I followed my heart and it led me to EUROPE - (Newsletter 03)

I started this draft sometime early this month and left it because I was swamped with so much work and my grad school coordinator was breathing down my neck. I had just gotten surgery done and was healing, I was trying to catch up with all the school work I missed for a bit, and I started tracking down my thesis committee because your girl started her thesis yada yada yada. You must now understand that I was really doing a trillion things at once. Do accept my Happy international women's day that's coming later than usual. In my biased opinion, women ought to be celebrated every day. 

When you get this post, the chances are that I have begun my euro tour and am so high on life so hello from Europe. For fear of sounding like a low-budget version of (insert musician's name) on a music tour, this is just me going away for some time and seeing how much fun and places I get to before I lose my slippers and the clock strikes 12. I am such a bore because this is no fairytale but a race against time and how broke I can get in a short time before I remember the road that leads home but best believe that I am having the time of my life and it's not really as bad and morbid as I am representing. How was March and do you forgive me for not checking in sooner? Was life fairer to you or did it toss you about like a ragged doll as it did me? I am making a conscious effort to find out how you are doing so all the gist will come later. This way I don't go on and on and forget that these newsletters are a way of making this space a saner spot in the insane world we all live in. For me, you already have an idea of how things went and are still going for March and almost April. If you did not figure it out yet I am in Europe for spring break and I wonder if it is raining in London, if I can cram the parisian vibe into my developing American swagger in this short time or if the I can truly behave like the Romans when I get to Rome. I guess as the saying goes, time will tell. I will try not to moan about anything that did or did not happen because that would be so selfish and ungrateful of me. I am, however, deciding to celebrate and just live in the moment. 

For anyone asking why now? spring break was no fun because I had work so what better time than when you have close deadlines and one month to finals to do a minitour. I have walked knowingly into this phase to see how long I can play denial before the anger sets in. Yes I might be angry in a few weeks for not using this time well and I will be bitter because I have suddenly just weaned myself off of procrastination. Maybe or not I will try to bargain time with my research advisor and my professors to complete pending assignment and will get depressed (slightly miffed) if they say no. But no greater feeling than accepting that I up and left to do something I could have done a month earlier or 3 months later. After I would have gone through all 5 stages of this nuisance I will accept whatever comes my way in the very near future (more like 3 weeks) because right now I am deliriously happy. Therefore all consequences be damned, I needed this little teeny break to reflect. 

If you are still battling it out with the new year and haven't mastered the act of kicking ass just yet please breathe and you know what let's talk. I am no guru, healer or anything but I am a better confidant and hype man. Also, If you can get away, run as fast as you can so the problems of life don't catch up. Sadly they might be there when you return from your sprint but the good news is that you'll be able to attack it better, now that you have had some time to gather your thoughts, plans and actions. I am a firm believer in worst case scenarios so there's yet another option for our non-sprinters. Read a book or two; I love love reading and finding my love for reading just about a month ago after I lost it has been one of the blessed thing for me in March; I can reccommend some if you want. If books are not your thing then lets watch Grey's Anatomy together. A little back story; I had never watched Grey's until last December just because. It now has 14 seasons and you can imagine how dumb it must have felt to start a journey that had no feasible end. The more I watcched the more I enjoyed it and I bet this will make you survive. After a long day I just look forward to tucking myself in and watching it until I fall asleep. I have successfully gotten to the 11th season so it must be worth trying. Again I hope and pray that you are happy and don't loose your Chi. I am excited for April and you should be too. 

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 

Lots of Love and Prayers 

Helen Damilola 💓