Welcome To Quiet Time

Christmas and New Years are big loud holidays with lots of people and lots of activities. It can be hard for the introvert or overwhelmed extrovert to find a moment to sit down and relax. Sometimes the best thing is to go to a quiet spot where no one will bother you. If that doesn't work, get in the car and drive off. If that still isn't an option and running off to join a convent is starting to look better and better, I suggest taking a long walk.

I love the holidays, I really do. I love being around my family after not seeing them for a long time. I enjoy all the food (when don't I enjoy food). I especially love seeing all the decorations. Sometimes, though, it does get a bit much.

If I'm in a situation during the holidays where I might find myself becoming overwhelmed, I have a few strategic plans to find that calm, quiet place.

1) Get up early or stay up really late - my sleep cycle sometimes suffers a little, but if I really need the quiet time, I can usually find a time (like 3am) where I am the only person awake.

2) Have a set of car keys handy - it's the easiest escape route. If I don't have my own car, I try to have an alternative.

3) No car keys, no problem, I take a walk - at least I'm off on my own.

4) It's okay to say no - sometimes the best way to find peace and quiet during the holidays is to say no to big parties. Instead find a different time to visit close family and friends when there are less people around.

5) I have a quiet spot set up in advance to hide out in - the only downside is that people need to respect this spot. If they don't, then the quiet spot won't stay quiet for long.

Also note, that although I know I need the quiet time, other people don't know or understand. People can get upset if someone doesn't feel up to being social. Don't compromise your mental well being during the holidays because someone else is upset.

Until next week.

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Welcome to a Full House

This week, my roommate's family came in from Brazil. They are going to stay through to the new year. It has been a few years since my roommate has seen their family and it's their niece and nephew's first time in near New York City. They aren't used to the cold like we are.

I have a really big extended family and having everyone in one place was always fun as a kid. I loved seeing all my cousins, aunts, and uncles. There was a lot of laughter and sharing of embarrassing stories. Though there never seemed to be anywhere quiet to hide.

Our apartment isn't the biggest. It's not bad for two or three people and my room is my place of zen whenever we have a lot of people over (probably because it's so messy and no one wants to see that). It can be tough having a lot of people here. I have to be really quiet while making breakfast, which can be hard with our squeaky floorboards. Also timing when to get in the shower can be a challenge.

It's worth it having people visit. Especially when they come from really far away. My roommate doesn't get to see their family very often and this visit is even more special since it's Christmas. My family also now lives far away and it's wonderful when they come to stay with us. There's tons of food, which is always a plus.

There is a small language barrier. My roommate's mom only speaks Portuguese, but their niece and nephew understand a lot of English. I only speak a little Portuguese (according to my app I'm 5% fluent). Between English, Portuguese, and a little Spanish (my roommate's mom understands some Spanish) we can have full conversations. That doesn't stop some misunderstandings from happening.

I do tend to follow a few basic steps when there are a lot of people staying with me.

• Offer to help with anything (especially if it's not your family visiting) - it can be as simple as making someone a cup of tea
• Have a quiet place - if you are someone who needs down time, having a safe and quiet spot to go to is key. It could even be a short walk around the neighborhood or sitting in the car for ten minutes.
• Ask what people are doing - it doesn't pay to be caught off guard
• Above all else - enjoy the moment. The apartment/house won't be full for long, so it's important to enjoy it while it lasts. The memories will last a life time.

Having an apartment full of people can be a challenge, but it's a challenge worth taking. I wouldn't trade my apartment full of friends and family for a short period of time for anything.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome To Christmas Lights

In about a week it will officially be winter, in less than two weeks it'll be Christmas and it feels like it's the middle of spring. I was able to walk around outside in a short sleeved shirt today. I wouldn't have known it was almost the holidays if there weren't so many decorations out.

Everywhere I look there are evergreens, Christmas lights, train displays, and bright red ribbons. Much like Halloween, people seem to go all out for Christmas and Hanukkah. The towns are all lit up and have trees decorated. There's a long line to visit Santa at the malls.

The Christmas Lights were up in New York in November. When I was there the tree in Rockefeller Center wasn't lit yet, but the tree at Radio City Music Hall was. I saw people lined up around the block to get into the Rocket's Holiday Show. I remember going when I was 7 and it was really cool.

My roommate and I put up two trees. We both had one. It was fun to put on Christmas music and set up the trees. Unfortunately they aren't real trees, but I guess that means we have less clean up. Still glitter got everywhere and we had to vacuum a few times to get it all up.

The Big Tree

My tiny tree and yes that is a spider web as the tree topper.

I remember when I was a little kid, putting up the Christmas lights was exciting (except when I had to put the lights on the holly bush, then it hurt). We had two trees, one in the front of the house and one in the back. I would get to decorate one and my sister would decorate the other one (with our mom and dad's help of course). It was usually cold and we'd hope for a light snow fall.

It was magical then and it still is now.

If you enjoyed this post (or it pissed you off), please like, share or leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome To Lunch Time

It starts with a drop in blood sugar and a decrease in concentration. It ends with the stomach rumbling and the need to take a break. Lunch at the office is typically between 12 and 1pm and can sometimes be as late as 2:30, which means I usually start eating around 10:30. If that logic doesn't make sense to you that's because I eat smaller meals throughout the day and eat my first "meal" around 10:30. I eat a slightly bigger meal around 1 and a second smaller meal around 3. This way I'm not starving when I get home.

Most of the time I make my own lunch. It has it's benefits. It's definitely cheaper than eating out everyday and I find cooking relaxing. Sometimes I even go all out and make faces with my food.

A tuna, spinach, cheese, and carrot yawning sandwich

Apparently I also eat really healthy food when I bring my lunch because one of my co-workers asked me if I was on a diet or if that was just how I ate after they saw my lunch. My response was that was just what I like to eat. I typically include some sort of protein, a piece of fruit and tons of veggies.

I call this the chill bento lunch...

I like to plan out my meals for the week. Usually I make my lunch for four days and on the fifth (again usually a Friday) I treat myself out to lunch. Occasionally I go out to lunch with my co-workers.

I will admit, the first few times that I went out to lunch with my co-workers, I didn't want to eat in front of them. I felt I was awkward and my inner critic was over analyzing my manners. I'm also not the best at small talk. I prefer to listen and let other people direct conversation. That's not to say that I can't start a conversations, but again, my inner critic is usually telling me to be quiet.

However, it is important to spend time with co-workers and get away from my desk. Lunch time is the perfect time to do that. It's when people can relax a little and talk about what's going. There's also a group of us that watch the Chew while we eat.

Now I need to plan this week's meals. Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.