2024: Week Three

Another summary of the week that was…

The Japanese continues

The week started on a positive note, with a return to my Japanese lessons. I’m in a new class - as it’s scheduled during the afternoon - and it’s taking some getting used to.

But I have the same wonderful teacher, who brought us all back some delicious Japanese KitKat bars from her visit home over Christmas.

Work

Work was a mixed bag, with some great coaching sessions and some progress made on a big podcasting project, mixed with a last-minute client workshop cancellation (they paid!). I also won a new client project and had a new coaching programme kick-off with a new coachee.

I also published my latest work-related vlog and provided a little tour of my new office!

Wellbeing

I still don’t have a referral appointment with the gastro specialist, and I’m going to have to chase that up tomorrow. My health wasn’t too bad and it didn’t stop me going to the gym or getting out for runs this weekend. But it did leave me miserable on Friday night, when I should have been enjoying my best friend’s 40th birthday party. Came home earlier than planned and curled up in pain in my bed.

On a more positive note, my blood pressure is coming down, my post-exercise recovery is improving, as is the speed of my 4km runs. I also lost a little more weight!

My big win on the wellbeing front for this week was sticking to Dry January in the middle of that party on Friday night. I brought a bunch of alcohol-free beers with me, but they were new and pretty awful to be honest. I toyed with the idea of have some prosecco when it was offered (“What’s the harm?") but instead went with the ‘Nosecco’ my friend had bought. My body is very happy with that decision.

Travel and adventure

Less than a month to my solo trip to Tokyo and I’m still doing lots of research on venues to visit. And looking forward to putting my Japanese to good use…

I’ve also booked a trip to Scotland to see family in March. So I basically have a trip to look forward to each quarter of the year, except during July to September. But I’ve no doubt I’ll be organising a jaunt to somewhere hot in Europe to get some beach time and a break from London.

I also bit the bullet and set up a travel-focused blog for all my future travels and memories of trips from the past. You can find it (though there’s very little there just yet) and This Guy Flies. Thanks to Maique for the steer on Ghost. It’s such a breath of fresh air after Wordpress!

Another week in the bag. I’m sitting this listening to Mel Torme while Storm Isha batters the hell out of our neighbourhood. Here’s hoping we wake to a damage-free home tomorrow morning!