Meanwhile, back in reality…

Zara coat (similar)
H&M sweater (similar)
Levi’s jeans
Zara boots (similar)
Le French Tote bag (c/o)
Zara sunglasses (similar)
Elizabeth Lyn Jewelry necklace (similar)
& Other Stories necklace
Location: Manitoba Legislative Building – Winnipeg, Manitoba

It’s been lovely pretending we’ve been in Paris for months. It really has. But the number of snapshots in my Paris photo folder is slowly dwindling and meanwhile, reality marches along. These are the first photos we took after we got home to Winnipeg, but the outfit closely resembles what I’ve been wearing ever since. For a brief moment two weekends ago, it felt like spring – but then the temperature dipped again. My collection of coats remains on depressingly heavy rotation. I’m wearing two sweaters as I type.

I’ve been sharing nothing but Paris, but meanwhile, I’ve had the time to travel repeatedly. I managed to turn a work trip to Edmonton and Vancouver into a mini-holiday, and it was so much fun having free time to catch up with my besties, Veronika and Lyndi. The days flew by in a whirlwind, but we managed to fit in a lot of shopping and a lot of wine. I really am living life on the road – I was in Toronto last week, and will be back in Edmonton in two weeks, with more business trips still on the horizon. It isn’t glamorous. But it definitely isn’t dull, either.

Meanwhile, my BFFFFF spent forty-two days in the hospital, a subject I have kept entirely mum about on social media. He’s back home and on the mend now, thankfully. But it definitely served as reminder of just how important our physical independence is to our emotional health – and how much we take that for granted.

Meanwhile, whether I’m on the road or not, my work hours seem to become increasingly long with every passing day. I’m still trying to save the world… of employee benefits, that is. It seems less and less realistically possible all the time, but my determination hasn’t waned yet. I spend a lot of time feeling psychologically tired, mind you. And a lot of time consoling myself with chocolates.

I managed to find time to lace up my running shoes and start getting outside to run last month. While I didn’t go far or fast, the fact that I did it, especially considering the weather and everything else I’ve already mentioned, felt like a pretty big victory. It will be so much more pleasant when the weather is warmer, of course, but so will everything.

And I saved the best for last: we booked our fall holiday! We’re headed back to Athens and I am already, admittedly, dreaming of spending my days in the sunshine looking out at the mountains. If 2018 was our year of new adventures, then 2019 is the year when we reacquaint ourselves with places we already love. We booked our 2017 visit to the Greek capital quite last minute and went with no plan in mind aside from a visit to the Acropolis. But that hastily planned trip turned into a love story, and I am so excited for chapter two.

Tell me, what have you all been up to these past two months?