The Modern Day Caveman

Day 22 was actually a really busy and out-of-the-ordinary day by all standards.

I’ve mentioned a few times previously about my girlfriend and I having a bit of a break from our relationship whilst my mental health improves. Well, after some long, deep chats recently, we’ve decided that this weekend I am going to move in with her for a bit of a trial period whilst we see how things go.

Whilst we’re going to be reunited in 3 days, I decided to be a little impulsive (and romantic, if I do say so myself) and go and surprise her today, as well as checking out where I’m going to be living for the foreseeable future.

I had a spare half-day remaining from my annual leave at work, so this felt like the perfect opportunity to use it and go and visit for the afternoon.

Because of this, however, it meant I had to climb ‘The Mountain Ahead’ before I started work, and believe me, I am not a morning person, so this was a challenge!

Nevertheless, I set my alarm for 6:30am and no less than an hour later I was at the summit and heading back to do my half-day at work. I actually found the run itself a bit of a struggle at this time of day. I’m not sure whether it was a combination of fatigue and running on an empty stomach, but I definitely didn’t feel as strong as previous attempts.

After finishing work and eating a quick lunch, I set off on the 2-hour journey from Chester to York.

Working remotely for my job means I rarely drive nowadays. In fact, I had to borrow my mum’s car for this particular journey, and the 2-hour drive really reminded me how tiring driving can be. I felt exhausted when I arrived!

It was definitely worth the journey, however, to see the look on my girlfriend’s face – but maybe even more so because of the reaction from our Border Collie, Chase.

The afternoon itself was lovely. We caught up on things from the past few weeks, did a bit of shopping, and I got used to my new surroundings. It got me excited for the weeks and months ahead, and I’m hopeful this new environment, combined with a positive mindset, can be the combination of ingredients that really push me in the right direction.

The drive back wasn’t too bad. I passed the time by listening to another Jay Shetty podcast – this time his discussion with Emma Watson. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation, and there were a lot of points on creativity and love that really resonated with me. I’ve linked it below for reference.

Metrics

• Steps: 12,292
• Garmin Stress Score: 36
• Mental Health Rating: 7/10
• Remaining Debt: £39,781.83

Food Log

• Breakfast: Weetabix, milk
• Lunch: Supernoodles, crisps
• Dinner: Tofu and vegetable tikka masala, naan bread, pilau rice
• Snacks: Banana, Jammie Dodgers, tortilla chips, plant-based chocolate mousse

It was a tiring day, but a meaningful one. If the next chapter feels anything like today, then I think I’m moving in the right direction.