9/11

On the 11th September 2001, I flew to France to start my year abroad at a French uni.
The events of 9/11 somehow bypassed me given my limited language skills at the time. And quite possibly my preoccupation with setting up a new life.
Nonetheless, I will always remember where I was on the day.

9/11 now has another meaning, too.
On the 11th September 2017 my mum's funeral took place.
The last months have been eventful and challenging. And despite I knew that death was imminent, it remains surreal that she now really is dead.

too easy, really

recently, I've been encountering a number of people who talk at me. i'm not interested but haven't yet found a way to get myself out of these situations. partly being too polite and not wanting to hurt their feelings. and partly ... well, i'm not yet sure what the other part/s is/are.

now, anyone who knows me in real life, also knows that i like to talk. and i was wondering just how many people feel exactly how i feel with those people when they spent time with me.
of course, i'm pretty confident of my awesome conversational skills and my great storytelling skills.
nonetheless, i feel it's a sign to be more mindful.
more mindful of what i say (you know that rule: is it kind? is it true? is it necessary? dare i admit it: i guess a lot of what i say does not tick those boxes. even if it is rather funny!).
more mindful of how the people i speak to feel and what their needs may be.
more mindful also of why i say what i say.

so much to be mindful about!
how very useful then, that I am reading this book at the moment as part of Megan Winkler's fb bookclub:

just sayin'

motivation to blog is still lacking.
posting on instagram is much quicker.
so, if you miss me - check out my insta account 😎

Menschen 2017 - August 2017

Reminder: Menschen 2017

Giovanni and Michaela - running a beautiful B&B
Michael L, Jens S, Sasha B, Claus B, Ursula R, Thorsten W, Ralf B, Daniela S - new work colleagues
Michael Koch 


January 2017 - 17
February 2017 - 8
March 2017 - 17
April 2017 - 33
May 2017 - 21
June 2017 - 33
July 2017 - 18
August 2017 - 11
New total: 158

This is me

I'm still here! Just currently little motivated to fill this blog.

I got the photos from the recent photo shoot. While mostly looking the same in all of them (and really horrible in others...), there were at least a few I quite liked. I then started to play around with filters - gosh, the amount of time I could waste on applying different effects!
Here are my favourites:

new beginnings

With a delay of a week and a half, I started my new job today. A gentle handover period.
Lots of information to take in, but I am also excited to start something new, something I believe in, too.
And no, I haven't given up on my coaching business at all, that will continue to run in parallel. In the interest of my need for variety this really is a great way forward!

what to say, what to do?

I thought a while about whether or not to post this on here.
But this blog is basically my diary, so it has got to go on here, I feel.

On Thursday 17th August 2017, my mum passed away.

She had been in a hospice for the last four weeks. The night before her 71st birthday (12th August), she fell asleep, never to wake up again. 

These last four weeks have been intense, challenging, sad and nonetheless I am deeply grateful for having been able to experience them the way I did. With friends and a support network there to help my mum as well as by my side. Taking one step at a time.

About 5 years and 3 months ago, she had gotten her first diagnosis. 

I am sure it will take many more weeks for me to process this.

The thought that I will never see her and talk to her again is surreal for now.

*CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE*

Today I will get my photo taken for my new job.
I hate being photographed.
First hurdle was finding an outfit. Pretty ridiculous given the size of my wardrobe - this should have been easy! Especially as it's just a headshot!! But I then realized that a lot of my clothes show off my tattoo - which is great, but I don't want it to feature on the photo.
Another large part of my wardrobe is patterned and my boss had suggested going for something not too 'wild'/busy.
And lastly, I have a lot of black stuff, which I feel is too dark for a pic.
(am I overthinking this???!? - quite possibly)
I eventually settled for one of my favourite dresses. Navy, very simple, I like the neckline.

Next challenge will be producing an authentic smile. I tried the trick of thinking of something that makes me really happy with eyes closed, then opening my eyes. And I looked like an idiot.
I am putting all my trust in the photographer!

Menschen 2017 - July 2017

Reminder: Menschen 2017

UHD Networking evening: Michaela, Jayne, Martina, Petra, Ulrike, Magdalena
Work team meeting: Zacharias, Cornelius, Josef (different generation, different names...- in both 'directions')
Qualitpaten: If only I could remember names... +1
Gwen, Ana, Brigitte, Elisabeth, the priest - Not new people, more of a blast from the past. One of my mum's friends and people from my home town parish who have made a reappearance. I'm counting them in as I am pretty sure I never really talked to them as a kid.
Emily - A's baby daughter 🚼
M - T's girlfriend. Only took a year to meet her - fun evening! And hopefully more to follow.
F - S's kid - having been a super shy kid, I admire all kids who so easily interact with people/adults they only just met!


