I will start by apologizing for my long absence, dear readers. Though you may not be many, I can only hope that you will find this new post. During my hiatus from writing I completed the one month Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults – or the dreaded CELTA. Those of you who have undertaken such an intensive teaching course will be familiar with the sleepless nights, and chronic ingestion of caffeine and sugar to sustain productivity. It was intense, but it was short, and I have since launched my teaching career. Starting any new career doesn’t leave whole lot of time for blogging, which is why it has taken me so long to sit down and write!

When I started this blog, I was living in Brussels where my boyfriend is working. I am back in Cork again now, but I had a lovely visit to Belgium before diving back into the realities of day to day life in Ireland. Mick, my boyfriend, could attest to the negativity with which I viewed my CELTA lifestyle. I felt bloated, my skin was spotty, my hair stringy, my energy low, and my moods inconsistent. So, before my last ice-cream sundae in Brussels, I resolved to change my ways. The pendulum has swung back and I am now practicing a macrobiotic diet and lifestyle, and feeling great

The diet is simple: whole, local, fresh, mostly cooked foods, accented by Japanese seasonings and pickles such as umeboshi plums, miso, gomasio, and sea vegetables. The lifestyle component involves daily exercise, meditation, and a full body hot towel scrub, twice daily. I have to say I feel amazing. I have tons of energy, and my sleep patterns mirror the daily rise and set of the sun. I am back to a steady, consistent frame of mind, and a clearer perspective of the world around me. Happy days!

I have been reading Nietzsche, Proust, and Suzuki; posts on these great thinkers, as well as my first recipe post, will follow!

Warmest wishes to the inhabitants of the nebula!