I woke up today and it is already February. What happened to January? I distinctly remember waking up on the 1st of January and thinking that it is a new year, and now it is already the “one month later” moment. What happened?

Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions and probably we all wish for a better new year when the year changes. I am no exception when it comes to wishing for a better year. But this time around, my wishes definitely didn’t come true in the way I would have expected – and it has taken me almost a month to realise that some things which can seem bad, are actually blessings in disguise.

One of these events that shaped my January almost from the beginning was the announcement from my employer that they would make 35 of us redundant. Working in a nursing unit of roughly 80 nurses I was in a complete shock; 35/80 is too close to half of the workforce, and at the same time I honestly didn’t think that I would live to see the day when nurses would be redundant – especially when we face a world-wide shortage of nursing staff.

But as it is, this announcement and the ongoing situation until the negotiations are finished, which is by the end of February, has caused a bit of stress. Actually, it’s not just a bit, but a lot of stress.

At the same time the cost of living is going up, the loan interests, which have been reasonable are going up, and so on… but the salaries, they are not going up. This equation is stressful, and I am fairly sure many of you can relate to this.

And then there was an event which I am the least proud of. I got scammed, which was about the last straw for January and maybe it was the real reason why I felt that I don’t have any energy left to write.

But it’s February!

After the initial shock from the redundancy news, I decided that I would not sit down and wait if I would keep my job or if they would kick me out. I have applied for several jobs outside of the nursing field as I have started to realise that I can be so much more than a registered nurse. This situation where we have found ourselves in can be taken as something horrible, but also as something that will enable us to move forward and finally start to realise the dreams that we have put on the back burner for such a long time.

Some of my friends and family put the blame on these kinds of adverse experiences to the alignment of the stars and us moving to the Age of Aquarius. I sometimes claim it to be a divine kick in my behind so that I quit the procrastination and actually buck up, roll my sleeves up, and do things. And that is what I need to do now.

Towards March!

Like I said, I need to roll up my sleeves and get on with it. What I have already done is clean up my YouTube channel in order for me to start posting content there to help relaxation and also to promote ideas for your next travels.

I also have my Patreon active for my writing project as this is still one of my passions! Also, at the moment, there is a short story forming somewhere within my brain and soul – surprisingly, it is set to happen in Al Andalus. Meanwhile, you can enjoy the story of Gaius and Theokritos in Pompeii.

I am also cooking up some other small things for you all to enjoy, but those I will keep secret for now and will come back to them later.

Have a great February, you all, and I promise to be more active after this silent January!