=18



January 2017 - 17
February 2017 - 8
March 2017 - 17
April 2017 - 33
May 2017 - 21
June 2017 - 33
July 2017 - 18
New total: 147

what's the poking etiquette?

To be honest, I didn't even think the poking feature on Facebook still existed. Until I got poked by three different people recently.
All of whom I haven't spoken to/been in touch with in a while.
Firstly: what's the point?
Secondly: did they poke me by mistake?
Thirdly: why would anyone over the age of 15 still use this feature?

Surely, anyone who wants a reaction from me, has the 30 seconds it takes to send me a private message. At least a 'how are you', maybe?!
Is there an etiquette?
And shouldn't the etiquette be to speak to me in a full sentence instead?

STAY FREAKING OPEN-MINDED!

Ok, one would think that I'd know better by now... But no, I keep doing this thing of picturing what the future will look like. I create various scenarios and convince myself that indeed I am able to predict what will happen.

And then something else happens altogether.
I suppose my brain very much prefers this false sense of predictability.
Let's see how I can work with this going forward.

acceptance

Acceptance is a tough one for me. Or certainly has been. Wishing for things to have been or to be different. Which is of course a futile exercise!
Something I am working on. And I can feel how much of a difference it makes already.
The other learning is of course, that there is no button to press, no switch to flip and everything is different. It's a constant learning process, which includes me 'slipping up' once and again, falling back into old habits. But overall still moving forward.
Painful at times, but that's part of it all, isn't it?

I remember people telling me that the bad stuff is part of it and that without it, we wouldn't be able to appreciate the good stuff. And I used to be convinced that there would be another way to live my life.
While I still don't fully agree with the latter (needing the bad stuff to appreciate the good), I do believe that both are part of life and experience. And I shouldn't label it 'good' or 'bad' to begin with.

baby girl

Finally got to meet Emily, A's daughter, born in May. Such a cutie!!!

buggy chocolate from the local delicious chocolate shop

let's go!

Almost a decade ago now, I got myself kitted out with motorcycle clothes: jacket, trousers and helmet. My then boyfriend had a motorcycle. While I find wearing the clothes pretty uncomfortable - feeling like the Michellin man... - I loved the feeling of sitting at the back of his bike!
I never had and still don't have any intention on getting a license myself. Weirdly enough, I would not feel safe. But when I trust the driver, I can totally relax into the experience.

Over the last months I had considered selling the stuff, as it was only taking up space at my parents' house. When a friend invited me to go on a bike tour with him. So, now I have the stuff here with me in Rosenheim and only need to find the time to take him up on the offer! (hoping I still fit into the clothes...)

have faith

I am a notorious over-thinker. Partly cause I like to be prepared. Especially with regard to event management, it made me a great event manager - anticipating what could potentially happen and prepare for it.

Again and again though, I realize that this ability isn't always useful. Sometimes things turn out very differently to what I had anticipated. And with hindsight I can see how I worried needlessly about things that never materialize.

So my lesson learned is:
Reminding myself that I will be able to deal with whatever comes my way.
It might not always be easy, it might be painful. But I know I can do it.
And there is a lot to take away from all the experiences in life.

Piggy time!

For this year's summer outing of the organisation I volunteer for, we went to a nearby farm. To admire the pigs and cows and bunnies and dogs as well as to play games.

I am a highly competitive person. But I am absolute crap when it comes to these sorts of games, or really anything physical. So, despite being the second youngest in a group of mainly pensioners, I sucked big time and managed to come last in most activities. Oh, the shame...

But the cuddly dogs that followed us around as well as the pigs made up for it. Somehow. And we were lucky enough not to get rained on. All in all it was a nice Friday afternoon!

For my dating profile...

I shared the beautiful website gratitudebuddy on here before. 
And here's the message I got yesterday (and no, I didn't write that one myself 😂):

"In conversation, you ask great questions 

(balanced, non-threatening, kind, thought-provoking, fascinating!) 

one of the several reasons people everywhere will enjoy having dinner with you."

I think this is one of my favourites so far. 
Even though it is difficult to pick, cause they have all been pretty awesome.

courage

What does courage mean to you?

It's not a word I associate with myself but interestingly, other people seem to associate it with me and this has shown up on several occasions recently.

I'd say I am a do-er. And I don't like fear holding me back. When I realize that fear of failure or of embarrassing myself (what does that even mean?!) are the only reasons in the way of doing something that I actually want to do, I try to go ahead and do it.

Courage somehow is connected with doing something that feels difficult and scary to do. Overcoming obstacles along the way. Maybe that is why I don't feel courageous. It seems that I might need courage in that one moment when I make a decision to do something - such as moving abroad or resigning from a job - but once I've taken a decision, it just seems natural and I have the faith and intuitive feeling that this is really the only way forward.

