6 Things I have loved in January
January was...suboptimal. Here's a list of the little joys that kept me sane last month.
January has been as pleasant an experience as eating a bowl of unripe kiwis. Skin on. I feel like I so rarely moan on my social media (or at least, I try not to?), that I hope you won’t begrudge me this little moment of self-indulgence.
To paint the picture, I have been down with the mother of all colds for the whole duration of January – since Christmas, actually. It’s the 13th of February as I am writing this and I still have a runny nose. I spent a whole week in bed reading, cloistered in the guest room without ever leaving the house (which in hindsight, was one of the highlights of the month). A couple of weeks ago, still coughing up a storm – I flew to Italy to help out my family in a moment of need, the first time travelling solo in years, since developing a fear of flying. Despite the panic, I’m happy to report I made it to Italy in one piece, in no small measure thanks to 50 shades of anxiety-management remedies I was carrying with me, whose intensity ranged from Bach flowers to horse tranquillizer.
Sometime in amidst of all this, I turned 36, a recurrence I was in no mood to celebrate.
Ok, end of the woe-is-me part. One must always strive to find the silver linings, must we not? And to be fair, there have been some small joys to cheer me up this month. I read and read and read, my screen time has gone dramatically down (my Kindle doesn’t really count, right?) and I am glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, as the flight back was much easier on my nervous system.
So here is a list of the things that made this month bearable:
1. Traitors was back
If you unearth one of my first “Things I have loved” edits (which happened to be January 2023), you’ll see that the TV program Traitors (UK version) made it on top of my list then too. To say I’m obsessed with it is an understatement. Long before the show’s first season aired, I was playing variations of the same game with my friends – social deduction games like Mafia or Wolves. If you haven’t watched the show, it is basically a psychological reality competition where contestants must outwit and deceive each other to win a cash prize. Sounds brutal, but it is utterly brilliant and nail-bitingly entertaining.
The highlight of this season has been, hands down (at least, for me), former diplomat Alexander, a man who has been described as having “a classic Brit Rom-com energy” (think the goofy-yet-adorable Hugh Grant type), thus becoming the nation’s darling/boyfriend. Watch him throw himself into a bush during a game of badminton, or comically sing nursery rhymes backwards and you’ll see what I mean.
2. I read the whole ACOTAR Series
The silver lining of being constantly sick over a month, combined with the Christmas holidays, meant I had a lot of time on my hands to dedicate to reading. I have always enjoyed books, but I struggle to set some time aside to read, unless I am on holiday. Or sick in bed.
Last month, I set my personal record, reading the whole ACOTAR saga in less than a month – all five chunky books. If you know what I’m talking about….you know why I couldn’t put it down. And for those of you who don’t…how do I describe it? Think Twilight with a sprinkle of Game of Thrones (minus the misogyny), replace the vampires with sort of Elves and make it a little… spicy. I have to say I am new to this particular genre, but someone I follow on Instagram was passionately recommending it and having devoured the whole series in one sitting, I can see why. Now, do I consider it a literary masterpiece? I wouldn’t go that far, the author was in her early twenties when she wrote the first book and I think it shows a little. But for all the series’ lack of tonal subtleties and slight inconsistencies, it certainly delivers an action-packed plot that is an absolute page-turner (book two being my personal favourite). If you are an ACOTAR fan, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
3. Playing Sequence
Finding a board game that is actually better played as a couple is a rare thing. This new discovery came in the shape of a Christmas present from a couple of friends of ours (and partners in crime), who also gifted us Wavelength (another banger!). It has become Joe’s and mine latest game of choice. It ticks all the boxes: it’s easy to learn, fun, quick, strategic, and you can play as dirty as you like.
4. Senses and Beyond
I came across this new skincare brand at the end of December when I was invited to a pop-up organised by Raye (a sort of pop-up incubator for start-ups), and I got stopped in my tracks by the beautiful branding and most of all, the stunning vessels – all made of food-safe ceramic.
The range at the moment includes two beautiful products (a serum and a cleansing balm), with three more in the pipeline launching soon (with even more gorgeous-looking reusable ceramic vessels. I am obsessed, and in particular with the cleaning balm which has the perfect consistency for face massages.
Visit Senses and Beyond’s website
5. This song, on repeat
It was Joe who introduced me to this song by the Italian singer (and teenage heartthrob) Damiano David, former lead singer of the Eurovision-winning band Maneskin. Whilst I had zero interest in that band (the gothic look and shouty singing weren’t really my vibe), Damiano has since decided to go solo and go through a whole personal rebrand. In this more polished, much more millennial version (playing up a little the stereotype of the Italian guy for the international audience), even I can hear the guy’s got talent, and his single Born with a Broken Heart is super catchy. We have been playing it non-stop in the car driving through Umbria during our New Year’s eve mini-holiday, singing from the top of our lungs. The video is pretty cool too!
6. This bucolic Airbnb in Umbria
Speaking of Umbria, one of the highlights of the month has definitely been staying in this gorgeous Airbnb in Umbria, featuring the most dreamy kitchen. The owner has taken over a whole little borgo (a small group of old houses), which they all restored with impeccable taste and respect for the local crafts and style. The stay was made all the more pleasant by a homemade lasagna welcoming us on the first night, a functioning fireplace (always a must feature for me for any winter stays) and a super friendly and fluffy cat that swang by every day to say hello.
This is exactly the type of place I would want to gatekeep (as I definitely want to be back in Summer to take advantage of the pool and sauna facilities, and I don’t want to find it all sold out), but I am willing to lift the curtain for my little gang of paying subscribers. If you fancy receiving tips like this, as well as my Travel guides, you might want to consider upgrading your subscription!