from veganuary to february 2022

 

My veganuary has been very much a case of stay calm and have a cup of tea, light som candles, cuddle cats, and trust the process. 

When I would honestly like to scream LET’S GET THIS 2022 ADVENTURE STARTED!!!

The gratitude, calm, impatience, exhaustion, excitement, worry, trust, curiousity, sadness in a messy, entangles heap of emotions. I think that sums up my first month of 2022. A year that bodes change with capital C.

I’ve spent my month continuing to work for the change I want, need, hope for on a personal level. Which hopefully will lead to better things for more beings than myself, needless to say. Simply said, a meaningful job that light my spark again. 

This pandemic world has drained me of so much of myself and my natural sparks are no longer effortless. Those added 10 years during these past two, and the pandemic brain, it feels like I’m not the real me anymore. Like I’ve been haphazardly erased, if you know what I mean?

I feel stressed as this is not where I ever thought or wanted to be at this st/age in my life, existentially, professionally or financially. But I can also acknowledge that this is where I am suppose to be, otherwise I wouldn’t. And as anxious for change and fabulous new adventures I am, the process is what it is. 

Oh thank goodness for meditation. 

So I have read, I’ve vegan cooked and baked, I’ve watched Netflix series and a few movies (might compile those in a list in a later post), and I have taken the Covid19-booster. This time I just walked down to the vaccination bus drop-in. The vaccinations currently takes place indoors at the town hall due to the harsh winter weather. 

It was a pretty seamless procedure, even if the settings weren’t as polished and professional as the precious two ones. But given how stressed and nervous I was about them and the prospect of riding the train to the city, then unvaccinated, for the first time in 1+ year, this was pretty casual and easy going. 

I’m grateful for the opportunity and for the majority of people that actually care about themselves, other people and the exhausted hospital staff. About 85% of the Swedish population have had the two shots, and 45% have had the booster now. Apart from a sore upper arm for a couple of days I didn’t have any side effects this time either.

During these past three years I’ve probably had more shots that I’ve had for the past 10 years, the TBE vaccination (which also needs booster every third year), at the dentist and now this. And I absolutely hate needles, and I usually avoid medicine, antibiotics and simple painkillers as much as possible, but I hate being sick and in needless pain even more, and quite possibly pass something nasty on to my fellow human beings. 

For me it is that simple. 

That life saving vaccinations have become a ridiculous politicial issue in some countries in general and one in particular, that’s just laughable sng ignorant. If it wasn’t so sad, and in the end affected us all.

I accompanied little mum to an eye surgery in mid January, we’re going back for a follow-up appointment later this week. While I waited for the procedure I had a walk and a rekindle with the visiting Jaume Pensa sculpture I stumbled over in November last year. Now adorned with bird poo, but just as lovely and remarkable imho.

I picked up a couple of vegan semlor (sing. semla, plur. semlor) at Espresso House (new seasonal assortment). We had them at home and they were surprisingly good. Not a classic semla, but with a personal twist and I think that was a very good thing.

The gorgeous sunsets we’ve had in Sweden these past few years may have something to do with climate change/pollutions, but with the way life is currently I think it’s more important than ever to enjoy, admire and be in awe of everything possible. 

As I live in a neighbourhood designed in a way that doesn’t really allow me to see sunsets, spectacular or not, from my garden, it’s a rare treat to see them for me.

The irony that I finally experienced them in a car/taxi on the motorway isn’t lost on me. But I fully enjoyed the sight. And stopped myself from dwelling on the possible cause of the sky colours extravaganza. Yes I may have tweaked the colours somewhat in these photos, but they were much more impressive than the iPhone managed to convey in itself. So imagine something slightly less lurid. 

On my way home I was also treated to the Wolf Moon of January, it was another spectacular sight in the sky. 

I had a few more bits and pieces of veganuary I wanted to touch down on, but as it’s getting close to midnight on these latitudes I will just wrap it up and say that I hope your first month of the year has been a decent one, with at least glimmers of hope, dashes of joy and sparkles of magic. And a whole lot of reasons for heartfelt gratitude. 

To be continued.

Thank you January, with your ups and downs and everything in between. You’ve been a mix of weird and wonderful, if I may say so.

Welcome February, may you bring wonderful news and opportunities. I do need you to sparkle brightly, thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. Now can we please, please, P L E A S E  get this party started?!