Seeing as I've been gone for so long, I thought I would make my first post after announcing my return about myself. A lot has changed and I've been doing a lot of new things during this time, so it seems to make sense to share a bit more about who I am now and where I'm current at in life.
So, let's get to sharing...
1. I've turned 30: As you can probably tell from the name of this post, I'm 30 now! In fact, I'll be 31 next month! Turning 30 wasn't so bad despite originally being terrified about "getting old". It felt big and scary on the lead up to my birthday but, in the end, I was fine and I got to walk an alpaca. I also got the most amazing Grogu/Baby Yoda cake! 30 is fine and you're only as old as you feel!
2. I'm a teacher: In September 2021, I started my teacher training year after accepting my BA Open Degree from the Open University the year before. I sat on my degree for so long and didn't know if I'd ever end up applying for teacher training, like I'd always wanted to. However, after making changes for myself, I took the leap and I qualified as a primary teacher in June 2022. I am currently working as a Year 3 teacher in an amazing school.
3. I've joined the gym: Actually, in the last two years, I've joined two gyms. The first gym wasn't for me and I felt uncomfortable being there and like I was being watched and judged. That membership only lasted 7 months and I certainly didn't go regularly enough to make it worth it. However, in January of this year, I joined a new gym and I can honestly say I love it. I go 2-3 times a week and I now use the machines and equipment rather than just walking on the treadmill (which is all I did at the first gym). Maybe I'll do a post about what I do at the gym soon.
4. I'm getting back into reading: Over the last couple of years, I haven't been reading anywhere near as much as I used to. I have still been reading but where I was reading 100 books a year, I've probably only read 50 in the last two years (and a lot of those are children's novels for work!) However, in January, I set myself the challenge of reading more and I have read 10 books already this year. Yes, some are still children's books for school but some are for me too. I'm getting there and I will be posting bookish content again as I love talking about books!
5. I'm a gamer now: Well, kind of! We have a Nintendo Switch and I've been hooked on playing Animal Crossing and Disney's Dreamlight Valley. I pick up the Switch almost every day, even if it's only for half an hour to unwind when I get home from work. Obviously they're not complex, technical games but they are both relaxing and carefree games where I get to make friends with cute animals and my favourite Disney characters.
6. I have a pet: I have an adorable little Syrian hamster called Pippin and she is the love of my life. I never expected to become this attached to the tiny ball of fluff but she is just the best. Even the children in my Year 3 class are obsessed with her and ask for photos and videos almost on a daily basis. She's great when being handled and is really comfortable with us. If you want to marvel at her cuteness, she has her own Instagram page here.
7. I'm healthier now: I've already mentioned going to the gym and enjoying working out, but I'm a lot healthier now in my size too. Back when I stopped posting in 2021, I was a size 6. I wasn't eating properly, I hadn't addressed my depression/anxiety and I was struggling with my personal situation. Over two years on, I have gone from being a small size 6 to being a size 10-12. There are still points where I don't like how I look but I know I'm in a much better condition now than I was back then. I feel healthier and more like 'me'.
8. I tried CBT: In January 2021, when I was at my lowest point, I finally made a call to my doctor and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I was prescribed medication and it was suggested that I try therapy or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). The wait for a therapist through the NHS was very long, where as I could start CBT over the phone the following week. CBT definitely helped me. I had someone to talk to and check in with every over week for a good period of time and each time she called she did a mental health check to see what my level of depression was like. She really helped me and gave me techniques to try that I still use now.
9. I love Joe Lycett: In the last couple of years, I have fallen in love with Joe Lycett's comedy. I've rewatched his recorded stand-up shows and TV shows (especially Joe Lycett's Got Your Back, which is amazing!) and I even had the privilege of seeing him live in Ipswich last year. It was the best night and I hope I get the chance to see him again some day. I just love who he is and what he stands for.
