Yes, I am well aware that I vanished and have really neglected my blog for almost half a year. Unfortunately, it was one of the things that had to give while I sorted out my mental health and life in general.
The good news is that I am back, I'm feeling creatively re-charged - as well as happier in general - and I am looking forward to getting back on the blogging horse. In fact, I'm really looking forward to going to new places, trying new foods and picking up some more beauty products all so I have more excuses to put pen to paper - or at least type a bit more!
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I haven't disappeared completely, but sometimes I've struggled to post on there, let alone write a blog. I'm hoping this will change now, although you'll have to forgive me for easing myself back into the swing of things and not posting quite as much as I used to.
A change of scene
I was previously working for a company (I'm not naming any names) that I was really excited about at first. It was meant to be a great opportunity that would let me develop and use the marketing skills I had gained over the last four to five years. Sadly, this didn't turn out to be the case and I just ended up writing a lot on a daily basis, none of which I really cared about and nothing that actually tested me.
Ultimately, I felt like I had actually taken a step back in my career and it got me really down. It also meant I didn't want to come home and write anything for myself, which made matters even worse. The only really good thing I took from the experience was some great colleagues who I'm still in contact with (although they are a bit rubbish at organising face-to-face catch ups).
Rather than drag it on for any longer than necessary and hoping that the opportunities I was initially told about would come to pass, I looked at what else was out there. Luckily, I managed to land myself a job that I enjoy and that challenges me on a daily basis. I'm now writing about things I care about and am interested in, as well as spending my days in the office with a great group of people.
Even the fact that I now get home from work pretty early in the afternoon has made a difference (especially now it's spring). In fact, I got home at a decent time today and opened my laptop straight away to finish this blog. I'm just as busy as at my old job, but what I'm doing is much more suited to where I want to be and that has made all the difference.
Getting out
I've ticked some places off my list and am excited to get writing about them. I'm also making a big effort to see some of the lovely ladies in my life a lot more and enjoy babe dates. While I love exploring places with the husband, sometimes you just need some different energy, as well as bit of a moan about your other half.
All of this means that I've got loads of pictures just waiting for blogs, so I'm really looking forward to sitting down and writing about some of the new places I love.
A space of my own
This has now changed (although our guest room now looks worse for wear) and I finally have the antique writing desk I have always wanted. I've now been enjoying chilling out in my reading nook (I'm currently tackling the Dark Tower series) and actually having a desk to write on.
Not only does this mean I have somewhere to go to write blogs, I can also start writing letters again, which is something I really love to do.
All of these things and more have added up to make feel happier and more settled. They've also helped me get a better grip on my mental health, which is the most important thing at the end of the day.
Anyway, I hope you can forgive the long delay in between blogs (as if my last one was in July!). I'll try not to keep you waiting too long until the next one.