Cowcat0

Another good perspective and gives me more to think about! Friday in my workplace actually does tend to be quieter (and when a lot of the managers are off too) so you could be on to something there as I feel like perhaps a Thursday would be quite a bit to come back into. I’d be 50% office and home too if I were to work 4 days so if I could have Wednesday and Thursday WFH, Friday would be a good one to have off.

I’m going to be condensing my hours at the end of the year from 5 days full time to 4 days (probably will drop some hours too) I’ve had in my mind for either Monday or Friday to be my non working day but Wednesday actually sounds like a really nice way to break the week up.

Props to you. I would’ve done the same if it was my cat. Irresponsible dog owners infuriate me.

This is something I’ve noticed recently! Years ago I don’t remember it happening but over the last year or so I’ve noticed the number of people just watching shit on their phone without headphones. No awareness or care for the people around them, really annoys me. Especially early in the morning when the last thing I want to hear is stupid TikTok videos.

It really depends on where you’re thinking of moving to in the UK? I lived in Canada for 3 years (albeit 10 years ago now so I appreciate things will have changed since then) but god, there are days that I miss it! I lived in Vancouver for 2 years and I honestly fell in love with it. I love being outdoors so being able to visit the city, but then be able to visit the beaches or Granville Island was heaven for me. If you’re not super outdoorsy then the UK will be fine for you (course, we have beautiful scenery and places such as Cornwall, the Lakes etc) but if you’re planning to move to a city or town with lack of outdoor things to do, you may miss that. I live in the North and I really miss just being able to go to the lake (I also lived in Whistler), the beach, hiking in the forest in my free time. To do that now, I’d have to drive at least an hour out or more for the stunning places we have. That being said, I don’t miss how expensive everything in Canada was. But the UK is just the same now. House prices are ridiculous. The food here is better for sure. Healthcare is in crisis (if you need to go to A&E you will be waiting hours upon hours just to be seen) - unless you go private of course. If you have money and enough to live comfortably, you’ll enjoy it here. Standard of living is all dependent on what you can afford and the place you choose to live will make a big difference too. Cornwall is my dream place to live for example. It has all of the outdoors lifestyle I love, but I can’t afford it. Hence why, like a true Brit, I complain about life in the UK on the daily. But it’s really not that bad of a place.

Yes! Spyro the Dragon was my first ever PlayStation game and it blew my mind. I was obsessed.

Same! I can still remember my inflatable backpack which I could barely fit anything in. Me too, I had so many posters of them on my bedroom wall and always wanted to be Sporty Spice. The Viva Forever video still makes me feel so nostalgic every time I watch it.

Same! I still quote it to this day, capiche?

Those inflatable bubble accessories that were the craze (bubble backpacks, bubble chairs etc.), Spice Girl mania! The absolute golden and best era of The Simpsons, tamagotchis, yo-yos, SMTV Live. Gladiators every Saturday night (so glad it’s back on tv now too) Playing Pokemon Gold for hours on end (Gold and Silver blew my mind when they were first released), staying out until the sun went down playing with friends when we would climb trees and play Man Hunt. No social media. Best childhood days ever, what a time to be alive.

Can’t believe nobody even helped you?! I couldn’t imagine not going over to see if the person was okay. Sorry that happened to you, must have felt so awful. Hugs!

I get this. I only lived in Canada for 3 years (had to come back to the UK however due to work visa expiring) and was missing everything you said by the end. I love Canada and it’s absolutely stunning, was the best time of my life there. For its faults I still love the UK. I’m from Liverpool and it’s an amazing city. If I could live anywhere though, Wales or Cornwall.

Please give him to a local sanctuary for farm animals. Petting zoos and other attractions that use animals for profit do not treat the animals well. Turkeys are actually very intelligent and loving, he deserves sanctuary.

Nope. Not for a long time and I feel so so much better for it. Used to track religiously, weigh once a week, stress if I went over my calories. My periods stopped at one point. It got to a point where I really just couldn’t be bothered with it anymore, life is too short. I’m still the same size as I was back then, but much happier and healthier. I don’t stress if I want a treat, if I want one, I have one. I have always been an exerciser, but now I do it for pleasure and mental health rather than how many calories it’s going to burn. I find that actually not stressing and not tracking has helped me see food in a different way. I used to binge a lot sometimes because I’d restrict myself so much in the past and then feel horribly guilty the next day, repeating the cycle of almost starving myself and then binging etc. Now because I’m not restricting, I never ever feel the need to binge like I used to. Because if I want something, I’ll have it and won’t feel one bit guilty. I’m so glad I don’t track any more, best thing I did was stopping.

A close friend of mine from university did it. We’d always been super close then one day out of the blue they just blocked me and another friend from all socials and just didn’t speak to us again. Still to this day have no clue why. I reached out when a close family member of theirs passed away and they replied but nothing else after that since, and still no idea why. It definitely upset me at the time as we had some great times and memories together and I definitely feel we’d still be close today. But I guess that’s just the way life goes.

Good idea. I think I need to do this too.

Christmas is my favourite time of year so I’m definitely feeling a bit meh today. This year has been rough for my small business so I’ve had to go back to part time “regular work” to help my income, so I start this new job mid January-ish. I’m so fortunate to have bagged a job in this climate so I am grateful but I’m also filled with trepidation about going back to a normal job for a bit. I’m so used to being my own boss I know I’m going to struggle as it’s the first time in a long while I’ve been an employee. My bank balance will be happy but I’m usually filled with positivity and hope in the new year to grow my business further but I’m uncertain about 2024, having to juggle this new job whilst trying to grow my business the other 3/4 days of the week. So yeah, once January hits and it’s starting this new reality I’ll probably feel even more meh. But who knows, could also be a cracking year with new possibilities. I’ve booked myself on to a course in April to gain a new qualification which should hopefully give my business another bump, so I’m focussing on that too!

I don’t feel bad, I try to practice gratitude each day and remind myself I’m very lucky to be healthy and alive. I’m 34 and I’m on the career path I want to be and enjoy (something I had no clue about in my early-mid twenties), I recently got engaged to my forever person, I could care less what other people think of me besides those I care about and love, and I’m just a much more relaxed and chill person now compared to how I was when I was younger. Yes my younger years were great, but we can’t stop the ageing process, so why not embrace it? I still make sure I nurture the child in me, and I always think you’re never too old to be young! I still watch Disney movies, I still get excited about Christmas, I still love Pokemon and play the games, I still have plushies, I wear my favourite colour pink almost every day, I act silly and laugh a lot. Even through the tough times, I still try to embrace life and enjoy the ride. The chances of us even being born are so rare, so I try to just be present as much as I can.