The first week of my annual trip was exactly what I hoped it would be. I did almost nothing. Most days were spent reading in the hotel lobby, going for a morning run, and swimming in the pool in the afternoon. Life felt slow, simple, and exactly as it should be. I almost forgot about work, goals, and all the little things that usually occupy my mind. For a while, I was simply immersed in living.

As tradition, I’ll share one low note and one high note from the past week. Let’s start with the low note.

Low Note: When Old Fears Return

Almost immediately after landing abroad, my stomach started acting up. I lost my appetite completely, and the pain lingered for days. For the first two days of the trip, I spent most of my time lying in bed or sitting lazily in a chair, worrying that it might never go away.

I’ve had stomach issues since high school. Back then, they seemed to appear more often than not. Thankfully, things have improved significantly over the past few years. Still, whenever the pain returns, it brings back a familiar fear that somehow it will stay forever, even though experience has repeatedly shown me otherwise.

As the discomfort slowly faded, I found myself wondering why it had happened at all. I’ve been living a healthy and consistent lifestyle for quite some time now. I exercise regularly, eat reasonably well, and stick to a routine. What could have triggered it?

After some reflection, I realised it might have had less to do with my stomach and more to do with my emotions. This was a solo trip. I was alone in a foreign country. Even though I enjoy travelling alone, there are probably still worries buried somewhere beneath the surface. Those subconscious fears never completely disappear just because we don’t actively think about them.

What surprised me most was how I responded. Instead of panicking, I found myself talking to myself. I kept reminding myself that I was safe, that I was capable, and that everything would be okay. I spoke to myself gently, almost as if I were comforting a friend.

Looking back, I think those small moments of self-compassion helped more than anything else. For most of my life, I expected comfort to come from other people. I wanted someone else to reassure me, to tell me everything would be fine. It never really occurred to me that I could offer that same kindness to myself.

That realisation felt strangely powerful. Maybe that’s part of growing up—not becoming tougher, but becoming more capable of caring for ourselves when life feels uncertain.

In the end, the low note wasn’t actually that bad. It pushed me to take a closer look at some of my deepest fears, and every time I do that, I feel like I become a little clearer and a little more resilient.

High Note: Finding My Way Back

Now for the high note.

I finally recorded my monthly book review video.

For weeks, I had been putting it off. After finishing my 75-day challenge, I noticed myself procrastinating on several habits that had become part of my routine. Writing felt harder. Creating content felt harder. Even simple tasks seemed to require more effort than usual.

Then one morning, after a refreshing shower, I simply set up my phone, hit record, and started talking about the books I had read in March.

To my surprise, I immediately slipped back into the flow of doing it. The resistance disappeared, and I genuinely enjoyed the process. It reminded me of something I’ve learned many times but somehow keep forgetting: the hardest part is often getting started.

What made me happiest wasn’t the video itself. It was realising that I could still regain control of my routines whenever I chose to. The ability hadn’t disappeared. It had simply been resting.

I think it’s completely normal to need a break after a demanding challenge. When we push ourselves for weeks or months, our subconscious mind often wants time to recover. Too often, we treat that need for rest as a weakness, but perhaps it’s simply part of being human.

Sometimes the break lasts longer than we’d like. Sometimes we drift away from habits that once felt effortless. But if we’ve built those habits before, we can usually find our way back.

Each return teaches us something. Each restart strengthens our confidence that we can begin again whenever necessary.

Final Thoughts

The biggest lesson from this week was that we don’t always need to push harder. Sometimes we need to listen more carefully. Sometimes we need to rest. And sometimes we need to offer ourselves the same compassion we would naturally give to someone we love.

The more empathy I have for myself, the more I find myself enjoying life exactly as it is. Not as I wish it were, not as I think it should be, but as it is right now.

Thank you for reading. I hope you’ve had a wonderful week, and I’ll see you again in next week’s review.

Until then, keep documenting life—and more importantly, keep living it.