Category: just life

a fresh new year… literally!

we spent most of january huddled under blankets, sitting half a meter from the fireplace, daydreaming about a warm house… or of escaping to a sunnier spot. the pandemic rages on in portugal and so we’re stuck at home. still, we try to make the best of it, chatting with friends online, knitting, working, reading and birdwatching. we’re lucky to have the lagoon so close by — it’s been a lifesaver for stretching our legs on a run or bike ride around the salt ponds now and then. we’ve been trying new routines and schedules, and i’ve been losing weight and messing up with some spreadsheets and beeminder. januaries are good for new starts! :)

oh, 2020… where do we even start?

as the pandemic started in europe, we cancelled all the trips and focused our energy into launching the new forum and the world postcard day, as well as keeping up with postal suspensions all around the world, saving the holidays (and our plans to visit taiwan) for a better year. we went north a few times to check on the family and stock their pantry. i finally got serious about studying chinese and did the HSK4, over 10 years after the first one. we walked, hiked and drove a motorhome. we didn’t see as many people as we would in a normal year, but there were still boardgame nights, and many video dinners with friends. my hair got short and red. we had guests (and dogs!) for the summer, and they got us into birdwatching. the garden bloomed and gave fruits, the succulent collection grew and we switched to eating mostly veggies… so much happened, and it makes me thankful that despite all the worry and distress, 2020 was still a good year for us — a much quieter year, in which we saw less but got more done. maybe we needed that.

may 2021 bring good things too!

lots of new birds, rain, video dinners with friends, a short caravan trip to hike around alentejo and check on our favorite coast, new succulents, lots of walking… and so much chinese studying.

a good month by all accounts, but i think this year is finally getting to me. :( slowly, tiredness settled in and it felt like my energy was barely enough to keep up with work and studying for the exam. i tried to squeeze in some walking everyday, but everything else just felt like too much.