this blog lately, mostly because there hasn’t been any good food to take pictures of. Due to a complete lack of inspiration I’ve been living on boiled eggs, crackers, yoghurt and porridge (as well as the occasional tortilla de patatas that TT so kindly made for me) for the past few weeks.

But now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: the hidden chef within me has returned. Today’s lunch was quick, easy and fairly healthy. All you’ll need is chicken breast, brown rice, garlic, red pepper and a few cubes of feta cheese. Fry the chicken and pepper, boil the rice. Then mix all the ingredients and eat! (I also added a spoonful or so of HP sauce).

Cisza [Pl: Silence]

There was a letter waiting in the mailbox today. Stamped in Poland. It was a nice surprise, just like all those other surprises that the nice maillady has been bringing from the other side of Germany. With a bit of luck I’ll be seeing my own Polish cookie soon, and make her die of laughter with all my crazy Polish expressions that are mixed with Russian. 

It’s so quiet here, a strange kind of silence. As a child of the night, I don’t mind the right kind of silence, the kind that inspires you, that makes you feel alive and like you’re on top of the world. This, however, is that dark and dreary silence that makes you want to go to bed and slowly sink into the land of dreams. To forget about this world for a while.
I have also been trying to get hold of my parents, to ask them if I can come for a quick visit, but it seems like they have fallen off the face of the earth. If anyone’s seen one crazy, blonde woman who’s always up at night and never stops talking, and her complete opposite (man, dark, sleeps at night, may or may not say one word every ten minutes or so), you know where to find me.   

Now I’m off to bed, the plan is to dream about raspberries, sunshine, sitting on clouds, the Hungarian puszta, and palacsinták (that would be pancakes). [Wonder where all that food came from… Change of plan: I will dream about a love story, one of those that only happens to a selected few and once in a lifetime: Anna Karenina sounds tragic enough. ].
Dobranoc i kolorowych snów…

"On hyvä käydä nukkumaan kun on nähnyt auringon"*

Hello all you sweet peas.
Today has passed in some kind of self-caused caffeine-induced haze, where everything has been a bit of a blur. No time for resting, though. Today we will fight till the bitter end so that the essay will finally be done.

This morning we went to the gym for some bodypump. We’ve been going for a few months now, and I definitely notice that I’m getting [a little bit] stronger. Well, excepts my biceps, which are about as powerful as two tiny ants. Anyhow, it’s a lot of fun: depending on the day I either feel like dancing or screaming with pain.

Have I ever told you that I’d like to get fit? Or maybe I just want to work out more because the endorphins are such lovely little creatures that make me happy.
.
The point of this post? To publish that headline*, which is something very Finnish and very poetic. Basically it means “It’s good to go to sleep, when one has seen the sun”. It’s from a song called Kunnian kentät (Fields of Honour) by the poop group Dingo. [POP... sorry :)] Love it.

Voihan pöpö...

Some of the world’s fittest rockers (I used to have a wee crush on the drummer back in the day when I was young enough to have crushes on drummers) are visiting Åland (yes, Åland, who would have ever thought?) this weekend. Does anyone own a magic wand that could teletransport me up north for a day or two?

On a sunnier note: I bet the weather will be a lot better here on Saturday than in Finland. Today it’s 21 degrees Celsius. Not bad for January :)

If I’d know how to dance without falling over, I’d become an exotic dancer.

That "if" indicates that I do not know how to dance without falling over, so we can forget about working as exotic dancers. What a relief! I don’t need to think about the anxiety it would cause to tell my parents about it (actually, I don’t think they are prudes, but my dad would probably pay for my living himself if he ever found out that I’m dancing half naked in front of drooling men. Just a thought). Oh, and drooling men scare the s**t out of me anyway, so maybe Zsuzsi the exotic dancer wouldn’t be such a great success.

So, where did this thought come from? Well, it’s quite obvious, isn’t it? I need money. Or at least enough money to have enough freedom to do whatever it is that I want to do. And if that’s asking too much, then I’d like something that would pay enough to buy my university books without feeling pangs of guilt.

Wishlist for future job: challenging, no bosses, quite well paid, have to be able to do it from home, interesting and flexible. Obviously it’d be wonderful if I could use whatever skills I already possess.

