CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU POSSIBLE. THAT’S WHO YOU REALLY ARE, LET GO OF ANY PART OF YOU THAT DOESN’T BELIEVE IT.

— C. Assaad

Balmy nights, lazy mornings, sunny afternoons and planning travels. B and I are heading West this winter to Central & South America and I am so excited. I can’t wait to get out there and travel the world and see what is out there, and to experience sunshine and warmth all the time and enjoy living every day. After a long discussion with friends the other night, it makes you realise that when you actually think about it, humans are not programmed to work 9-6 every day. They really aren’t. What’s the point if all you do is work every single day in a job you don’t like just to make ends meet. How is that living? You weren’t put on this earth to do that. And it’s such a shame that society believes that it’s normal to work like that. But, why?

I’m not saying this in a ‘non-productive-be-a-slob-every-day way’, what I’m saying is that it sucks that so many people have to work a job that’s mind numbing and doesn’t fill their lives with happiness and fulfilment to just pay rent and make ends meet. It’s sad that we’ve evolved in a way where each and every year we work harder and harder and have to hustle more and grind more and are looked down upon if we struggle or take a day off because we can’t deal with it anymore. Because we then end up burning out, or our mental health takes a beating. And both mental health and burnout is a huge topic at the moment, especially for millennials. I really think that I struggled with that for sure and I am so much happier now that I work for myself and get to do what I genuinely love doing.

I can schedule in time to go for a run when I want, I can see friends when I want, I can take time off when I really need it. However, that of course means that sometimes I end up having 10-12 hour work days where I don’t leave my desk until it’s bed time. But there’s a type of balance as you start to figure out what works for you and what type of schedule you work better within. You’re able to factor in time for things that you know your physical health and mental health need. Before, when I was working full time in London I found that so hard. And I felt like such a failure for feeling like that - for struggling to deal with the hours and the lack of time I had for myself and my hobbies and my goals that I wanted to work on. All the aspects that bought elements of happiness in my life kept being dropped right down the priority list which is a shame because no one should do that. In hindsight, I struggled more than I thought I was. It’s only since I got out of that environment that I can really see how unwell I was getting and how much I struggled and disliked it.

But anywayyyyy, I’m excited to explore the world and visit another continent and experience different ways of living and cultures and all the fooooooood and inspiration and photos I can take and people I’ll meet. Truly becoming the best version of myself.

A, x