Day 1 - A Strong Successful Start!
We did it! We’re here. 24 Days has officially started! I wasn’t too sure what this day was going to look like for a little while but things worked out in the end and honestly for the better! I am so excited to kick-off another year of this. I’m not going to lie…I’m a little nervous about the big commitment of blogging every single day. It’s been a while and it will be a change in routine for me to remember to take the photos in the first place let alone to remember to type it all up at the end of the day, but I am up for it, and I think I probably need it too. It’s been a tough last few months. I know people have been saying that for the last year but things for me and my mental health have become especially challenging lately and so I haven’t felt particularly joyful. But this time of season always makes me feel a little lighter. So if this is your first time here, welcome! And if you’re a regular then welcome back and thank you for being here and taking the time to be here with me for a little while. If you’re not familiar, 24 Days of a Joy is kind of a little countdown to Christmas (that’s what I celebrate this time of year), but whether you are celebrating Christmas too, something else or just along for the ride, I hope that it inspires you to feel some warmth, joy, or just a little less alone during the winter months that can sometimes feel dark. I got you. I know that this time of year can be hard for some people too, and just know that that’s okay! You don’t have to be hyped about it and you’re allowed to sit with your feelings. And you’re allowed to have those hard feelings as well as feel some joy too. You do not have to choose one or the other.
We got you. So without further ado…
Day 1! The first thing that I needed to document was the sunlight in the room! My actual apartment is in a basement, so me and sunlight don’t see each other so often. I stayed at my parents’ place last night though because we had big plans! And it was so nice to wake up to a room the was already full of natural light. (Compared to right now where all I’m thinking about is going back to sleep…to be fair, it’s 6:30am and I’ve already been up for 30minutes).
In true 24DOJ fashion, Mom and I had plans to go to The One of a Kind Show here - if you’re not familiar it’s a huge craft show where creators from all over Canada come to exhibit and sell their work. We go every year. Even last year when we were locked down, Mom and I sat down for hours going through the website together as if we were at the actual show! So I did my preparations. I drank my tea, did my make-up transformation - I went for a little glitter look today and let me tell you - the compliments I got….Seriously all these creatives were so appreciative of my glitter today and I had zero regrets!
The show was so great. I was a little nervous because it’s normally pretty packed full of people and I’m seriously anxious about COVID protocols. I just want to keep myself and everyone around me safe and see the end of this so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Of course everyone had to be fully vaccinated and fully masked and honestly I was pretty impressed. For the most part, very few people were disregarding the rules. And they created a lot more space between vendors so it felt like we all had lots of room to move around and I was so impressed with how they handled it. If you were nervous about going because of that, go! You have 6 days still and if you go early in the morning it’s even quieter. I had some great success too! I can’t show you everything that I bought because there are a lot of a gifts for people that may or may not be reading this so you’ll just have to take my word. Lots of new artists to support too which was nice to see some new faces and some new art.
We took a little break from the exploring to re-fuel - mostly I needed something to eat because I could feel myself draining. This was the first time I’ve really left my house to do something besides walk around my neighborhood or go to work and it was draining me pretty quick. My capacity for exerting energy is pretty low these days, but nothing a coffee and a bagel can’t solve. There is something about the simplicity of a cream cheese bagel with cucumbers folks. It’s been so long since I’ve had that meal, and I sat there and was just like…wow this is amazing. The standards are not high for a good time right now.r
Anyway, literally 8 hours later we were ready to head home and to my surprise my Dad had made pot roast! I got a little “to-go” container of it and it was so damn good. I am very appreciative of pretty much any meal I don’t have to cook for myself right now. I just don’t have it in me. And I haven’t had my Dad’s pot roast in so long. It was a nice change since I’ve been trying to eat less meat and phase it out of my regular routine.
But the joy doesn’t stop there, oh no. After going home, having the sinking realization that my phone (with all my blog photos on it!) was still in my Mom’s car, and a little improvisation I met up with my best friend on Zoom for our Christmas Movie date! She helped get some shots of it since I was without a camera and even Navi came dressed to impress. Mom even learned how to send photos through Facebook messenger! We whipped up some hot chocolate, got cozy and watched Elf and it was great. Such a nice way to finish off the day! We both pretty much crashed after that to prepare for the next day!
Today will have to have a delayed start but as soon as I get my phone back I’ll be sure to document! I have some things up my sleeve for tonight (if I have the energy after work).
I have a question for you though…do you have a favourite day from past years? Was there one that you particularly enjoyed reading? Or is there just something that you would love to read about that means a lot to you this time of year? I try to do things that feel festive because that’s what brings me joy, but let me know what brings you joy and let’s try to make it happen! Leave a comment below and tell me your favourite day from previous years or what you want to see/read!
Welcome again and let the countdown begin!
-B