Life lately #14

One minute is Christmas, then suddenly New Year arrives and before you know it, we are well into January. Why does it always seem like someone has their finger on the fast forward button this time of year? I had planned to put this blogpost up much sooner but there we go. 

Highlights from the last month or so include a delightful trip to Malta (a destination that massively surpassed my expectations) and plenty of festivities in London. The start of the year is a time that is synonymous with reflection and setting intentions, so I thought I’d share just that in this blogpost. 

A year of sobriety 

Unless the generous lashings of brandy are baked into Christmas pudding counts as meaningful alcohol consumption I can say that 2023 was a completely sober year for me. Though I’ve never been a big drinker, my alcohol tolerance definitely isn’t what it used to be. For me, even one glass of wine can cause brain fog and an impending sense of doom to hit the next day. Though my year of sobriety has already elapsed, with all the great alcohol free alternatives available the desire for a tipple hasn’t returned just yet. 

Minimalism
Minimalism is subjective but for me it means quality over quantity, simplification and the stripping away of the superfluous. It’s something I try to apply to all areas of my life, within reason and without going to extremes. That looks like endeavouring to buy less and only investing in high quality purchases that spark joy, pouring more into fewer relationships that I have with those closest and not spreading myself too thin, not over scheduling to allow myself to be more present in the moment etc. you get the gist. Oftentimes, less is more.

Patience and persistence 

This is probably going to sound rather cryptic but bear with me, I feel like the following can be applied to a number of life’s scenarios. I’ve learnt not to get too disheartened if things don’t come good in the first attempt. From what I’ve observed, things can often take a few tries to reach a ‘great’ or desired result, with lots of valuable learning along the way. Sometimes the ‘pursuit’ will even lead you to an outcome far superior than envisaged.

Moments at Chiltern Firehouse. 

Liberty London. 

Festive essentials. 

Festive displays at Fortnum & Mason.

Soho Home.

Live music and a wonderful atmosphere at Harrods food hall. 

Views of London from Shangri-La at The Shard. 

Trafalgar Square tree lighting. 

Admiring all of London’s festive light displays. 

Raffles at the OWO London. 

One of my favourite Dale Chihuly works, at the V&A. 

Saatchi Gallery. 

The Dylan resort.