My spring break was looking pretty relaxed with not too much to do, which was just the way I had wanted to spend it, but two weeks ago it filled up all of a sudden. There was a comment thread in the PHLbloggers Facebook group on the topic of collaborations. I left a comment saying that I’d love to do lifestyle/style photography for anyone who needed an extra hand (like if someone was working on an outfit post featuring themself and needed an extra hand to take the photo). I was overwhelmed and honoured that six bloggers were interested in collaborating. So that’s what I’ll be up to during my spring break! I’m hoping to spend half of each day doing a photoshoot and editing, and then spend the rest of the day doing my own productive stuff. I’m so excited for this creatively filled spring break and for all the photography I’ll be doing, but I hope that I don’t forget to get my own productive work done as well (most important of which will be finding a summer job…).

I’m halfway through my last week before spring break (plug: spring break plans coming to the blog next Monday)! The semester has been going pretty well so far. I have a system for managing my workload, and I’m trying my best to stick to it for as long as possible. This last week and a half has been rough though, especially with professors sliding in midterms and labs just before spring break. But I’ve completed all three of my midterms, and just have two labs to go.

Now seven weeks into the semester, I’m scared that I might start slipping, but I think spring break will save me just in the knick of time to give me space to breathe, relax, rejuvenate, and get fired up to finish the semester off strong. I need to watch less TV shows. Sleep more. Ask for help when I need it. And ask for it early. Not be embarrassed. Keep making time for people I care about. And things I care about doing and making.

This was my first month of not writing weekly Happy Lists and it felt weird! A happy moment would occur, I’d make a note to make a note of it, but then I’d remember that I was no longer writing weekly Happy Lists. (This year I’m doing monthly reviews instead, if you recall me mentioning. This post is the first of them.) I think I’m going to start noting down my happy moments again and share them in my monthly reviews, starting with next month! I’d start this month, but I’m writing this post at the end of the month and I can’t remember the little joys and triumphs that happened in between.

I’m sat on the sofa in a position that to any other would look contorted, but to me is unexplainably comfortable. With the house still in the quiet hours of the morning, I’m curled up with my iPad, catching up with my Bloglovin’ feed. Every so often the calm in my heart will be interrupted by the slow internet connection in China, I’ll swear to take my daily Bloglovin’ time away from my morning ritual for as long as I’m in China, but then the page will load, and I’ll forget everything I just thought.

A cup of tea would be nice right now, but I haven’t yet figured out where the family has been keeping the kettle, or the tea for that matter. A lot has changed since I’ve left for college. Not sure what the breakfast situation is with everyone at the moment (whether or not they’re at a period of eating breakfast or skipping it). All I can find is a stale box of Lucky Charms. I’m not sure if it’s expired or if they’ve just forgotten to seal the box. I spy a box of chocolate truffles that look safe, so I’ll have one for breakfast, at least until the rest of the family wakes up and can tell me where the edible food is.

When I’m done catching up with my Bloglovin’ feed, the family is still in bed, so I pull up a book on my iPad and keep reading until I get distracted by my own thoughts, most likely a blog post idea or the beginnings of one. I’ll set down my iPad, reach over for my laptop, and start writing, something like this.

How has your month been?

I have one week of sweet freedom before I’m back to slogging it through school, so I gotta optimise my time by figuring out how to delegate it between rest (zzz), revitalisation (adventures!), academic productivity (review), and personal passion projects (blogging/photography/writing, apartment interior design).