It’s such a predictable adult thing to say: “where did the time go? It feels like just yesterday that it was the first of September. I’m going to blink and it will be Christmas!”
Part of me hates that I’ve become this. But I guess I also think it’s inevitable. I cannot believe I’ve already lived in Cartagena for almost 2 months. It’s funny because at this point, I feel so comfortable here. But at the same time, I am shocked that I’ve lived in my apartment with my roommates for 60 days.
So how was October: overwhelmingly lovely. The weather cooled off a little bit from September’s heat and we even had a few days of wild down pouring rain. However, Cartagena (and indeed the entire region of Murcia) is famous for its sunshine. I spent a good amount of time outside enjoying an relaxing wine with some friends.
Peak and Pit of the Month
The peak of the month was going to Valencia and meeting my best boo, Katherine. We titled our time “foods of unusual sizes” after the end. We enjoyed the sun, saw some sights and obviously ate a whole bunch. We also had one day where we decided to be twins, complete with fanny packs.
The pit of this month was developing plantar’s fasciitis. In the words of my sister – it’s like an ice pick has been jammed into your heel. I’m working on fixing it with some stretches and wearing only sneakers for the time being. But it’s kind of limiting right now. So that’s inconvenient.
Some favorites of the month:
Television: So I finally got around to watching Drag Race Season 10. I had seen the first couple of episodes and hadn’t stuck around. When it appeared on Netflix, I knew I had to bite. I think this was one of the more interesting seasons ever because I didn’t have a favorite or a least favorite throughout. I like Miz Cracker’s wit, Eureka’s personality, Asia’s nurturing nature, and Aquaria’s style. It was a closer competition than some of the other seasons where I feel like one queen ran away with the title. They seriously had on a roller coaster though this season. Highly recommend. Oh – and of course: Vanjie.
Music: So I’m trying to get off my ass and start back up with my workout routine. One thing that I can be motivated by is music. And damn does RuPaul work for me. I specifically am living for Lady Cowboy and American. I’ve also listened to Harvest Moon by Neil Young about a thousand times while walking around. It’s just seriously one of my favorite songs of all time.
Food: I finally tracked down all the ingredients here in Spain to make an absolutely amazing and delicious chili. For those who don’t know – chili is my absolute favorite food on earth. I love that it’s basically a pour and stir with minimal extra effort or chopping.
Clothes: When my friend Katherine came to visit, a mission I had was to pick her brain about how to incorporate separates into my wardrobe. I went on a bit of a buying spree of separates I could work both at work but in my down time too. One thing that was really helpful to me was to start with a color palette that I could work within. So for the most part – other than neutrals being given (black, white and grey) – I’m working mainly with both navy and light blue and pink with the option of a few trend pieces. Yellow is and has been my favorite color literally since I can remember so I am letting myself get some yellow pieces while it’s still trendy. I can wear yellow with the neutrals or navy (maybe not the pink) and it’s not a purchase in vein. My favorite piece overall is the gorgeous navy skirt that I got on clearance at H&M.
Planner Updates
My planners have been pretty consistent this month. I’m so excited to finish my first bullet journal by the end of the year but I have to be a little bit careful to use my final pages wisely.
This month, I did a fox and leaves theme with my bullet journal and I was digging the 70s color story. For the past several months, I’ve been putting together 7 unit color stories for each month and I think this may be a hallmark of my bujo style. While other people may love the monotone look, I can’t help but enjoy the mix of colors. I also have shifted to using doodles to mark my tasks again which I’m sort of enjoying but what to experiment with size and scale.
My Erin Condren is much the same as always. The only small change I’ve been making is that I’ve started laying down my kits ahead of time if I’m sure I’ll use a certain kit – usually for holidays. I’m starting to go through the motions of removing all unnecessary pages since my Erin Condren is getting THICK.
What am I looking forward to in November?
November is sure to be another nice month here in Cartagena. I know it’ll get a bit colder but I don’t mind too much as long as the sun stays strong. I’m starting to get a little restless without animal exposure so I’m beginning to think of options to end my drought of living without a pet. We’ll see.
How was your October – I would love to hear about some of your favorite things! If you have any thought on mine or would like to share yours – please leave a comment below!
The Minimalist Abroad 