Sept & Oct, kind of
Oh wow I had a whole update from September that I never shared…
‘Life update…
It’s September! This year is going so quickly…
I am finally getting to move home this month, yay! Next week I get to pick up my keys and movers are coming on the 11th. It’s been three difficult months, I’m really excited to move into my own place again but equally nervous about it, something I hadn’t expected to feel.
The tattoo studio is looking bare at the moment as Elliott is packing and preparing to leave, I’m sure it’s going to feel suitably weird once he’s gone. There are some changes I want to make to the studio but whether they happen this year or next now is still to be decided. As if this year hasn’t gone quickly enough, the plans I’ve made for the last few month of 2023 are going to mean it will be 2024 before I know it.
I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting this last couple of months, I’d never planned to have ‘my own studio’ and I guess it never really felt like mine, it was always ours. The thought of managing other people is not fun to me but equalling having a taste of my own space means that right now, I can’t imagine going back and working for somebody else. I’m not thrilled by the circumstances that have led to this point, they’ve been a few years in the making. I think I’m excited and terrified all at once, I guess all I can do is try and see how it goes. Mostly, I have no intentions of leaving Edinburgh or Scotland, I love it here.
On a possibly too personal note, in August I was side swiped by a pelvic ultrasound that shows I need to have some issues further investigated, it took 4 months for that first appointment so I’m hopefully that it doesn’t take another 4 months for the referrals. All of this to say that I may need to shuffle more appointments around based on the hospital and needing time off for procedures, not really something I want to do but health comes first.’
Well another month has flown by, I’ve been meaning to update a while, I get the urge to write around 10pm and know the screen time will affect my sleep which means a difficult day in the studio, it’s always a battle…
Anyway, I’m officially moved home, the tattoo studio is officially in my name and I’m starting the slow process of redecorating the studio. This will take a while for multiple reasons, firstly I need to save some money for it, secondly we have more big changes as another artist is about to leave and open their own space and thirdly I’m away most of November so I just don’t have the time right now. And I am exhausted, it’s been one battle after another… Todays latest, albeit a small one, is the studio sink finally giving up on me, a hefty price tag on a new one and an absolute necessary item to meet the conditions of our license. Arghhh *she screams into the universe* give me a break!
I do not have the energy for gallery updates or shop updates right now, mostly after all of the big stuff I’m just allowing myself to take things easy and exist, rather than constantly pushing forward, the time will come again where I’ll have no choice so for now I am just here, existing, resting.
I am roughly 3 weeks away from a half marathon, two long training runs to go, something to celebrate after the stress fracture I’d say. Running and my cats (and parents) are probably the things that have kept me going more than anything.
And around 4 and a half weeks from travelling to New Zealand, I’ve thought of cancelling the trip multiple times, it has been such a busy and stressful time and I’ve so much still to work through but I also know that going will allow me some time to rest and recharge. Maybe I’ll do a weekly travel blog update while I’m away….
The view from my new flat, it’s not all bad 🩷
I feel so lucky and so grateful to have gotten this place!
And make up free, mid run, just loving being able to run longer distances again!
I also love Scotland! Not dead yet!