Hello, beautiful people. If you are a woman reading this blog, hope you had a great day so far today. And at least got offered a seat on a busy train, even just for today.

8 March is International Women’s Day, an event held around the world to commemorate the struggle for women’s rights. There are several rallies and demonstrations all over the world but I hope one day, women won’t have to march in the streets demanding for equality. According to the UN, March 8 is “a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.”

I wish everyone gets that message into their hearts and live by it, everyday.

The people at my workplace made this day extra special by devoting an hour long program devoted to the female staffs. We even got a box of my favorite Patchi chocolates in the end!

Other updates –

I’ve not been blogging for a while, long enough to make me temporarily forget my WordPress admin password. It’s been really difficult – I’ve been busy at work from morning till evening with no chance to sneak in a paragraph or two like before and after that, being a single parent right now, it’s hard for me to blog at home. Benjamin is always wanting my attention (naturally) and when he’s asleep I have zero energy left. I love spending time with the kids because they’re a fun bunch and never fail to make me smile or laugh but I admit, I miss my alone time where I can write.

Spring break is around the corner and the kids will have two weeks off. I wish I had too so I can take them somewhere. I’ve planned it and did a lot of research and study for it because I’m that crazy type of person who creates imaginary itineraries and takes pleasure in grasping information and familiarity about the place even before I’ve been there. I map streets in my mind; I print and study the train routes – my idea of chill time is studying how to transfer from one place to another, imagining things as if I’m already there.

Even before I even bought tickets to that destination.

Sometimes I feel that I’m wasting so much time (and ask myself – is this even normal?). Just a couple of months in to 2017, I already fixed itineraries for Japan, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Milan and Como area in Lombardia region and lately, Sofia, Bulgaria. I even studied how to read Cyrillic so I can read signs in Russian (it’s not hard + it’s fun).

But the painful truth is, only one of those itineraries will be materialized. And not on spring break.Who am I kidding? With a full time job, I can’t really leave for vacations often. And my vacation days have been already allotted in summer.

I hate that after a long time without blogging I’m coming back just to whine.

Also, I was under the weather the past two weeks, first with a very painful, debilitating period then the kids got sick and then I got sick. I wasn’t able to exercise for 2 weeks now and I get so heartbroken not being able to cross out my schedule pasted in the refrigerator door. I miss being in the zone. I always feel better if I exercise first thing in the morning before going to work.

I did my routine religiously for 7 weeks and then on the 8th, I feel like a complete failure. If you look at me, maybe you couldn’t tell that I’m that person who exercises. But at this point in time, I’m not really after the much coveted “bikini body”, I’m after being fit, mobile and not dying while running up the stairs when the escalator at the train station breaks down. And I am in need of a dose of happy hormones.

It’s almost the weekend and I’m going to take the kids to the beach. Not because they needed it, but because I need it. Hopefully, next week is a better week! I wish you all a great weekend ahead.

Even when I can’t blog, you can see updates on my Instagram (I frequent there than here) and Twitter or my blog’s Facebook page.