Hey…So, I did a thing end last year—I bought a flat.

Absolute madness, right? The experience was pure chaos, honestly. I cried so much throughout the process— notably in Santander in Brixton (shoutout to the Black guy who seriously came through for me; I really needed that statement). But despite all that, I love my flat. I love my neighbours—they’re super friendly. I love the area—I’m officially a Southwest girly now and I’m loving it (though I’m still a North Weezy babe at heart). I’m excited to explore more, find my spots, discover a cute local pub and just enjoy some new walks and runs in the area when the sun’s out.

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Moving out has been surreal. I’ve always lived at home with my mum, so this is a huge change. Thankfully, I didn’t move too far away from her unlike my dad’s suggestion of moving to Hertfordshire to live alone in a three-bedroom house—instead of this zone 2 one bad flat for the same price!

Homeownership = bills, food shops and homeware (currently addicted to anything HAY) but I’m proud and loving hosting. Super thankful that the previous owner left me a bunch of bits, so I wasn’t starting from zero. Looking back, there was one period conversion flat I really wanted—bay windows, a window in the bathroom, a total fixer-upper. I used to email every week for six months just to check if the owner was willing to sell (they were being stingy). In hindsight, I’m glad it fell through. It would’ve been way too much for me, both emotionally and financially. Sure, fixing it up could’ve doubled the value, but I needed a place I could move into and feel comfortable in straight away. Also, a little tip: EPC ratings matter. My flat’s a C, and it keeps cosy.

side-note: I haven’t bought a coffee from an overpriced coffee shop in a month y’all. I was gifted a coffee machine by a friend 💖 and I’ve come to love making my own basic flat whites in the morning. I find it relaxing—I get my podcast on and brew up a coffee.

March is here and I’m only just starting to get into the flow of the year. I won’t lie; last week was rough. I was feeling pretty low, but this message I received had me in tears and honestly lifted my spirits. Who needs therapy when you have ChatGPT? I’m joking… kinda.

Unpopular Opinion:

I sometimes miss being in the office. Don’t get me wrong—WFH is amazing, and I definitely want to keep it that way, but there’s something about the office vibe. Having your set desk, learning from people around you, easily meeting others from different areas of the business… There was a month when my old ASOS team got deep into discussing crypto and it was so much fun (#XRP 🚀 not financial advice). And those spontaneous after-work hangouts? Core memories for me, not to mention meeting some of my favourite humans ever. Different times, I guess—a very ASOS-core thing IYKYK lolz

Social media feels weird lately. I’m not enjoying it as much at the moment, but I still want to share and represent for the younger version of me who would’ve loved to see someone like me. I think about the impact Issa Rae had on me just by being herself and creating her content. That’s what I’d love to do—have an impact without feeling overly exposed. It’s a tricky balance. No matter how things change, I’ll always love blogging. I’m a Piczo-Tumblr babe at heart, so as always, I’ll try to be more consistent here. Any thoughts on how to balance social media?

oh, and I’m still in the science museum if you didn’t know!

I’m currently loving Shan Boodram’s Lovers community and was inspired by how she ended this week’s newsletter. So, I’ll wrap this up with a little reflection inspired by her:

Last week…

• I loved: Reformer @ 1Rebel w/ Kim! I’m ridiculously stiff and can barely do the moves but it was fun. Kim had me feeling safe and her playlist came together perfectly.

This week…

• I’m trying: Third Space. I’m nervous and a bit intimidated but I’m excited to treat my body to the experience (fingers crossed it’s not too crowded).
• I’m manifesting: Flow (my word of the year) I want to find my flow in all aspects of my life—work, relationships, fitness, finances, spontaneity… everything. Maybe it’s the airy Libra energy, but that’s the vibe I’m on.

No Huge New Year’s Goals, Just Intentions:

• Run a half marathon (I’ve already booked one)
• Get a 10K run medal
• Save 3x my monthly mortgage payment
• Enjoy dating (and solo dating) again
• Code more
• Keep up with this blog
• Maybe get a Prada bag, lol

And on that note…
Till next time, reader!

x