Any ideas, anyone? Come on, bring it on! I need all the inspiration I can get :)

just a tiny disaster

The company I’m working for is updating the online games, and also introducing a new platform. So far so good. Hopefully the change will keep the current players happy and attract some new ones as well. Unfortunately (for me) everything is still a bit of a mess: for instance the IT-guys need to provide us with new login details so that we can work. Have they done it? No. And the shift is supposed to start in like 10 minutes. This bothers me because a) there will be a lot of work today, and I really don’t feel like spending all night doing it, and b) this really is bad timing for working overtime, since I’m drowning in essays.

Oh well, there really isn’t much I can do about it (except cancel the run I had planned for tonight :(), so all we have to do is wait. 

El chocolate te da alas...

A hyperactive Zsuzsi is sending everyone a virtual hug and a kiss on the nose. How are you doing today? Hope you are enjoying yourselves wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
The hyperactivity might be the direct cause of a chocolate OD. Or it could be the side effect of life feeling so incredibly wonderful today. Why? No idea. Actually today is one of those days that shouldn’t be overly great: you try squeezing in hardcore studying with lots of work (Monday shift became Tuesday shift which automatically means more work) and exercise and daily walk and doing the dishes and… 



“It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." (Dale Carnegie)

odd things that just happen

Some very strange ads keep popping up in my facebook account. If you’re planning a trip to Kazakhstan and also have a tendency to start craving frozen yoghurt, this might be for you:

Легкий, освежающий, с приятной кислинкой и консистенцией, как у мороженого. Настоящий праздник полезных бактерий и белков.

Location:

ул. Фурманова 187 В, Алматы, 050013

A heti kihívások [HUN: Weekly Challenges] Week 2

As you may remember, I created four small, but important, challenges to work with for the first week of January. How did it go?

• I wanted to exercise 6 times. Result: 5 workout sessions. 3 cardio + 2 strength training. I’m actually happy with that result, and also with the non-stopping sore muscles in my bum. (sore muscles are great, it means you’ve done something)
• No white bread. Well, I must confess that I had one tiny slice of garlic bread on Saturday. It was so delicious that it was well worth the temporary loss of self discipline :) I’ve also been drinking water, but I didn’t count the glasses...
• That mind thing... there’s been no time :( I will however write a post about this sometimes this week.

So, what are the challenges for week 2?

• Exercise 6 times. 3 of these should be at the gym.
• No shopping. There probably won’t be any time anyway, how convenient.
• Cook something new and exotic. I’ve never tried cooking Georgian (the country) food, so maybe I’ll give that a go.

It feels like Sunday today, so that’s why I’m writing this today and not yesterday. This week I’ll be really busy finishing some exams so we will see if there will be time for anything fun at all.

Happy new week, everyone!

Bittersweet

Today when I got back from town, I put on some melancholic music and spent a good twenty minutes weeping. If she were a man, I’d charm her with my childlike excitement and twist her around my finger. If she were a woman, she’d probably be my soul mate and no questions would never need to be asked. However, a place will never return your feelings.

What made me cry were the pictures from a Hungary long gone, and maybe the love story too. Valencian museum Muvim is currently having an exhibition consisting of the 100 most important photographs taken by André Kertész (Kertész Andor), who can be considered one of the most important photographers of the 20th century. These photos were from his native Hungary, bohemian Paris and New York, where he lived for the most part of his life. The photos were beautiful, and we also had a really good guide telling us funny stories about the photographer, his life and his art. Apparently he was together with the same woman almost all his life (although there was the almost obligatory affair with a French woman), and when she died, he photographed everything that reminded him of her.  Below you can see some of the photos I liked the most, the first two are from Hungary, the last one from NY.

The Day

I wonder if I’ll be too old to wear a bright, red dress the day I finally graduate (again). Last time I graduated there was no celebration, but this time, when everything will be done, finished and over with, I’m going to party like there is no tomorrow. In a bright red dress. All my best friends will be there and we will laugh our heads off and dance like mad. And we’ll eat Hungarian pancakes and drink Russian vodka. You will all be welcome, too.

As long as we’re not all too old to wear red and dance, that is.

So what do you do on a Friday at 11 pm?

Instead of planning what to do, just do. Whatever it is that needs to get done. Even if it’s Friday night and the clock is approaching 11. There is no better time than right now.