10. I'm back to baking: After a long time of not really baking anything, I have been trying out new recipes for sweet treats these past few months. I've mostly been trying out amazing recipes from Jane's Patisserie and they have been well-received. During the last series of The Great British Bake Off, I tried to bake something on-theme each week which gave me the chance to try new things I wouldn't have tried baking without the weekly prompts.
11. I'm hooked on Vinted: Not only have I bought my fair share of bargains on Vinted, I've sold a lot of stuff on their too. As I mentioned earlier, my size has changed a lot over the last couple of years, so it was time to give my clothes that were too small another chance at being worn. I went through my entire wardrobe, removed everything that didn't fit and took some items to a recycling centre and some items were put online. It's nice to give life to old clothes that still have a lot left in them.
12. I've grown my nails (finally): After biting my nails for 30 years, I am so proud to announce that I have finally successfully grown my own nails and no longer have to stick on false ones when I want to look more put-together. I chewed my nails to an unbelievably short length and they looked gross, but now I see the most wonderful nail technician every month who does the most beautiful designs. She is a true magician for getting my nails to look this way after so long!
13. My love for The Positive Teacher Company: For my teacher training year, I finally got the chance to buy myself the teacher planner from TPTC. I'm such a fan of the designs and, more importantly, how useful they are for planning out my school year, that I have already ordered myself my third planner ready for the next academic year. Which one is your favourite design?
14. I'm a learner: As a primary teacher, I cover every subject from maths to music, science to sport. One of the best parts of being a teacher is that I'm always learning. Not only am I constantly observing and taking on advice from experienced colleagues, I am learning about so many topics before I teach them. Some interesting areas I've learned about in detail this year are rocks, Mary Anning, volcanoes, the Stone Age and Ancient Egyptians. My learning highlights this year are finding poems my children connected with so that they could write their own, loving rocks and fossils so much that it was the biggest moment ever when a child found a shark tooth on our trip and having such a big focus on wellbeing and being kind that giving lovely notes to each other is the norm.
16. Trying new food: We have come across some absolutely amazing restaurants in the past couple of years. Taking trips to Norwich, Portsmouth, Brighton and Cambridge have made me look for the best local restaurants and we have found some top-tier places to eat. I think that will probably be a separate blog post in the future but we now have some firm favourites that we would return to.
17. Travelling: Linking to the new food, we have travelled to some amazing places in recent years. As well as a lot of places in the UK, we also had the opportunity to fly out to Tenerife for my boyfriend's brother's wedding last summer. I'd never been to Tenerife before and I didn't see a lot of the surrounding area as we were in a beautiful villa away from the main tourist areas, but I still enjoyed travelling somewhere new. I can't wait for the next adventure!
18. I've upped my skincare game: I was pretty on it when it came to skincare before I took my break, but it has levelled up significantly since then. I have found people I trust online (mainly James Welsh) who has put me onto great products and a solid routine before makeup and in the evening. It's also a nice opportunity to have a little pamper every day.
19. I'm practising more self care: I'm trying to take the time to look after myself more. As well as having my little pamper session each day with my skincare, I'm also making time to use Headspace, practise mindful breathing exercises when I feel anxious and doing calming activities that I enjoy, such as having a long bath. It's helped me massively - although I sometimes need a push to do it still!
20. I saw Ed Sheeran Live: My birthday treat to myself for my 30th was seeing Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium. I've only ever been to Wembley Stadium for sport, never a concert, and it was the most amazing experience. Seeing such an incredible performer live was a real gift and I am so happy I was impulsive and booked the tickets!
21. I bought an air fryer: This is probably my best purchase of the last 12 months! I bought a big one too! This means, with two drawers, we can cook a whole meal or do meat in one side and veggie in the other. I know this is a pretty boring and "grown up" fact to share but this machine has genuinely changed my life. Plus, the Bored of Lunch book has given me so many recipes to try!
