You’ve probably heard it a million times, but seriously. How are we halfway through December already?! It’s as if I blinked and the past month (or three) flew right before my eyes. While I’m pretty sure I repeat the same sentiment every year, this time the feeling’s especially strong. At least for me, it still seems like 2020 has a lot of unfinished business, after everything was put on hold because of the pandemic. Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve done a proper life update, so here’s what’s been happening with me lately!
Jacaranda season
As much as I complain that we don’t have real seasons in Australia, that’s not totally true. In fact, there’s a lot to love about spring here, and weather-wise it’s probably my favourite time of year! T-shirts start coming back into rotation, the sun starts setting later… and of course, the flowers start blooming, as if to announce the arrival of better times.
Here in Australia we don’t really have cherry blossoms (not the nice kind, anyway). Instead, when spring rolls around the streets are taken over by jacaranda trees, which paint the city purple with their gorgeous pastel flowers. My favourite thing is when the petals eventually fall down, blanketing the ground with a carpet of purple.
Most years I just admire the jacaranda trees in passing, but for once I decided to set aside time to photograph them properly. A lot of these pictures were taken from the vantage point on Cahill Expressway, which happens to have a great view of Circular Quay. I only discovered it recently, but it’s actually part of a walking track that wraps around the harbour, leading to the Royal Botanic Gardens. And I didn’t know about it this entire time!
Work life
The past couple of months have been pretty hectic at work. As usual there’s a lot of pressure to get things done before the year wraps up, so lately there hasn’t been a dull day in the office! I’ve been working on a few exciting projects including website launches, which can be fun but exhausting at the same time. Considering I hadn’t worked in an office since March, transitioning back to the daily grind after surgery wasn’t exactly easy. In fact, lately I haven’t had much energy to do anything besides eat and sleep as soon as I get home. End of year burnout, anyone?
Of course, I’m grateful that I’m even able to go to the office and gather with other human beings safely here in Australia, where our Covid-19 situation is pretty stable. But at the same time, there never seems to be enough time in a day when most of it’s taken up by work. Luckily my end of year break is just around the corner, so that’ll at least give me some time to properly relax.
On a slightly related note, I recently upgraded my laptop! I managed to nab the new M1 Macbook Air in the Black Friday sales, and I’m so glad I did. Having gone from a 2013 Macbook to a 2020 one, this purchase is definitely one that’s been a long time coming. While I’m yet to test out its full capabilities, for now I’m just glad to have a laptop that doesn’t hum like crazy when it gets a few degrees warmer!
Health updates
Recently I passed the five month mark following my kidney transplant, which is pretty mind blowing. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by! I haven’t really addressed it in recent posts, because honestly… there’s not much to report. My new kidney is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, and I couldn’t have asked for a better result. Honestly, if I had to nitpick my biggest issue right now is probably the hair loss I’ve been experiencing due to my meds (which I was expecting anyway). But apart from that my health has been stable and I’m extremely thankful for it, knowing that other patients I met in hospital had more serious problems following their surgeries.
Of course, I’m not completely out of the woods yet. I still need to see my doctor every few weeks, and am still adjusting to the lifestyle changes that come with a transplant (something I might go into another time). But for now, it just feels good to be able to live my life without a constant cloud of worry hanging over my head, at least when it comes to my health.
Happy Holidays!
Christmas has never been a big thing for me or my family. Coming from an Asian household in Australia, the land of summer Christmases, I’ve always found it hard to get into the festive spirit the way I see it being done in other countries. Our house hasn’t even put up a Christmas tree and we’re supposed to be hosting family this weekend, so that’s how well the planning’s going!
Nonetheless, I still love all the decorations and social gatherings that seem to pop up around this time of year. And of course, I’m looking forward to that long awaited Christmas break! With overseas travel out of the question this year I’m probably going to end up having a chill summer break at home, and I can’t wait. I have so much sleep to catch up on. Shows to watch. And if things go well, blog posts to write.
I’d love to know — what are you looking forward to the most this month? Hope you’re all staying safe, and having a great December so far!
