Two Thousand And Seventeen

Happy New Year!

As always, my intention to blog got sidetracked this Christmas period...

I managed the few odd days but I didn't post everything I wanted to, leaving me with things overhanging into the New Year.

I've literally just been texting my friend about setting goals for the year.

We've both already set our Goodreads one (mine's set for 50 books this year) and I've also just set my running one - 180 miles. That's more than double what I did this year but I'm feeling optimistic.

All that's left really are the standard New Year resolutions.

Now, I haven't thoroughly thought these through but I may come back and add to them if I can think of any more!

Here they are:

✽ To be kinder. I'm not sure why exactly, but I don't feel like I've been a very nice person of late so this year I'd like to stop, take a moment, and think before I open my mouth.

✽To move out of this house. It's been mentioned numerous times on my behalf but I'm determined that that was the last New Years in this house.

✽To visit at least three countries whether that be alone or with someone. I want to break out of my comfort zone and start exploring. Maybe my love for photography will also come back if I don't have any teacher-set boundaries.

✽To spend a bit more time offline. Now that I'm working in an office, I realise I spend the majority of my time looking at a screen of some sort and quite frankly I'm worried I'm wasting my life watching TV or scrolling aimlessly through blogs. It's time to log off a bit more.

✽I hate myself for this one but I would like to eat less sugar. I have a real sweet tooth but I'm worried with the amount I consume. It may not be pretty for my moods for the first little while but I noticed a big difference in my energy levels when I started to eat more fruit and veg and maybe my skin will clear up with less sugar in my diet!

✽To get out more. To Adeel's annoyance I've suddenly always got ants in my pants in the fact that I always want to get out at a weekend and actually do something. I'm tired of sitting in all the time, watching TV. I want to go out for breakfast, I want to go to the top of the Shard (I work right next to it for God's sake!), I want to go on spontaneous road trips whether that be a half hour drive away or an eight hour drive away, I even want to go out in the evenings to a bar maybe or whatever people my age tend to do - I may not like it but at least I can say I've tried it again. This also includes more date-like activities. We did a little better this year but a lot of stuff kept getting in the way. I want time for us to be together.

✽To finish my darn book! I have got to stop writing this as a goal and actually do it. I'm quite close to be fair but I still think it needs a lot of work and I'm terrified of actually handing it over to a publishing company which is probably why I keep putting off finishing it...

✽To stop hoarding. I have so much stuff that I have absolutely no room in this one bedroom I rent. Unless I absolutely love a book or a piece of clothing or an object, I want to give it away. Others are in need of things and I feel awful for having all this stuff that probably goes to waste. I have already started to give my old clothes away but I want to continue.

✽Improve. I've decided this is going to be my word of the year. I constantly want to be improving in myself, my work, my art, my experiences, my relationships, my goals.

Wishing you all the best for the year to come.



∞

Wahaca, Westfield, Stratford

I think I'm a romanticist. At least I think that's the right word for it.

Constantly got my head in the clouds, dreaming.

I get so into the romantic gestures of the relationships on TV programmes I watch or in novels I read.

I don't know whether life can be that extravagantly romanticised but it's the little things that count.

Leading on from this, I've had another fab weekend with Adeel.

Maybe I'm just feeling more loving because our fourth anniversary is coming up or maybe I'm happy we got past the bumps in the road that prevented us last time.

Or maybeeee I just love him a lotta lot 🙊

Anyway, we unexpectedly went out for a spot of lunch today.

The reason it was so unexpected was because 1) I hadn't even expected to see him today as he'd been unwell and 2) I'm not very spontaneous, especially when it comes to trying new places or even eating out.

We tried a little ol' Mexican restaurant called Wahaca, right next to Westfield in Stratford.

I have to say I was a little dubious at first. 

As we walked in the tables reminded me of something you would see in a canteen or a cafe you would stop by in for a quick bite.

But, as I looked around I noticed little touches of eccentric, abstract beauty.

Vibrant, intriguing graffiti plasters a portion of the ceiling. Retro-like prints line the toilet doors eloquently named Kings and Queens depending on your gender. White panels of wood contrast beautifully with the patterned floor.

The atmosphere was perfect. I didn't once feel uncomfortable or like I was being bothered by any of the staff. In fact, the staff welcomed us warmly and helped with any of our questions.

And, now, the food.

My God, the first bite went in for both myself and Adeel and we were in awe.

Similar to The Real Greek, you can order a handful of smaller dishes (known aptly as Street Food) or a normal sized portion as in any other restaurant (known as Bigger Food).

Adeel chose Ancho Chicken Baja Tacos, two amazing, soft tortillas filled with a slightly spicy and smoky chicken, and Smoky Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas, more chicken in a beautifully spiced tomato sauce on top of a toasted tortilla.

I went for Smoky Chicken & Avocado Tostadas, a cold dish of chicken and guacamole slathered with mayo and plopped on top of a crunchy tortilla, and Sweet Potato & Feta Taquitos, crispy tortillas rolled into cigar shapes and filled with sweet potato, covered in salsa, mayo and feta.

We also shared some sweet potato bites, perfectly smoky and crunchy, and a Virgin Mojito, the freshest and most revitalising mocktail I've ever had.

And all for a reasonable price too. 

They also have a snazzy app you can download to pay your bill on instead of having to wait around for your waiter to assist you. 

The easiest, quickest meal I've had in a long while and the flavours were amazing too.

Perfect.

This is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.

✌︎