5 things - January 18

Hello there mayt! I missed writing last Sunday and for good reason. I got so much to do because I just came back to the city from the province. Now I'm back to the daily grind and quite giddy as the new year begins.

1. Today I'm pretty happy with myself because I finally finished cleaning my apartment. It's gloriously spic and span, and whenever this happens I feel so refreshed I usually end up with a drugstore moisturizing mask on my face and a cup of hot tea beside me to complete my weekend spa project. 

2. Lately I've been in contact with a lot of friends currently going through some rough patches in their love lives. I seem to attract these stories and the thing is I don't mind at all. I like hearing about them. I like connecting with people. It humbles me to know that I'm not the only one going through similar phases in life. To empathize is an amazing thing but I also don't want to come off as smug because I seem to give out unsolicited advice like it's my day job. Regardless, when I can genuinely relate to someone's problems, I tend to get really invested about it. Sometimes I wonder if I should have been a therapist since I really seem to enjoy listening to real stories, real problems. It proves that people are alive, flawed, struggling, and hopeful.

3. I'm behind my reading list for 2015 already. I need to buck-up and refresh so that I'll hit my target. I'm currently reading Meghan Daum's latest collection of essays - The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion. So far I'm enjoying each piece like I'm eating a great steak. It's creepy how Meghan Daum can be so haughty and self-important sometimes and yet I actually see myself in her, which means I can also be pretty self-important. I'll gather my comments once I finish the book.

4. The Good Wife is currently the only TV show I'm following real-time. It seems to always challenge itself and actually outdoing this seemingly self-imposed excellence. It's not only entertaining, it also manages to be relevant. Its last episode touches on the current state of racism in the US. Thus the show provides a great platform to give a stance on controversial issues that actually matter. Big props to the Kings!

5. This instagram is a great way to procrastinate. Afterall, too much laughter is always healthy.