Here we are, the last month of the year! December holds mixed emotions for me, in some ways I love it and in others I hate it.
The month started with a visit to Belton House to see their illuminations with a friend, it was a fab way to start December, despite it being quite foggy and quite an experience driving to the venue, in fact, it made it all the more atmospheric.
My annual leave continued into December, I only officially worked 5 days in December which sounds like a blessing but in reality, I probably did 6/7 as there was simply too much to do to fit it into those 5 days and I was stressing that I wouldn’t get everything I needed to get done, done! I got most of it done so feel good going into the new year.
I attended several lovely business networking events, catching up with people I haven’t seen for ages and making some new connections too, which I will follow up on in the new year.
A yearly December event with another friend is to visit the illuminations at Lincoln Castle, we have been for many years now and each year they add a little more making it more magical and helping me get into the Christmas spirit.
I delivered a half-day team development/wellbeing workshop for a team who’ve had a bit of a rough year and the leader wanted to do something nice to bring the team together at the end of the year – it went really well. Still, I was completely spent at the end of it, every workshop I deliver I give every ounce of energy I’ve got to ensure the attendees get the best experience possible.
By the time Christmas came around, I felt pretty rotten with a cold & cough, I put this down to being run down and trying to do too much, no one likes being ill but I generally see it as a blessing as it does mean my body’s immune system can respond to whatever is thrown at it. I spent Christmas on my own, so thankfully, being ill didn’t impact anyone else.
A Boxing Day tradition for me is going for a swim at the local lake I go to and this year was lovely, the sun was out and although the water was cold it was lovely to get in the fresh air, and what made it all the more special is that a friend and her daughter came down to watch me and we had a lovely catch up over coffee afterwards as I warmed up.
So the last week of December was a pretty quiet one, I did have plans to do a few things around the house which did get done eventually but I took it easy.
Before I knew it was New Year’s Eve, in the morning, I went to a friend’s and they cooked me and another friend breakfast which was a nice way to start the day and nice to see other people seeing as I’d spent nearly a week at home unwell. The rest of the day was uneventful and I went to bed at my normal time, I’m not one to stay up until midnight as for me sleep is more important!
And that’s 2023 done, another year gone and overall, it was a pretty good year! Yes, there have been down days but overall, I’ve really enjoyed it! I’ve experienced new things, learnt new lessons and feel ready to move into 2024 with a different outlook!
Lincolnshiregirl 