It’s not about how often you fall, it’s about how often you get up. Or something equally cheesy. I’ve been battling with life the past few months, well, years I guess. I got into a rut, then fell into a well guarded by trolls of Doom and Gloom when my job and relationship ended, and have been trying to climb out ever since. Sometimes I think I’m getting pretty far up the ladder, only to realise a few weeks on that I’ve taken a tumble and fallen back. But this week, which has been pretty shit in some aspects, has had some really good moments, which make me feel like getting up and trying to climb the ladder again.
Hey, ho. Let’s go.
1. Welcome to the 27 Club…
Now just don’t die. I turned 27 last Sunday and the day before that I had a wonderful picnic with some friends. I think the best surprise of the day was Becs coming along with her man, Kiran. New friend made, even if he doesn’t quite know it (yet). But there was food and hugs and happiness. The next day I went for lunch with my mom and dad. We hang out a lot. I’m not sure that’s what normal 27 year olds do, but man, I dig hanging out with my folks. There was delicious Greek food and a walk on the beach, two things which make me happiest.
2. Cheesecake dinner
On Thursday evening, I met up with Rémy for dinner. And the fact that we ate cake for dinner pretty much sums up the awesomeness of the evening. Sometimes, just sometimes, you’ll have conversations with friends that are pretty light and fluffy and don’t seem all that meaningful, but it just shifts something in your perspective. It was one of those nights. Plus, the boy cycles and does salsa. Ladies, calm yourselves and form an orderly line. You can stalk read his blog over here.
3. Drinks with Texx
I’ve known the phenomenon that is Tecla for ages. I think I first met her with I gatecrashed one of her birthdays with a mutual friend when I was in a super dark phase following the breakup with Sebastien. And we just clicked. No one knows quite as much about music about this fine young lady, and I love it when I have interns who give me starstruck looks when I can casually say, ‘Oh, Texx as in Texx in the City? I know her. She’s a good friend of mine’. Quality person, quality time.
4. Lunch with Dean
I’ve been bumping into Dean in the mornings on the train platform in town. And on Friday, a public holiday here in SA, we met up for Spur lunch. I know people think it’s weird that I’m good friends with my exes, but seriously, this one has the most lateral sense of humour and never fails to make me laugh with his bizarre dreams and analogies.
5. A compliment from a stranger
Usually, I don’t like strangers. But as I was hanging my washing on Saturday in the communal laundry area, the lady at the line next to me suddenly said, ‘You have great legs. Like, really nice!’ GOSH LADY! And it’s weird how much that made my day. She asked me who I looked like, and I said my mom, and she asked if I was a model because I was tall and perfect. And I was like, JUST MARRY ME OK? THIS EGO LIKES A STROKING. Sometimes, nice words with zero intention behind them apart from kindness, are all it takes to make a day.
6. Constantia in the morning
One of my favourite things to do as part of my ‘getting active’ goal for the year is to walk the Alphen and Diep River trails in Constantia. I’m a long way from fit, but I did, at one point, run as fast as I could like a little kid down a path. Because exercise doesn’t have to be serious or be punishment for eating leftover cake for breakfast. Exercise can be happy.
