Here we are. Again. Also, returning to this blog that has been abandoned for months. So, it's that time of the year again and I don't mean Christmas, I mean the day before my birthday. I almost didn't do this post this time because I thought it would suck balls, because I have been in a dark place lately and I thought that it would only sink me further. It was hard to come up with good things that happened this year even though there have been many.
Let's start with the easy ones, this year I have been to four concerts: Editors in March, which was a fucking riot of energy, it was not my first time seeing them, but this time it was a non-stop of dancing and gooseflesh (also, Tom still has this voice like poured honey, if I could marry a voice it would be his). In June I went for a MILK session, the only one that has been done in Paris, with Yannis the singer from Foals, and that was crazy because it is a jam session, but it was still fun. In September it was Janelle Monae's turn and that woman knows how to put up a show! It was just incredible, I fell in love, believe me, if you ever have the chance to see her live, GO! And finally, just this week, Frank Turner, I don't think I can say anything else about him that I haven't said before, I laughed, I cried, I danced, I went out of there knowing that there were things that needed to change, and then I proceeded to make bad life choices by going to the DJ set (which was fantastic) on a work night and get waaaay too late at home. I have also gone to museums often, from Georges Pompidou, one of my favorites, to the Grand Palais, and the Palais de Tokyo, broadening my taste in art. And speaking of art, I have also gotten some on my skin getting my first tattoo almost 4 months ago (past time).
I have had my parents visit a couple more times and I have been back home three times, including Christmas last year. Both kinds of visits are intense, when they come here because we go to places like to the Formula E race, the Palais Garnier, or Versailles, when I go there because there is so many people I need to see that I barely have time for all of them. I also went to Belgium on holidays late in September and I was rewarded with the most glorious weather you can imagine and I ate lots of waffles and fries, and drank beer, and visited my cousin whom I don't see often enough. And that's pretty much all for traveling, although I have explored Paris a lot and found some really cool places.
Work has continued to be rewarding and amazing, with lots of hours in the microscope, but also some various social events and having amazing labmates that make up for long days. I got a paper published (a collaboration) and I presented again at a conference.
My love life has continued to be a joke, although I did go on some dates (that were disastrous), so I don't think that can actually get worse. I mean, it probably could, but only if I got into a horrible relationship.
Personally, it has had lots of ups and downs. My mental health has been fragile at times, with some depressive episodes, anxiety has stayed away a lot more. I guess that moving out into a place you don't know that much people doesn't help, but at points it felt more than that. It hits me specially hard when I come back from a home visit, for some reason. The distance makes things difficult with some people and more intense with others, so I have learned that I need to be around people who make me feel good. I have also learnt to let things go, which has taken me a ridiculous amount of time, but I feel like a burden has been lifted from my soul and it feels good.
That's pretty much it for the 30th year of my life, so I guess from tomorrow on I'll start being a 30-something.
