April was a journey to say the least! I was weighed down by the behemoth of a fourth year thesis and overjoyed by the Summer sun finally coming out. After some reflection, I wanted to share the best bits of my month!
On one of the warmest days of the year so far, I found myself walking along the beautiful Cruden Bay beach. Sometimes life can get so busy that you forget to enjoy the little things. I planned on being productive and reading my latest novel, The Silent Patient. Mini book review: amazing writing, slightly predictable twists but well worth the read. I kept walking and looking for somewhere picturesque to sit but I was enamoured by the beauty of my surroundings, you could see the old routes that the seawater had travelled across the sand as it was sucked back in. The clouds settled across the horizon and the bright blue illuminated everything. The Ammophila Breviligulata (ahem, grass along the sand dunes) lay across the beach like a tuy toupee. Very uncharacteristically, I was totally alone and loving it. Maybe the Victorians were right about mental health treatments, just a good walk in nature will heal anything!
Another exciting part of April was getting my nails done for the very first time! As part of my graduation prep, I wanted to get a practice set of nails to see what style I liked. Aer meticulously scanning over Pinterest and finding something pretty, I booked an appointment at Union Street’s newest hot spot for nail stuff! As I stepped into the salon, I was immediately overwhelmed by the chemical smell but excited to be a girly girl. I sat down and straight away the tech got to work, what I wasn’t expecting was for the customer sitting next to me to strike up a conversation! I loved the sense of community I felt as soon as I came into the salon and really enjoyed watching true artists at work sculpting and painting their little masterpieces. Aer the last few weeks, I relished the feeling of taking a moment to improve myself a little
After submitting my thesis, my mum decided to make a celebratory cake. Food is one of the biggest ways to take care of someone, the time and effort it takes to make something tasty is another love language. Aer completing something so tiring, I was so excited to enjoy a decadent treat. Layers of light chocolate sponge, fluffy cream right in the middle and sweet strawberry pieces throughout. It was honestly the perfect end to a chaotic month. We sat in the kitchen together and it felt like closure. A quiet little celebration of everything that had built up to this moment: the long days and endless citations. April tested me, but it also reminded me how lucky I am to be surrounded by people that keep me going.
In my old age, I’ve become a lot more extra. Part of that has become celebrating things that I’m proud of! I really wanted some memorable photos to commemorate finishing my dissertation. Was it overkill? Of course. Was it iconic? Absolutely. I went to the University campus with one of my closest friends and we took some gorgeous pictures. I tried to channel Lana Del Rey with my summer dress as we snapped photos around the quad. The ivy covered architecture and golden sunlight bathed everything in beauty.
The last moment I want to take a second to appreciate was a beautiful bowl of ramen with my boyfriend. Sometimes with the monotony of life we can lose sight of taking care of ourselves. A really good meal can force us to pause, take a second and appreciate the moment we’re in. In front of me was placed a gorgeous rich broth filled with silky noodles, slow cooked pork belly and some tasty greens. It might bore some people but I love the patterns that relationships develop over time. I always sit with my boyfriend and share a plate of gyozas no matter what Asian restaurant we’re in (they really are that tasty). I’m not a huge fan of soup but I really think ramen is just the perfect dish.
All in all, April reminded me that even in the chaos there’s so much joy to be found in the small, beautiful things.