I finished off the blog post for November in private posts, as there are naturally things that I want to reflect on but don’t want anyone with an internet connection to read. A few will be in my professional portfolio regarding experiences at work.

Work is… Well, it’s coming up to Christmas, so you can probably guess what working in a major store is like, especially in the customer service area. I am thankful for those customers who come with a smile and a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ – the ones that remember that you are a human being, too.

My plan for December involves reading, knitting and moving. Flan and I are moving from a tiny, one bedroom flat inside the ring road to a three bedroom house in a neighbouring village. The rent isn’t too expensive, but I have to admit that money is a bit tight given that we have to pay for a month of rent in our current flat (contract only ends Jan. 20th) and for the deposit. Oh, and let’s not forget the Christmas presents that need to be sent over to South Africa. But the overlapping rent will be worth it, as we will actually have space for a Christmas tree in the new place! (Especially as it’s unfurnished…and we don’t have a lot of furniture.)

A Christmas tree means Christmas decorations, of which we have none. I know Flan’s father is donating a few for our first Christmas in our own home. We don’t have enough money to waste on stocking up on enough decorations to make our tree look loved, so I’ll be attempting to knit a few. I’ve bought myself some cheap acrylic yarn in the standard Christmas colours (green, red, white, plus a bonus glittery black). I’ll be attempting stars, snowflakes and maybe an reindeer or elf.

I’ll also be trying to wind down from the bustle of work with a simple, reliable relaxation method – getting lost in a good book. Once upon a time, I was the child who could finish a 700-page Harry Potter book in one long 7-hour stretch. Then came high school, though I did manage to juggle homework and reading back then, as homework was a simple issue of finished/unfinished. When I started university, reading became difficult, as reading for pleasure wasn’t relaxing. It was riddled with guilt and worry. Shouldn’t I be studying? With occupational therapy, it’s not finished/unfinished, only don’t know/know a little/know a little more/etc. There’s no endpoint to the knowledge and understanding, and I never knew what was enough to do well in essays and exams. So I kept feeling like I should be studying, reading articles, writing reflections, etc. But now I feel like I should have some work/life balance and get back into reading for pleasure, not just learn learn learn. I do very much enjoy studying and learning new things, but if I binge, then I get exhausted and don’t feel like doing anything.

So I’m going to read this evening, and maybe I’ll even finish a book. Book of choice, What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang, as recommended by @kirtyes.