February 2019 | Recap
February is the shortest month of the year but famously rough AF for a lot of us, including myself! Honestly this is when seasonal affective disorder really seems to hit home for me… in Michigan it’s my tipping point of snow-filled months with not enough time outdoors. Here’s how the month went for me…
Where was I in February?
Michigan (Lansing), Florida
Most popular Instagram in February…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtoEvCfAjJQ/
My favorite Instagram in February…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtYkR7fAryP/
February on the blog…
- To all the places I have loved before.
- Gluten Free Restaurants NYC: A Guide to Eating Gluten Free in NYC
- The Best Korean Spa in NYC is Not Actually in NYC
- A Winter Stay at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids
February adventured like…
- Jeez, February was a tough one. I was sick for four weeks, starting in January. One of those colds that never seems to end. Every time I felt better I’d return to work, and then come down with the cold even worse. It got to the point one night where I couldn’t sleep as my ears were in so much pain. I went into Urgent Care and it turned out I had a viral throat infection, a mouth infection, a sinus infection, and a severe ear infection. 10 days of antibiotics later I felt a LOT better, but I’m still taking a wide berth of anyone else who’s ill!
- I did quite a bit of dog sitting this month! It was actually kind of a chore… usually I enjoy dog sitting SO much, but on top of being sick everything felt a bit tough this month.
- I started feeling better a week or so ago and since then I’ve been getting back into exercising and TRAVEL PLANNING! Yup, I booked all my flights for my upcoming travels at the end of March. Still have to figure out some in-country logistics in England etc, but things are shaping up! I’ll be headed to England, Nepal, and more and I can’t wait.
- I’m writing this from Florida! So this month wasn’t all dreary, freezing, and sickly, even if that’s how I’m making it out to be. On Monday I flew down to meet my family, who are visiting my grandparents. We are helping out with some things down here, I’m *trying* to continue my freelance writing whilst here, but also managing to get some sun. I love seeing my grandparents and although it is tough to see them aging, there are also some really sweet moments. Like playing hearts with my Grandma tonight, who we definitely underestimated. One moment she’s like “ooh how do we play this game?” and the next moment she’s shooting the moon and beating us all. Sneaky lady.
- I am OH SO CLOSE to submitting my application to the occupational therapy association in the USA. Once my application is approved, I can take the board exams and finally get a job here as an OT (what I did my MSc in the UK in). This has been weighing so so heavily on my mind the past year. So I’m itching to click that submit button!
- I QUIT MY JOB. Technically, I resigned and my last day isn’t until the end of March (the day before I fly to England). And after that I’ll be on pool status, so I can still pick up hours when I return from my travels. But it felt like a big moment. I have mixed feelings as I do feel SO ready to move onto the next thing in my career, after a year in this setting. But at the same time I really love the residents I work with. They’ve grown to feel like extended family and I will miss them dearly, and worry about them when I leave. Maybe this one deserves its own blog post (pending title: I Quit My Job to Travel But It’s Not As Glamorous As The Other Travel Bloggers Make You Believe It Is).
February in health…
- The endometriosis symptoms have been awful. I feel like my pain is getting worse month by month, more so than it was before my laparoscopy back in October. But pelvic physical therapy and counseling are REALLY helping me get through it.
- I have referrals to see both an endometriosis specialist at University of Michigan, and a specialist gastroenterology program. I am so ready to advocate for myself and be seen by specialist physicians. I don’t know what the next steps are for me medically, or if I even want/need to have another surgery, but I’m glad that I’m going to be discussing options.
- I started using The Food Diary Co symptom and food tracker. It’s been 9 days so far and it’s already made a big impact on my awareness of my symptoms day by day. I’m already starting to draw some connections between triggers. I’ve been doing the candida diet again (in addition to gluten free I’m also not consuming sugar, dairy, yeast, processed foods, and some starches). My digestive symptoms are slowly abating. I really don’t enjoy being on such a restricted diet (as I discussed in this instagram post) but it is the right thing for my body right now. I’m hoping that it will eventually lead to a freer diet with more clarity on the foods that are triggering me.
February shopped like…
- Loving this [amazon_textlink asin=’B074TBYWGS’ text=’silk eye mask ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sarahbence06-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b145b787-5607-443d-84af-94582caf638a’]- used it on the bus to the airport for a mid morning nap 🙂 Highly recommend as it’s eco friendly, cheap, and so cute!
- I’ve been eating this [amazon_textlink asin=’B00H2AAXMQ’ text=’sugar free chocolate ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sarahbence06-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2b580c12-01b8-4b88-92f6-b61e3710dc82′]on the candida diet. It’s pretty much my only “processed food” because tbh I cannot give up chocolate.
February mantras…
I hope you all had wonderful Februaries (and didn’t spend it sick as a dog like me). What are you all up to in March? I will be spending March with my nose to the grindstone, getting as much work done as I can before I fly off to London at the end of the month!
Sarah xx
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