little joys and little sorrows #6

dancing in the sunshine, lingering in the last moments of summer, reading again, luteal phase energy drop + more

Hello lovely reader, it's that time again, time to reflect on the past month or so with some little joys and little sorrows.

How has the past month been for you? If you could describe it in one word, what would it be? For me, it would be hectic! A word I would never pair with my life as someone who likes things to be quite mellow. But I also went to both days of Notting Hill Carnival which may also seem completely out of character for someone who enjoys a bit of homeostasis. But that's the beauty of being human, we're all full of surprises and multitudes and varying interests.

I hope you enjoy today's instalment, and I hope it encourages you to do some quiet reflections of your own as the month draws to a close. Feel free to share them in the comments as I always love reading them.

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little joys

• Notting Hill Carnival, of course! I went with one of my best friends and had the best time I think ever?? Love being able to celebrate my culture, see my flag practically everywhere this year which was a surprise because we're such a tiny island, feel the speakers vibrating in my chest blasting music I grew up to, the joy in people's faces, all of it. Already excited for next year

• Finding a secret garden with my partner not too far from our flat where we can enjoy the peace of nature without disturbance (human and machine)

• Not really a reflection but I'm excited for the heatwave that's about to hit, summer’s final curtain

• Learning about late summer, the 5th season according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, as a time to linger in the last moments of summer before the cold sets in

• Selling things on Vinted even if it's only for a couple pounds, someone in the UK is happy they got a fun thing in the post

• Reading more challenging essays and learning new words and exercising my brain (feeling that brain ache I used to get during readings at uni is both nostalgic and triggering)

• Designing my own reflection journal to use on the Penly app, complete with moon phases and tarot cards of the day. Another creative outlet, good for the soul

• Finding notebook/planner/journal obsessives on YouTube and enjoying the organisational vibes

• Surprisingly enjoying Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney when I'm not a huge fan of hers and it even inspiring a revival of a friendship I've missed

• No! more! immunosuppressants!!

• Slowly starting to pick up more books again (currently reading Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors and enjoying it a lot)

• Feeling the sun on my face while dancing is one of the highlights of my year

little sorrows

• Work being genuinely exhausting and overwhelming lately and infiltrating my actual life a little too much

• Realising 9/10 times I'm always putting my job on this list

• Navigating adult friendships lol

• Becoming an adult means stepping out of your comfort zone and the outcomes aren't always pleasant but it's always necessary

• Luteal phase sucking all the energy and motivation out of me

• Realising my immunosuppressants weren't the entire cause of my regular stomach aches, I am, after all, just anxious :)

• New intolerance drop: Cow's milk

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