That’s what I’m trying to tell myself. Better to be considered a positive thinker than completely nuts. Although I could blame my mother. She sometimes wakes up at 4 am to clean the house. Just because. 

Boyfriend is coming back from the great neighbour in the north tomorrow. And I survived on my own until tonight. I’m so proud of myself. Now I’m borrowing the bed in his sister’s guestroom while sipping on a cup of hot rooibos raspberry tea. If I’d find my usb thingy (which has disappeared somewhere under blankets) I could also do some important work for a couple of hours. Tomorrow will be a busy day because I’m going to visit an exhibition (which I know I’ll love because it has something to do with H-u-n-g-a-r-y) and then have some lunch. Oh, and buy a chair because word has it I know all aboút chairs. I don’t. And meet a bunch of Swedish people. And go to the train station. If I make it that far, it’s very possible that I will be ran over and killed by crazy people at 10 am trying to take advantage of rebajas.

 

I wouldn’t mind some cuddling with the furball right now.

3 hours to go...

Let’s see how far we can get. My bet is not very far since I’m still blogging instead of doing useful things.

Instead of working on my essay, I’m wondering what happened to my hair colour. Yeah, I know, that’s an extremely important problem and by solving it, I’ll also save the world from all evil. This photo is from last year when one of the bestest friends in the entire world was visiting: yes, this is the kind of things we do in public places.

Reading Pushkin would also be far more interesting than working on this essay. He’s right here next to me.

МОЯ ЭПИТАФИЯ
Здесь Пушкин погребен; он с музой молодою,
С любовью, леностью провел веселый век,
Не делал доброго, однако ж был душою,
      Ей-богу, добрый человек.

<1815>

Ready, steady, go go go!

If I were one of those girls

Then I’d always know what to wear in order to look like something between a real lady and a badass bombshell. Instead of smearing, the red paint would stick to my lips until the morning after. Spots would not dare to show their ugly faces. There would be no reason whatsoever to think about food since I would always forget to eat, tea and coffee and champagne would substitute it just perfectly. Whatever worries would come my way, I’d just shrug my shoulders and laugh them off.  Practical thinking wouldn’t be necessary: high heels and a quick kind of intelligence would compensate. Few doubts would ever cross my mind. Life is not to be worried about, it’s to be lived. The book piles and quirky details around my house would be considered charming, not messy. I’d work hard and do something I love. And I’d own a lot of shoes that would decorate the hallway. I’d probably be dating a footballer, because that’s what those girls do.

Motiváció [Hun: Motivation]

Noun
1.motivation - the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behaviour.

We all know that motivation is the key if we want to achieve something. Without it, we might look like this:

Some people are great at motivating themselves, they seem to have an inner drive that keeps them going all the time. But what do you do if you run out of motivation? When everything feels completely impossible, and all you want to do is drown yourself in self pity while eating all the chocolate that you can find?

In a small, black notebook I found the following tips for increasing motivation:

• create challenges and set goals: it’s easier to be motivated when you have a specific goal in mind. That goal can be divided into sub-goals. Remember that a goal should be motivating (something you want to do), realistic, precise, measurable and positive.
• get an "idol". You don’t have to copy him or her, but "using" someone as inspiration will also be motivational. However, remember to be realistic.
• think at least one step ahead when you feel that your motivation is decreasing
• be patient: as we all know, Rome wasn’t built in a day... in order to achieve a goal, you have to work hard and make priorities,
• take control: you are the one taking the decisions, not the sofa and definitely not the chocolate.
• turn the problem upside-down: our motivation usually depends on how we decide to look at things. By seeing something positive in the most boring activities, we are usually more likely to get them done.

In a materialistic world...

Twice this week have I been to town, and both times I was horrified by the amount of stuff everywhere. People were running around with a crazy gleam in their eyes, looking for... what? Gifts? The perfect deal? Sudden relief for their worries? That rush you get when you find the perfect pair of jeans? Something so expensive that they wouldn’t need to think about the word "personal"?

In a country where 20% of the population is supposedly unemployed, people shop an awful lot. 

