I can’t believe another year has come and gone! Happy 2020 everyone! A LOT has happened this past year, and EVEN MORE is bound to happen over the next year! I set some personal goals for myself last year, and I wanted 2019 to be the year I got my sh*t together and my life back on track. And I think I actually did really well! Obviously, there’s always going to be room for improvement, and new personal goals for 2020, but I feel great about the progress I’ve made. So, what did this Monster get up to in 2019?
One of my main goals going into 2019 was to improve my health. By the end of 2018, I was working so many extra hours between two jobs that I was exhausted all the time and not sleeping well. I was so run down that I was getting sick with something different about once a month. But when 2019 began, I was able to go down to one job and focus more on my health. However, once Mark and I had settled into our new home, and I had settled in to a new work schedule, I started to notice that new health problems had popped up. After months of tests and appointments to rule out anything serious, I was diagnosed with IBS. It’s not too serious, but it has forced me to think more carefully about how I’m treating my body. And since stress and anxiety are huge triggers for many of the health issues I’ve faced in the past and present, I’m now taking medication for my anxiety. I haven’t been taking it for long, but I have noticed significant improvements in my mental health. I hope to continue to improve my mental well being in 2020.
While taking steps to improve my mental health, I decided to get back into my old hobbies, as the extra work hours in 2018 had forced me to put a lot of my interests on hold. In 2019, I was reading more, doing more DIY crafts (mostly wedding related), and I even got back into writing more regularly. Although the myriad of doctor’s appointments throughout the year cut into a lot of my free time, I still made the time to get a bit of writing done each week, whether on the blog or on a novel or short story. And I was even able to complete NaNoWriMo this year! In 2020, one of my goals will be to try to write every single day, and not just a couple days a week.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, cosplay has taken a bit of a back seat to everything else. I still have fun dressing up, and I still have fun working on new costumes, but I have had to slow down a little. I’m not yet sure if I’ll actually make any new cosplays in 2020, but I will certainly be re-wearing as many of my old ones as I can. Since I’ll be getting married this year, time spent making cosplays will be spent making DIY centerpieces and coordinating the big day. And I won’t be buying any new cosplay supplies so that I can save up more money to put towards the wedding. For that same reason, I probably won’t be attending as many conventions this year, but I still plan on going to a few and having lots of fun!
So although my wedding will be near the end of 2020, and will undoubtedly be the main focus of the year, the cats have been my primary focus during these first few days of the new year. In November, Mark and I brought home a new kitten. We adopted her from OSCatR and named this precious little nugget Orla. Yes, we named her after the character in Derry Girls. Living with three cats – one of them with chronic health issues – has come with some interesting ups and downs, but I am enjoying our growing little family. And I love all of the extra kitty snuggles I’ve been getting.
So here’s to 2020! I will be doing my best to grow and improve, and plan for the wedding. And, of course, I’ll be snuggling my fur babies in between all of that. I hope everyone has a fantastic year and that 2020 is filled with good vibes. Best of luck in the new year!
