Read this on galpod.com. I usually love going back to school. About two weeks before, we try out the old uniform to check if they still fit and order new shoes, skirts, or shirts as needed. About a week before the start of the school year, we wash out the backpacks, go over last year's books, take pictures of things we want to remember, then throw the lot in the recycling bin. On the first day (sometimes the second) of September, we also hang the new calendar and start puttin

Read this on galpod.com. The coronavirus has taken hold of the world. It's what everyone talks about. Stock markets are falling. People are stocking up on toilet roll and cash. It feels in some ways like the end of the world. In many other ways, nothing changed. The kids are going to school (so far), stores and restaurants are open, and people are trying to live their lives. It feels oddly surreal, not just because it is, but mainly because I'm not in a bunker hyperventilatin

Read this on galpod.com. These last few weeks have been difficult. My mind feels like it's racing and at the same time as if it's full of cotton wool. My energy levels are super low. I basically just want to sleep all day, or at least do nothing in bed all day. I'm not particularly tired, just unhappy. And it comes with an immense amount of guilt. My life is pretty much perfect. I'm right where I want to be. I live in an incredible city with a supportive partner who is litera

Read this on galpod.com. I started keeping a notebook with me a little over a year ago. I read about bullet journals and wanted to try it out. Plus, honestly, anything that gives me an excuse to buy new stationery is good in my books. When I was a student (bear with me, it's relevant), I used to schedule every single minute of my day. I would schedule my day in half-hour slots and write down classes, studying time, writing time, and—later on—kids time, meal prep time, and so

Read this on galpod.com. My daughter has a fever. We went to see the doctor. It's probably nothing, but we went just in case. He gave me an antibiotics prescription just in case she doesn't get better over the next day or two. She'll probably be fine. But when it's 2 am and I have a grumpy, whining child in my arms who starts randomly talking about cobwebs, all of a sudden my grogginess clears and I'm wide awake. How high exactly was her temperature? Is it high enough for hal

Read this on galpod.com. For some reason, my schedule this and next week has exploded. Instead of the usual full school-day to write and read, I get to run around the city from one incredible experience to the next. I have workshops and birthday celebrations, voice lessons and various appointments, and even a ballet exam (not me. My daughter. I haven't balleted since I was 9). Here's what happened. At the beginning of the year, I wanted to explore more and go out more. In my

Read this on galpod.com. Well. It's been an interesting month, that's for sure. It has also been six months now since I started the end-of-month reflections, so I spent a little time today looking over those and thinking about where I started and where I'm going. My goals for November were: 1. Finish the academic paper and send to co-authors. 2. Edit the first scene of Labour Pains (my first book) until it's ready to share with my incredible writers' group. I finished the aca

Read this on galpod.com. I'm reading Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection, and she talks about some interesting topics. I want to take the opportunity to talk about some of the stuff that made me think while reading this book. One thing she talks about is the struggle for authenticity vs worrying about what will people say. She says, "... choosing authenticity in a culture that dictates everything from how much we're supposed to weigh to what our houses are supposed to loo

Read this on galpod.com. My mom and sister (and baby nephew!) are visiting, and staying with us in London. I love it when my family comes to visit. My friends always look at me as if I'm from another planet, which is entirely plausible. But I do. I love spending time with my family, being a tourist in London with them. I rarely do it when they're not here, which is a shame. I also love just hanging out with my mom and my sister. There's something about spending several full d