On a daily basis I read a few blogs, whose sole reason for existence is shopping and clothes.
And it hits me. [Again]. The big question: why? Why are we so concerned about finding the perfect Christmas presents, and why is it so damn important that we get that LV-bag? Why do we even waste our precious energy on those things? The other day we were wondering why people buy their toddlers clothes from Burberry and such. Our common sense didn’t really grasp the reason why people would waste copious amounts of money on clothes that would be used for just a few months. Is there some kind of a trick that we haven’t been told about?

OK. Each to his own. You decide what makes you happy, and live according to that decision. It’s not really up to me to tell other people what to do, so for this once I’m just expressing my humble opinion before logging off and doing something that I truly enjoy.

Kindest regards,
the girl whose greatest find in December was a pair of jeans for 17 euro. She’ll probably wear that pair, and that pair only, until it’s full of holes.

2/6

This week I promised myself to work out six times, go for daily walks, stop eating white bread/pasta, drink more water and boost my "yes, you can"-attitude,

How’s it been going then?

Daily walks – check. No white bread – also check. Actually it’s not a very difficult promise to keep since I don’t even like eating it. More water, yes. But still not enough. Working out? I did a fairly intensive and almost deadly run on Monday and now I’m trying not to vomit after a nice chest/tricep/shoulder-workout. Jeez. Note to self: do not live on cookies and red bull only the days you are going to get physical. Actually, your body would probably not mind if you skipped them altogether.

And for that part with the positive thinking? Will see if there’s time for that on Saturday and Sunday. I’m too busy for any type of thinking right now!

Didn’t I say...

... that today would be a good day? I just found, by mistake, the place where I would like to do an internship this autumn. It sounds so very perfect, even though it’s in London (they also have offices in Moscow... now that would be even better), and I’m so excited that I think I’ll actually apply. No harm in applying, right?

одиночество - жизнь прекрасна!

Solitude. But life is beautiful. I will be home alone for three nights, and I’m still trying to decide whether it’s scary or great. Yes. Somehow I have managed to survive for more than a quarter of a century without getting used to sleeping on my own.

Today seems to turn out to be a good day. After surviving the initial shock of an alarm clock going off at 6.30 I have given goodbye kisses at the train station, drunk lovely raspberry rooibos tea, taken a nap with a dog on top of me, listened to a child singing happily in a bank and been told that I’m "la chica más guapa en Benicalap". Over here guys can tell that to any girl they bump into on the street, but it was still a wee bit flattering.

Yes. This will be a beautiful day.

You can say what you want, but life is beautiful!

Two hours and weekly goals (week 1)

I’ve got two hours to wake up and to cure myself (cold seems to be back) before going to the gym. I’m doing so with an impressive amount of coffee, delicious breakfast and good music. I really do hope it will help because a) I have something fun to look forward at the gym, and b) being ill is no fun (like anyone ever said it was).

Katie had a good post about weekly goals and I think I’ll join her mini-challenge. These weekly goals are supposed to be small, but attainable. Nonetheless, they are also challenging and will break some unhealthy eating/thinking/behavioural patterns. 

My goals for the first week of January are:

• Exercise: the goal for this week is to work out 6 times: run 3 times and do strength training 3 times. As this is the weekly amount of exercise I want to do throughout the year, I’d better get started now. I also plan to go for a daily walk, mostly to get fresh air and keep my mind clear.
• Eating: I’m generally eating quite well, but I feel there are some things that could be improved in my diet. One of these is the role of carbs. The right kind of carbs are important for the body, but “white” carbs don’t taste good and there are plenty of better alternatives out there. This week I will not eat any white bread or pasta. Lately I haven’t been drinking enough water either, so another goal is to drink 2 litres a day. 
• Thinking: I sometimes have a tendency to completely lose faith in myself. This week I want to strengthen the “yes, you can”-attitude by trying different mind tools, like visualisations and affirmations.

 
Do you have any goals for this week?

Moments

Not tired, but very restless I was lying in the bath tub, blowing bubbles and inhaling the scent of strawberries. Suddenly there were images in my mind: green fields. The sound of dance music. Unbearable heat and strangers speaking quickly in a language I don't understand. The forgotten edge of Europe where nothing is. The feeling of complete freedom. The sharp light was cutting through the blurry water, where my hair was floating like feathers. My whole body is shaking, my mind wants to tell stories. It feels like the words are not enough.