Ah, April. What a month! I remember looking at my planner for this month and seeing that every single weekend was jam-packed. I am not someone who thrives well on a busy schedule, so it’s no surprise that I ended April feeling overwhelmed and ready for a reset. May is looking to be a little less crazy and I am very grateful for it.

Here’s what I got up to in April:

• A writing sleepover – My writing partner Mikaela came up with the idea to have a writing sleepover so we could make serious progress on our novels. She came to my apartment, and we ordered pizzas and even broke out the espresso machine I won at my work’s Christmas party to have some late-night cappuccinos. It was a great time and we got a lot done!
• Being open about my social anxiety – This month, I talked with two good friends about my social anxiety and how it affects my life. It’s really hard to open up about this part of my life because it makes me feel like such a weirdo… but it’s a huge part of who I am. And, of course, my friends were gracious and loving in their responses, asking me if there was anything they can do to help me. That’s all anyone really wants.
• Painting a house for a family in need – A good friend organized a group of people to participate in Paint Your Heart Out Tampa, and it was such an enjoyable day. It felt good to get outside and do something physical, but also to help out a family. I’d really like to seek out more volunteering opportunities because it’s such a fantastic way to give back.
• Celebrating my Pops’ birthday – I was so happy to spend a few hours with my Pops on his birthday. It was also special that my brother and his family came, so it was a full family affair.
• A visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – I love visiting this place so, so much. I mean, I love all of Universal and Islands of Adventure, but WWoHP holds a special place in my heart. My friends and I got to the park right when it opened and we were able to walk onto so many rides! I think we rode around 7 or 8 rides within the first three hours at the park… which included the Gringotts ride and the Dragon Challenge roller coaster (which we rode twice!). It was truly a wonderful, wonderful time and I can’t wait to go back!
• Feeling overstimulated from too much people time – As I mentioned earlier, this month was jam-packed, but there was one weekend in particular that ended up being way too much for me. It involved being around people from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, most of that time being with people I didn’t know all that well. That’s way too much people time for me! I felt so overstimulated by the end of that weekend… and then the following week was not any better since I had plans three nights that week. I felt very irritable and on edge the entire week, crying over the silliest things. I know I just cannot have weekends like that. It’s way too much for my overly sensitive nervous system. Weekends with one to two social plans are plenty for me!
• Watching some great movies – I saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 with my mom, which we both loved though it did give me some feels (Toula’s parents reminded me a lot of my grandma and grandpa!) I also saw Zootopia and The Good Dinosaur, two animated movies that I probably would have never seen if it wasn’t for Roomie. I really, really loved Zootopia and had tears from laughter at some parts. The Good Dinosaur was alright, but not as funny as I had hoped! Lastly, I watched Bridget Jones’s Diary to fulfill my goal to watch 12 movies I’ve never seen before. Loved it, but mostly loved Colin Firth. Heh.

So, what’s up for May? Here’s what I’d like to accomplish:

• Successfully complete “No Buy May“ – What will be most challenging is not spending money on eating out, since I love to eat out and do not love to cook. So that will take careful planning and finding delicious recipes that taste just as good – if not better – than a $15 meal at a restaurant. (And, bonus, I can usually make multiple meals out of $15 worth of ingredients!)
• Write 3,000 words per week – My original goal was to write 500 words daily, but writing daily has been such a struggle for me. Sometimes, there’s just not any time, especially if I have plans after work. So, instead, I’m setting a weekly writing goal, with the thought that I can get most of it complete on the weekends, throwing in one extra writing evening during the week.
• Exercise four times per week – This is a recurring monthly goal and I like keeping it on my list to motivate me to work out.
• Spend time at the pool every weekend – Because what’s more fun than a goal to go sit by the pool?

What were the highlights of April for you? Are you someone who thrives on a relaxed or busy schedule – or something in between?

Happy April Fools’ Day! No pranks from me today. (I’m so not creative enough to prank people!) Instead, I’m bringing you a review of March!

I didn’t keep track of March very well. In January and February, I spent dedicated time each night to write about my day and even write a gratitude note for each day, but I fell off the wagon in March. In doing so, I felt a little out of control and lazy this month. I didn’t achieve the goals I set for myself and I am feeling very lackluster about the way I approached life last month. That said, I find myself greeting April with renewed vigor and this excitement to get back on track and focused. My theme for this year is deliberate action, and not every month is going to go the way I planned. I can only move forward with what I have learned and keep pressing on.

March in Moments

The biggest moment of March was my four-day cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. I went with my best friend, my mom, and my stepdad and had such a lovely time. It was truly the getaway I needed. Bri and I snorkeled in the beautiful Caribbean Sea – an experience I’ll treasure for a very long time.

