I typed this pretty early. Usually, I scramble my way through writing when a new month comes, but I’m typing this two days before the month ends—which is a pretty nice change (yes, this post is scheduled!) Procrastination didn’t hit me last January, which is a welcome habit for the year ahead. I want to keep this momentum.

All in all, it was a pretty nice month. I can’t believe January is over. And despite all the complaining I saw on social media about January being too long, I actually liked it. Life already feels like it’s in turbo mode so I’m embracing these calm, slow days. Routine days are my favorite, like I always say. Ack, I digress again, I shall do the wrap-up now!

Life Lately

• Back to Work! After two weeks of holidays, I’m back to work again. Fortunately, the month was mellow too, as with everything else. I totally enjoyed my break, but getting back to routine feels really nice too.
• My poor feet! 👣😭 Exactly one day after the holiday, I got my lab retaken as the doctor requested, and thankfully, it was normal. I also got the results of my skin punch biopsy. A little backstory: there was a flea infestation in our building and I ended up with itchy feet. In trying to ease the scratching, I tried various things—ointments, patches, lotion, stickers—the whole nine yards! but the experimentation caused blisters. 😨 The derm recommended a biopsy just to be safe. The blisters healed now, but left ugly scars (hyperpigmentation) so now I can’t wear sandals without feeling self-conscious 🙈
• New anime season! My list is stacked, y’all! I was about to write my first impression, but I got too caught up with weeb (piracy!) drama and ended up writing two new impromptu blog entries (like I wrote them on the spot!). Of course, JJK was so good, like 5 episodes in, and call me impressed! The shoujo anime series look promising this year too!
• I love the weather! The weather was super nice for the whole month It was mostly cloudy and cold! 💨☁️🥶 The temperature even dropped to 19.2°C, which is pretty cold for our tropical, humid country! I welcome more of this chilly breeze anytime. Gonna enjoy it while the amihan season is still here!
• Sister’s situation 🙁 I can’t share details, but my sister opened up to me. While it was sad to learn about it, we’re still pretty optimistic. I don’t know how she will move forward, but I know God has a plan for them, and I will always pray for them! The power of prayers is real.
• Working on my bookworm era. I read a short book called Animal Farm, which was a delight because I didn’t expect it to be that kind of book—heavy and kind of political. It feels very relevant to the current local political landscape. History repeats itself for those who don’t learn from it! 😮‍💨
• The redesign is ongoing! I’m actually pretty pumped about the design I made! And it’s more me than the retro design I was supposed to launch last year. I’m thinking of putting my blog on hiatus while working behind the scenes. If you see a notice, take it as a sign that things are moving along. It’s been five years since I last redesigned this hub.

February Agenda

• Holidays galore! We have Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day, which I’ll probably celebrate even though I’m not of Chinese descent (I just have small eyes, that’s all) or in a relationship (I’ve been celebrating Single Awareness Day for a long time now 😝). But it’s a great excuse to indulge myself, right?
• Continue the design? Yep. I’m actually super motivated, maybe because I’m not thinking about deadlines? so the pressure is off my shoulders, making me more inspired to work. Can’t wait to see it come together.
• Finish my second book. It’s not really a secret (it’s on my goodreads) but I’m currently reading Tahereh Mafi’s This Woven Kingdom. It’s painfully slow, but I’m still hopeful. According to my reliable sister, it has a vibe similar to Nina the Starry Bride, an anime I adored, so hopefully it sparks the same interest!

I’m very grateful for January. May we have a blessed and loving February ahead! 💖✨🌷