23rd January, 2025 - Hello from Wales!
Haaaaaaaaaaaaangh.... It really feels like a lifetime since I last updated this blog. A few months have passed, and we managed to move to Wales! Is it an exaggeration to say the move nearly killed me? Yes (but I'm still going to say it).
Life somehow keeps throwing "the new and improved hardest thing you've ever done" at me, and I honestly don't know how I am still here right now! It has been so, so hard! But things are certainly improving. We're renting a comfortable house, and we've managed to get many of the things we need for everyday life (car, cooking supplies, furniture, etc). RIP to our savings though.
We're lucky to live in an area in North Wales that has a whole bunch of cool things to see and do. We live closer to the beach than ever before - multiple beaches, in fact! And even though it has been winter the entire time we've lived here, it's SO mild compared to what we were used to in Massachusetts. We've enjoyed visiting the beach so many times already, and it's one of those things that makes everything feel better.
When I've not been desperately searching for a job, taking care of each other and enjoying some escapism have been key. We watched an AMAZING J-drama called Brush Up Life (or Rebooting, depending on the region). I'll have to write something longer about it on my Media Recommendations page at some point. It hit all the right notes for the type of humour my wife and I enjoy, and the story grew in scope so wonderfully, becoming something utterly fantastic. There's a new show coming to Netflix soon with the same screenwriter, Bakarhythm, and a number of actors we enjoy. I'm so excited to watch it!
I also recently finished reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers that I feel I similarly will have to write something more in-depth about. It took me a little while to get into, but suddenly I realised I intensely loved these characters and I didn't want it to end. It was really good, though my heart is still recovering from a major plot point that destroyed me. It was great "cosy" fiction without being wishywashy. Definitely looking forward to reading more!
This was meant to be more of a life update, but here I am talking about media I've been enjoying. I guess that's how the past few months have been, really. Things have been really tough, and when recovering from all the intense effort we are putting into simply existing right now, escapism into stories has been so important. When I sometimes feel like it's hard to feel anything at all, it's wonderful to have a good story come along and sweep me up in all kinds of emotions.
Anyway, now that life is maybe slowly healing itself into somekind of routine and rhythm, I'll hopefully have the capacity to spend a little more time tinkering here. I guess this was a kind of messy "catch-up" post from being MIA the past few months. But I'm here! Still alive! Next time I'll write something a bit more focused.
Keep hanging in there! You're doing amazing!
J
Return to blog archive