Tag: Monthly Overview

Monthly Wrap-Up: May 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

There are still two more days until May ends but I don’t think I’ll be finishing more books this month so I’m wrapping it up early.

May was my birthday month but honestly, everything was so low-key this month that I don’t even know where the days went. I know I basically took one full week off to do nothing but read and (mostly) game but as for the rest of the days, things have blended into one big blur of long and busy work days and little else. 😂 My life is so riveting! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that right now I’m pretty much obsessed with Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which was released this month. Other than the game, I didn’t really splurge on books or treat myself to retail therapy—I mostly indulged in “me” time and I don’t regret it. I can’t believe I’m 35 though, lol.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: April 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

April was the quietest month so far this year. It almost felt like the calm before the storm because things are picking back up again and I’m starting to get a little nervous but we got this, right?! I indulged in a good bit of retail therapy in April and got myself new headphones, new glasses (boo, poorer eyesight but yay for snap-on sunnies), and books—lots and lots of books. Other than that, my days continued to be a monotonous cycle of work, eat, sleep(ish) and repeat. With my sister gone to Japan for uni and my parents continuously travelling, this big house has been pretty quiet with just me and the doggos! Looking forward to when my parents get back in the first week of May so the house will be livelier, at least for a little bit.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads28 Comments

It’s April. What happened in March? I’m not quite sure 😂 My days continue to be a monotonous cycle of work, eat, sleep(ish) and repeat. The only significant thing that happened was that my sister left to go to school in Japan mid-month and I took a few days off work to spend time with her and decompress. I’ve been feeling perpetually tired these days and I know that has a lot to do with my mental health, which hasn’t been in the best state. So, while March was already better and less stressful than February, I’m still hoping that April will be significantly better all around!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

Where do I even start with February? I thought I was ready for what the month would bring but I definitely was not. At. All. Ready. 😭😂 I think I can begin glancing back at this experience now and have a slight chuckle at how overwhelmed and overworked and over everything I was. And although I’ve done my best to push the stress of the situation to the back of my mind, I know that once I reflect on the past month from a professional perspective, I will also realise that I’ve gained a lot from it and I’ll probably maybe be thankful for having gone through what I did. But as of right now, I’m not quite there yet and I’ll do anything in my power to ensure I never have to experience this again. Ever. Again. No more. 🫣

This is pretty much it for the life update front because nothing else but work happened this month and it’s sad that that’s not at all an exaggeration, lol.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads33 Comments

Well, I don’t know about you but to me, January simultaneously felt like it would never end and like it passed way too quickly for my liking. This was the month I started my “new” job, returned to work 4 of 5 days in the office, and felt a ridiculous level of stress and pressure that I haven’t felt in quite some time. It has been both good and bad and although it’s gotten slightly better and I’m slowly finding my feet, it’s been a lot to adjust to!

With my first chunky new paycheck I decided to indulge in new tech and invested in my first ever tablet—the 5th Gen iPad Air and of course, I got it in the colour purple! 💜 I think 2023 is fast becoming the year I take my favourite colour and make it into my whole aesthetic and I’m not mad about it at all.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: December 2022

Dini @ dinipandareads40 Comments

Where has December gone? Is it really already the end of 2022? What have I done with all my time? These questions plague me. 😂 Honestly, all I can remember from the first half of December is that work was incredibly busy and took over most of my brain. One great thing that happened was that I GOT THE JOB for That Interview™️ I was panicking over at the start of the month and I signed my new contract yesterday!

Other than that, I feel like it’s been a weird-ish month. My mood has been shifting as wildly as the weather (the stormy winds and rain have been wonderfully cooling though!) which has in turn affected my reading. I’m in Bali for the holidays and I’m still WFH even though the office has been pretty quiet lately, which is making me want to go on hols! Also, I also can’t believe it’s time to wrap up the year? HELP.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2022

Dini @ dinipandareads26 Comments

Wow, is it really already December 1st?! I don’t know how November is already over but I do know that…

  • I spent almost two weeks of the month being totally bowled over by COVID (got it for the first time). It was not fun losing my taste & smell, plus I hated that my body ached so much that I couldn’t even get proper rest!
  • I spent one week slowly coming out of the brain fog and dealing with residual cough/cold symptoms. And…
  • I spent the last week getting used to travelling to the office again and getting back into work mode.

And that was basically my whole month? I have no idea what happened before getting sick because it was a blur of work stress. As much as it sucked to get knocked out by the virus, I’m glad that that’s now behind me and I’m back to feeling ‘normal’ again.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2022

Dini @ dinipandareads33 Comments

I ask myself this every year (and like, probably every month for the past few months, lol, but) where did October go? The end-of-year months always pass in a blink and this past month was no different—I legit can’t believe we’re in the second to last month of the year now! Here are some highlights from this month:

  • My cousin had her wedding reception (and final wedding event) at this gorgeous cliffside location in Uluwatu, Bali.
  • I won a Twitter Giveaway (the second time I’ve ever won anything on socials!) and received my copy of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy! 😍
  • My new job has been tiring but it has also been invigorating to be surrounded by ambitious creative people.
  • Midnights (3am) by Taylor Swift — I’m still religiously listening to this album and love it more and more each day.
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Monthly Wrap Up: September 2022

Dini @ dinipandareads19 Comments

Hey, hi, hello! Where did September go? Does anyone have a clue because I literally blinked and the month was somehow over. 👀 I don’t even know where to begin with the happenings this month (mostly because I can’t recall all of it for some reason?) so I’m going to stick to the highlights and keep this life update short and sweet:

  • My 3-months in India came to an end and I flew back to Jakarta at the start of the month.
  • I got to unbox some great book mail from the months I was gone!
  • My cousin got married at the end of the month and it was hella tiring but also wicked fun.
  • Lots of family reunion stuff—it’s been a lot but oh so good to see my aunts, uncles and cousins from the US, Canada and Australia again after years of separation.
  • I got a job as a consultant at the UN—woo for employment! 🥳
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Monthly Wrap Up: August 2022

Dini @ dinipandareads29 Comments

I keep asking these questions everywhere and to everyone but someone please tell me, is August really already over? How is it already September and we’re counting down the last few months left of 2022? It really beats me how the year has gone so quickly. August was my last full month in India and it was busy with photoshoots, travelling to Goa for a getaway from city life and to Agra for the Taj Mahal. What a time it has been and I can’t believe that as I’m writing this right now, I’m already leaving tomorrow evening!

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