Weekend Recap + Real Talk

I judge my weekends by how productive AND relaxing they are.  I like a good mix!  This weekend was a little more relaxing than it was productive, but that’s not a bad thing.  Right?!

FRIDAY

Friday felt like a huge bust.  And it was all my fault.  After dinner, we started watching The Big Short, and I fell asleep five minutes into the movie.  I was in bed by 9:30.  Lame, I know!

SATURDAY 

Saturday was a productive day.  We woke up early, got ready, and headed to the DMV to become official Illinois residents and register our car! The whole process, which involved a written test, took about two hours.  I was super nervous about the test because I didn’t pass the first time around (at the age of 15), and I was determined to not let history repeat itself.  And thankfully it didn’t.  Both Vishnu and I only missed one question each!

After arriving back home and eating an early lunch, we settled in to finish (restart) The Big Short.  And this time I stayed awake the whole time! What a great movie!  It takes a seemingly complicated topic (that should be at the top of everyone’s mind) and makes it easy to understand.  If the 2007 housing/mortgage crisis makes your head spin, watch this movie.  If nothing else, you’ll be a little more informed and a lot more angry (as we all should be!).

Saturday evening was date night, and Chicago Q was the restaurant of choice.  This was my second time dining here and Vishnu’s first.  The menu is full of upscale BBQ + mouthwatering sides.  Vishnu ordered a combo dish with pulled pork, chicken, and cornbread.  I ordered the kale + quinoa + raisins + almonds + parm salad.  And we shared a side of cheddar mac n’ cheese.  EVERYTHING was on point and delicious.  My salad was hearty and full of different flavors and textures.   Vishnu said his BBQ meat was tender and juicy.  And the mac n’ cheese was some of the best we’ve ever had – sooo creamy!  We also ordered a couple of drinks each and were happy with all of them. Vishnu’s second drink called Toast to the Coast (made with gin, cider, ginger beer, sage, and nutmeg) was my favorite.  It had warm floral notes and a beautiful finish.  Yum!

We decided to walk instead of taking an Uber home.  Since we didn’t get dessert at the restaurant, I asked Vishnu if he wanted to share a cup of ice cream with me from Ghirardelli’s.  He said yes, so we made a quick (ish) pit stop on our way home.  We ordered a cup of espresso chip ice cream with a drizzle of dark chocolate hot fudge.  You guys!  It was perfection.

SUNDAY 

Sunday was pretty typical – cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.  We also stopped by Aek and Adarsh’s place to help them with a few home things.

And that was our weekend in a nutshell!

REAL TALK

I like to keep things as real and genuine as possible here on MIS.  In the spirit of being honest, I want to indulge in some real talk.  Here goes…

The past few weeks have left me feeling really overwhelmed.  I had two meltdowns last week that ended in tears.  Thankfully, Vishnu was around.  He listened and gave me a big hug which made me feel better.

To make a long story short, I think it all comes down to not sticking to the things that work for me.  I’m my most productive and happy self when I have a schedule and plan to work towards.  I also operate best with a somewhat steady routine.  The past couple of months have been a whirlwind, and in the hustle and bustle of settling down in a new city, I moved away from the habits that keep me sane.

I know what you’re thinking.  Parita, give yourself a break, will you!  The thing is I did just that and still felt unhappy.  And for a long time, I did nothing about it.  I continued to go to bed late, skip workouts just because, not meal plan, aimlessly scroll my IG/FB feeds, etc.

Well, all of that changes today!  I need/want to bring some structure back to my life, and there’s no time like the present.  This doesn’t mean impromptu plans will be turned down or there will be no more lazy days.  For me, all this means is that I’m committing to a set of habits that will help me stay productive.  I’m going back to my roots!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels a little off sometimes.  With that being said, over the next week or so, I’m going to keep a running list of what works (and doesn’t work) for me in getting back on track.  I’ll report back soon!

With that, have a wonderful Monday!  Make it a great one. 🙂