I had a tiny bit of romance in March, which was unexpected but really encouraging after a string of really bad or boring first dates. While nothing came of the romance, it taught me a lot about what I want from a relationship, what I will and won’t accept. It got me excited about dating again, at a time when I was feeling very disillusioned and tired of the game.

Some other good moments: lady date nights with my roommate, shuffleboard with my book club girls, getting back to my weekly writing dates with my writing partner, quality Mom time (something I need just about weekly to feel centered), Dutch’s 14th birthday, and celebrating International Women’s Day with tapas and sangrias with coworkers-turned-friends. I have a really good life, a life I never pictured myself having, which is something I need to remind myself of when my anxiety gets the best of me.

March in Pictures

Clockwise from left: (1) cruise ship (2) about to go snorkeling in cozumel (3) sunset on my last day of the cruise (4) a special weekend visitor (5) starting a well-loved book (6) dutchy (7) sleepy dutchy (8) shuffleboard winners (9) froyo date with mom

March in Books

I read 7 books in March, which puts me at 21 books read this year. It seems as if I’m on a 7 books per month pattern so far. My favorite read was probably Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! I am so enjoying re-reading this wonderful series. Here are my reviews:

• That Thing Called Love by Susan Andersen (2 stars) – This book was, well, a bit painful to read. I just didn’t find the characters very believable, the romance was meh, and I think the book itself could have used a couple more rounds of editing.
• Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger (4 stars) – I read this for book club, and it was a book I suggested so I was very happy that everyone loved the novel. We read a Lisa Unger novel last year and it was so darn good, so I was excited for another one. This book was super creepy and a bit dark, but I could not put it down for anything. Really want to read more from this author!
• Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl (3 stars) – Sweet contemporary romance novel that I enjoyed. Nothing in particular stands out, just a quick, easy read.
• The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich (2 stars) – I read this for TLC Book Tours. A romance novel that seemed pretty light on the actual romance. Not my favorite of hers. A full review of this book is found here.
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (5 stars) – I really, really love the first two novels of Harry Potter. Everything is still a bit innocent and fun! I enjoyed this novel and tore my way through it during a weekend when I was sad. Perfect pick-me-up selection!
• Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (4 stars) – I really liked this book! It could get dry at times as books based heavily on research tend to be, but Aziz’s writing style more than made up for that. I liked getting some insight into the dating world, especially dating nowadays which is so technology-based.
• Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis (5 stars) – Such a fun romance novel and the last in a three-book series. I read this series back in 2010, and it was really fun to reread. This was probably my favorite of the three and I was immediately hooked on TJ and Harley.

March in Movies

I watched two movies this month; my reviews are below:

• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – I wanted to see this because I love Tina Fey and everything she does, and I was also interested in the story. It was a really, really good movie! Heavy at times, but intermixed with some light-hearted moments. My favorite line: “Embrace the suck… then move the fuck on.”
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – I feel like I may have watched this movie before (Moaning Myrtle felt really familiar to me!). It was just so darn good. This series is such a comfort to me, and I have a sneaking suspicion the movies will soon be my go-to pick when I need my spirits lifted.

March in Podcasts

I didn’t end up adding any new shows to my feed in March, which is good because my podcast queue is out of control as it is! But here’s what I found fascinating or enjoyable from my regular podcasts this month:

• How the Iditarod Works by Stuff You Should Know – I’ve always had a fascination with the Iditarod, and this episode was especially good!
• Extroverted Highly Sensitive Man: An Interview with Johnny Martinez by The Highly Sensitive Person Podcast – I love that Kelly is doing longer interview shows on her podcast now, and I really enjoyed the perspective of being an extrovert with the HSP trait. Interesting stuff!
• Jolly Jane and Either/Or by Criminal – Two incredibly intriguing stories that had me saying “OMG!” more than once while listening.
• Life in Cambodia with Marla Taviano by The Simple Show – I have no desire to live in another country, but I love hearing about those who do! I was really inspired by Marla and her family.
• Lin-Manuel Miranda on Another Round – Because Hamilton, amirite?

Looking Forward to April

I have some fun things to look forward to this month. My writing partner and I are having a “writing sleepover” where we plan to make some serious progress on our novels. I’m participating in Paint Your Heart Out Tampa this year with a bunch of coworkers and friends. And I’ll be heading back to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for a day with a group of friends, which will probably be AMAZING.

This month, I want to focus a lot on writing my novel. I’m challenging myself to write 1,000 words per day for the next three months.

I also want to get serious about eating better and exercising more. I completely fell off the wagon in March and I feel a bit yucky about it. I need to be better at taking care of myself!

Lastly, I’d really love to find a home church to belong to, so I’d like to start that process in April. I’m out of the habit of going to church and the thought of walking into an unknown environment full of strangers is terrifying to me, but I also know that I need to be back in church and I need a church family.

What were some highlights for you in March?