The Year 2022

The year is 2022, and I want to change my life and challenge myself.

I've grown bored with how I feel about life, the universe and everything. Despite life having grown and changed for the better, if still rocky as ever, I wish to push myself. I want to change as a person and become the best me I can. 

Since I started my anti-depressants, I have more energy and I want to get some use out of it. The past few years have been some of the hardest of my life. Having been in that deep dark depression for so long, I'd like to do something with myself now that I'm coming out the other side. So that's why I've decided that I'm going to make a plan.

Of course, PhD is at the top of the list, but I have made the difficult decision to go part time for the foreseeable future.

There are a few reasons for this with my mental health being the defining factor. Whilst this means I'll have to wait on the title of Dr for a few years, it means that I don't risk my mental health declining severely again. It also means that I'll have more time to pursue other opportunities, both academic and non-academic.

The first thing I want to achieve this coming year is true weightloss. I’ve always been big. And I’m fed up with it. I want to improve myself and my health. I sometimes feel like I’ve tried everything for it. BUT it’s time to get back to the simple basics: Eat less, move more. The aim is to have lost somewhere in the region of 4 stone by the end of this year. Between upping my protein and lowering my carbs, I’m aiming to weightlift as well.

I don't want to be strong like a man that looks pretty. I want to be strong like a bitch that fights bears in the forest.

I recently decided that it would be a great idea to take up an instrument… I chose the harp… don’t ask me why but that’s what I choose and now I own one.

It’s a 15-string lap heart, and it’s the most adorable thing ever. Whilst I do have other pursuits outside of academia, I would like to have even more. Music has a beneficial impact on health via stress-reducing effects (see Thoma et al, 2013) and with my mental health being fragile, taking up an instrument seems like a good idea. My current aim is to be able to play (hopefully) Moon River (yes, the Audrey Hepburn one) by the end of the year!

Going part-time will also allow me to get back into reading properly. My TBR list is getting to the point where it’s longer than my actual academic reading. Currently, the books I want to get back into are all based in Ancient Greece – taking me back to my classics roots!

Both The Song of Achilles and Elektra are at the top of my list, and I will make the effort to actually write brief and hopefully interesting reviews about the books on here.

I don’t want to make this post too long, but I feel like I need to explore what I want to do by writing it down. And, for some insane reason, have other people read it.

So just to finish off, I have two final things I wish to achieve this year.

Firstly, I want to FINALLY get a tattoo (sorry mum).

I once saw a Tumblr post (yes, I’m people were using tumblr old… do people still use tumblr? Questions for later) that said my body may be a temple but I am the god to whom it is devoted; do not presume to tell me how I may decorate my altar and it truly resonated with me. So, I’m going to do it. I’m going to get tattooed (well, I’ve said it now, no backing out!).

The final thing, and it is quite literally the most achievable on this list. I want to see Florence and The Machine in concert.

With Flo realising a new album THIS MONTH, the tour is close behind and ya girl did it! She got tickets. This has literally been a dream of mine for such a long time and I can’t wait to be able to go and witness the divine madness of my favourite artist in person.

So, signing off on a somewhat positive note,

Your newly refreshed but still Confused Archaeologist