Vacation is Over

I never earned a weekend as much as I earned one this time around. After four solid months of vacation and a long stream of 'Saturdays,' I have started a new routine at Snap in Dun Laoghaire. For someone use to a 4:50 am rise and shine for her previous job, a 7 am alarm seems so late! I would've been an hour into my shift at Electric Boat and going for my second cup of tea. It is certainly hard to have less time for myself in the afternoons, but I keep telling myself that these are, in fact, normal people hours.

The day begins with the #100abchallenge, which I aim to complete every day for the month of January. I have to do this right away, otherwise I won't have the energy when I get home from work and feel ravenous for dinner. It is day 13 of January and I'm on a roll with the challenge! It is day 3 of the new job, and I'm under the roll with abs of steel.

I proceed to gather my water bottle and items for the day, and head out to the Dart station to catch the reliable green train to work. The Dart station spits me out twelve minutes later, and I enjoy a refreshing morning walk to the office. So far, the mornings are dark and I can't see the beautiful coast. The same dilemma goes for the evenings. But not to fret! I am able to absorb the coast during my lunch break and take my eyes off the take-away food joints outside the storefront window. I must say, I get a kick out of people-watching. After three days, I already know certain people's routines.

Week one on the job was daunting, but that's only because I expect myself to be an expert right away. I do not like feeling in the dark - especially when there are others watching. Maybe I'll be an expert at week 2, or maybe I won't until year one, and that is okay. I am grateful to have a job now, and grateful that I now have a source of income to fund my Thai massages.

Indeed, it is very important to treat your body to a hot oil rub down at least once a month! Job or no job, a massage is vital to my well-being. I ended my stressful week on a hot bed of towels. #Lotus Thai massage in Dublin helped my aching shoulders and neck more than any massage I have received. The atmosphere glowed with warmth - a red and orange mist cloaked the intimate space and the smell of eucalyptus heat hovered under my nose. I did not want the massage to end! Even when the woman stopped applying pressure, she was hugging my body with towels, warmed by a bowl of hot water. I must not forget to be good to my body and treat it with kindness while I am thrust back into the workforce.

“Whenever you should doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life from beneath the mud, it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty.” ― #Suzy Kassem