22. Journaling changes: I'm not bullet journaling as much as I used to. I took a break, bought a new journal and decided I would start with a fresh journal when I felt ready to get back into it. I ended up forcing myself back into it when I didn't really want to do it and although I enjoyed parts of it, it felt more like a chore. So I now have a journal that is used more as a wellbeing notebook/scrapbook of things I've done instead of as a bullet journal diary. I also have a Happiness Planner that I'm using right now so I don't need to do both.
23. Nap Queen: I don't know if this comes with getting older or because I lived with my friend Jas for over a year, who definitely takes the 'Nap Queen' crown, but I have regular naps at the weekend now. Sometimes it's only 90 minutes, sometimes I'm out of it for a couple of hours or so if I didn't sleep well the night before. Napping is just something that I like to do in the middle of the day now and I'm OK with that.
24. Cookbook collector: My cookbook collection has grown a lot! Both my boyfriend and I love cooking and there are a few people that we have a particular soft spot for when it comes to their recipes, so we have to get their books. We have every Mob book and use them regularly, as well as Pinch of Nom for healthier meals and Jane's Patisserie for sweet treats. Some of their recipes are on our menu most weeks.
25. My sleep routine: I have a better sleep routine now, although I am working on sticking to it. It involves being in bed an hour before I want to go to sleep for 60 minutes of screen-free time. This can mean reading a book, listening to a podcast or an audiobook, or doing a guided Headspace session. Then, it's lights out, and I have a sleep sound on my Alexa (usually 'heavy rain', 'windy meadow', 'brown noise' or 'train ride') and I sleep under my weighted blanket. I do a body scan to "switch off" my body and prevent wriggling around as much, and that pretty much sends me off to sleep in minutes.
26. Want to know what I'm watching?: Short answer: not much. I seem to have fallen out of love with the television. I just don't have that urge to watch anything new or commit to sitting down in one place for that long. I also don't really have the time during the week. My go-to is just sticking something on that I've already seen as background noise or a documentary that I can listen to rather than watch.
27. Friendships: Since moving away and starting a new job, I have made some lovely friends that I see quite a lot. We have friends in our building that we see for dinners, games nights and we even watched the Super Bowl together. Then I have my gym buddy, who got me into the gym in the first place, and we meet there regularly to have a catch up while we work out. I also have my two besties from my teacher training days that I'm still in touch with and we try to meet up (usually at Nando's) when we can. I still have my old friends, like Jas, and friends that I'm reconnecting with after shutting myself off for a while. I'm getting there.
28. Hello Deliveroo: Since moving away, we have access to Deliveroo. We do like to cook but it's also nice to know there are many options when you fancy a treat. We have found the best fish and chips, an incredible Indian takeaway and bao buns that are out of this world! We also use the chains sometimes, like Taco Bell, Wagamama and Love Thy Burger (although that's a smaller, more local chain). Wow, I'm making myself hungry!
29. My love life: After a difficult few years, I have a boyfriend who I live with and I couldn't be happier. I just need to take a moment to talk about how amazing he has been during some very tricky times and how much he has helped me when it comes to anxiety, depression and more. He's got me to open up when I've found it hard to talk about and he has genuinely been my rock through all of this.
30. Big dreams: Despite the challenges, I still have big dreams and plans for the future. I'm just starting out in my teaching career but I am loving every moment (even the really hard bits) and moving to a new place and doing things I would never have done before has shown me what I can really do. I can't wait to see what life brings me next.
There you have it: 30 updated facts about me!
I hope to be back soon with another blog post but I'm still making plans and working out the kind of things I want to share and what I want this blog to be. I don't want it to be a chore either, so I won't be planning to post on any specific day or even every week or month. It will be when I have time to share and feel the enjoyment of writing rather than feeling like I'm expected to post and have to get things written for a deadline. That would just suck the joy out of this and that's the last thing I want because the reason I'm blogging again is to make myself happy and get back to doing things I love.
So, I don't know when I'll next post but I hope to see you there when I do. Until then, look after yourselves.
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