Tag: thankmas

There are not enough words or posts to describe how much I love and miss this bunch and how incredibly thankful I am for every single one of them. I can confidently admit I wouldn’t made this year without them.

Every time my anxiety got the better of me or a problem came up or I doubted myself and my decisions they were there to keep me going, always helping me when I needed it the most, cheering me on all the way until my very last day in Southampton, even afterwards.

Jaba hugs, kitchen conversations with Ryan, corridor chats and a laugh with Tom, email catch ups with Chris, my official Netflix and other TV series advisor, Fleabag, music and philosophical chats with Sally, climbing up and down the stairs and hills with Helen, having a laugh at choir with Lou, Mark’s amusing views of life, catching up with Geraldine and her little ones, talking about travelling with Liz and craft and other genius creative ideas Susan comes up with.

What I wouldn’t give for Friday after work drinks, or a random dinner out or my favourite event of the year, our Christmas party.

I miss you all.

Eleni

PS (posts on a few other important Solent and Southampton people coming next).

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A bit later on that cold day, around mid January 2019…

Just after I messaged my sisters I messaged two other people.

One of them was Shebs (see yesterday’s post). The other one was one of my most precious best friends I’ve known for 10 years, Artemis. She lives in Cyprus and we may not talk that often but we always catch up and we ask for each other’s advice all the time.

Every time I’m in Cyprus I make sure I spend time with a small number of people, Artemis is always on top of the list. We have a laugh, even if we are just sitting together chatting. Precious moments I always cherish. I wish we spent more time together. It’s just incredible how we get each other and we have the same values and way of thinking.

So this one is for you Artemis. Thank you for all your love and support. Love you and can’t wait to see you and my favourite little guy Thodori in a few weeks!!

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Eleni

A bit later on that cold day, around mid January 2019…

Just after I messaged my sisters I messaged two other people.

One of them was Shebs, my best friend, my soulmate. I could not wait to tell her what I came up with. Even though we’ve lived away from each other for almost two years now, nothing has really changed.

We ask each other about everything, we tell each other everything, we communicate on another level others can’t even comprehend and when we are together it’s as if nothing has changed. We laugh, we cry, we talk and talk and talk. We never run out of things to talk about. Some of the most meaningful, deep conversations I ever had was with Sheba.

She was there for me every time I doubted myself, I worried for no reason, every time I let my devastating overthinking habit take over. She is the most loving, caring, smartest, sweetest human being I’ve ever met and I’m unbelievably lucky our paths crossed. I never thought I’d met someone who we’ll understand each other so much and so deeply.

So thank you my love. Thank you for everything. I can’t wait to see you in February!

Eleni

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A cold day, around mid January 2019,

I was at the office working on a dull spreadsheet and I suddenly had an idea. An idea for a Youtube channel, but I would need to be in Cyprus for it, that’s where it should start from. Perhaps I can do a little bit every time I visit?

That’s how it all started about a year ago.

I immediately messaged both my sisters. They were the first people I told about it. They were the first to know when I shortly afterwards decided to quit my job, do the CELTA and then move back to Cyprus for a few months. They were the first I asked the opinion of and they were the first that forced me to think before I took any radical changes. They supported me from day one. They always do. Although I’m the eldest and I sometimes treat them like they are my children, I worry and care about them but I also trust them with my life, they are my comfort, my best friends, my soulmates, two of the very few people I can be myself with.

I know many people that are not that close to their siblings, they chat every now and then, they don’t share much. Not us. We chat all the time, we do things together, we are in each other’s life even though I’ve been living miles apart for years now.

So today’s Thankmas is dedicated to my two sisters Anna and Stella. Thank you for support me from the very beginning, when I first made the decision to leave the UK after 10 years. It’s been hard, terrifying at times, especially during my last month in Southampton and the month long CELTA drama when my anxiety levels reached new highs I could barely eat. My sisters were there for me, checking up on me, cheering me on. They believed in me even when I stopped believing in myself.

Thank you Stella and Anna, arfoui mou, mikro mou, for all your help, support, encouragement and endless love.

I love you to bits and I can’t imagine life without you two in it, everything is more fun with you, holidays are funnier, food tastes better, even when we are just watching a movie together in the living room, having silly arguments, lots of snacks and laughter to the point I almost pee myself, life is simply better with you.

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I’m incredibly lucky and blessed to have you two as my sisters.

Eleni

(PS: My Youtube idea hasn’t materialised yet but as a colleague reminded me last week, ‘You can still do it, can’t you?’ You are absolutely right Suzanne, of course I can, I don’t know why I thought I couldn’t).

It’s officially the first of December.

I don’t feel as Christmas-sy as other years (this time last year I was getting all festive!), perhaps because I had no time to get a tree, decorate, I didn’t even have time to go for pi-pi at times or maybe it’s because is still sunny and 20 degrees at Reggio, but I’m desperate to get into the spirit and I’d love more than anything to do Blogmas again.

Realistically though, Blogmas is time consuming and I struggled when I had free time, let alone now so I thought What can I do every day until Christmas that doesn’t take much time?’

And out of a sudden a lightbulb moment:

‘I can do Thankmas instead, post about one thing I’m thankful for every day until Christmas, something I’m grateful about these last 12 months. There’s so much negativity, evil and sadness in this world, we sometimes forget how beautiful life can be and miss out on… living. Maybe if I remind myself what I’m thankful for and how weirdly wonderful life can be, it will bring some much needed light into my life. What a better way to say goodbye to 2019’.

It could be anything. A person, an experience, a book, a pet, a song, anything 2019 brought me. Maybe it will inspire others to do the same, who knows!

And here it is. I’m going to keep it short as my free time is running out (even on a Sunday).

On Day One I’d like to thank my parents for their endless love and support, particularly in 2019, when I decided to leave my well-paid job meaning I wouldn’t be able to support them financially for a while, even when I was being awfully grumpy and irritated with everything during my time back in Cyprus. Something they did very recently really got me and reminded me again how amazing parents are, especially mine.

EFL teaching jobs don’t pay particularly well in Europe so to avoid any unnecessary expenses I asked my mum a week ago to send me a couple of my clothes and a chocolate orange. Her and my dad arranged to not just buy, pack and send me everything I needed but of course they went over and beyond. A parcel arrived two days ago (just five days later) full of treats. I nearly cried. Love you mum. Love you dad.

How lucky am I to have such love and caring parents.

Eleni