Sundaze 226

Long time, no Sundaze.

Taking a few weekends off from penning these updates has felt nice, but a tad discombobulating. It’s strange how quickly a habit can fall off your radar, and that’s certainly what happened here. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I enjoy sharing these, and hearing from you all afterwards. So, let’s just catch up.

What I’ve been up to

Part of why I’ve been fairly quiet on here, and online in general, is that I’m going through a friendship breakup. And it’s one that’s on such a huge level that I’ve found it hard to weather, hard to comprehend. While I know that things will ultimately ease off and end up how they’re supposed to, it’s a sort of all-consuming grief at the moment.

The silver lining, however, is that I’ve rediscovered my perfect recipe for self-care. My days since our last Sundaze are filled with little good things, like empowering gym sessions, brisk walks ‘round the lake, more time with my boyfriend, new Cricut craft projects, baking, morning and afternoon and evening reading sessions, cups of biscuit tea, K-drama nights… Today, I had plans for brunch with some friends from school, and it was so good for the soul to catch up with the girls I’ve known since we were 11. I’m filling my time with lots of nothing much, and it feels good. It feels really good. And it’s definitely helping to slowly ease the blanket of overwhelming grief and sadness.

Our first Valentine’s together

Of course Valentine’s Day fell this week! And my boyfriend and I had a wonderful time celebrating our very first one together. Our celebrations began last week, when he surprised me with a night to see the ballet (Romeo & Juliet) at the Royal Opera House in London. It was such a magical evening, and I was completely blown away by the gesture – after all, I’d mentioned it just once back in 2014. Then, we continued the occasion at the weekend with a three-course meal at a local restaurant. Then, he surprised me on my lunch break on Monday with red roses, sweet treats and a card.

I suppose what I’m saying is, I love feeling loved. And I’m so happy that, after last year’s self-growth and -love journey, I’m leaning into how much I actually do enjoy Hallmark holidays.

An affirming week alone

Last week, my Mum and sister took a trip and so I was home alone (well, Dad was home late each night after returning from the takeaway, and I had Milo). And while I really missed having my sister around, it felt really affirming to spend an entire week alone, give or take, for once. I had time to journal, enjoy lengthier gym sessions, make food just for me, and watch whatever I wanted to.

It’s been so long since I lived alone that I worried I’d forget how to. But really, it was such a lovely week and I’m even more excited than ever for my first house.

Links I’ve Loved

I really enjoyed this little update from Liv about what blogging means to her in 2022.
The Books Still on My Mind in 2022 via Chapters of May
There’s always more to learn about when it comes to money and finances: these ‘money rules’ on The Everygirl sound practical and manageable.
50 Budget-Friendly Date Night Ideas via Zoella
It’s Black History Month over in the US, and I really appreciated this list of podcasts about black history. I’m delving into Code Switch tomorrow.
Although Lunar New Year has now passed, I enjoyed this post about nine Asian history and folklore-retelling books. Needless to say, I’ll be reading them all.
Especially in the wake of recent news about anti-Asian violence, this post – ‘Race Matters: “Can Asian-Americans Be Included in This Conversation?”’ – on Cup of Jo is a great, thought-provoking read.