Would it change anything for me, if I did consider myself courageous?
I'm not sure.

The Effect

The effect - a play by Lucy Prebble - was on in Rosenheim and proved again that good theatre is indeed being shown here!

Not only was the play really interesting, the actors were also really good.

A woman and a man are taking part in a study that is testing the effect of a new anti-depressant.
They fall in love.
But is it real? Is it entirely due to the influence of the drug? And does that make it less real? Are our feelings not the results of various chemicals in our brain anyway?

Then it turns out that the man is actually on a placebo.
Or so they think for a little while.
If he was, what would that mean as a consequence?

And the general question of how we see depression.
On the one hand, there's a movement to de-stigmatize it. For people to regard depression as an illness, the way we look at other physical ailments.
On the other hand, if we look at it primarily as a chemical imbalance in the brain, do we automatically conclude that it should be treated with drugs? And are we therefore missing the point, the actual trigger of the depression?
Are we using it as an 'excuse' to blame depression on something external to us?
And where does depression start and sadness end?
And how much are we conditioned that we mustn't feel sad and how does that impact on the way we deal with our supposedly 'negative' feelings like sadness, anger, or disappointment? Trying to get rid of them, instead of examining them and healing them.

I for one will admit that for most of my life, I have been trying to avoid feeling those feelings. I don't like it. And when something has popped up, I would try to push it away from me. I think there was probably a worry that I might end up wallowing in self-pity, getting caught up in a negative downwards spirale.
When this is not an either-or situation. I can feel the feelings and still move on with my life. Feeling sad is not the equivalent of self-pity at all.

If you have the chance, check out the play!

Menschen 2017 - June 2017

Reminder: Menschen 2017

More Blickpunkt peeps: Gitta, Olaf, Carmen, boss-boss, Basti
Daniela and Sabine - my new boss and colleague - more on that at a later stage
Alessio and Tom (who runs my favourite coffee house here in Rosenheim 🍵🍰)
Claudia and Lorena - from the fashionshow
My instagram peeps - Rachael, Kristen, Kay, Andrea, Mandy, La Tanya, Megan, Irin
Start Up Meet up - the travel lady, the vegan shop guy, the NLP agile coach, investment app Daniel, Valerie
Pascal - my o2 advisor
Cordula - my aerial yoga teacher
Sabine S - a new Xing contact
Laura - L's colleague
Max - a friend's son, charming at 16 and proof that not all teenagers are horrid 😍
Steffi - my new pilates teacher
Ms Kellner from the Lucia No. 3 in Munich
Willi Börsch and Ingrid Aßbichler from the OVB newspaper


January 2017 - 17
February 2017 - 8
March 2017 - 17
April 2017 - 33
May 2017 - 21
June 2017 - 33
New total: 129

some Friday facts

1) Sometimes I actually ENJOY driving these days 🚗 ✌
2) On my way to see a friend who lives in the sticks, I just had to stop and take some photos. The mountains, the clouds... it was all so pretty! 💖
3) I don't want to have a kitten. They bloody scratch 😸 😒 (the latter is the 'unamused face')

mirror, mirror on the wall

I don't have a mirror in my bathroom.
Well, I have one of these small cosmetic mirrors but not one on the wall.

Interestingly, almost (potentially every, I simply cannot recall) all men who have used my bathroom felt the need to comment on it.

Here's my theory:
Women are more careful to come across as criticizing the way I have decorated my flat.
Men all want to be the knight in shining armour who fix the problem for me.

Here's some news:
If I wanted a mirror on the wall, I would have made it happen.
I might not have a drill myself but I know people who do. But thanks for offering to improve my life (no sarcastic undertone here, I promise! Cause I do appreciate people offering their help).

The oracle

About eight or so months ago, I came across oracle cards. I had heard of tarot cards, but not oracle cards. In a FB live session Allison Crow pulled the card 'Surrender' for me.

As part of another FB challenge I am taking part in (honestly, there is some great stuff out there, which above all puts you in touch with beautiful people as well as yourself!), I had the following cards pulled for me:

Acceptance: I unconditionally accept, cherish and love myself just as I am.

Silence: I am serene no matter what is occurring around me.

The latter literally minutes before my mum called...

Nowadays I also have my own set of cards. And I love how they always have a valuable message for me.

The little things that make a difference

I love buying books. As a natural consequence, I was running out of bookshelf space and piles of books were spread around my bedroom. Last week, I finally managed to go to the local DIY store to get some wood cut for me to create a second layer of shelves in my IKEA Kallax shelf. I had done this before, when I had moved in here, but hadn't (no idea why...) bought enough for each compartment.

At the store, nobody was in the wood cutting section and despite ringing the bell twice, nobody appeared.I went back to the front of the store to check at the information desk whether anyone was there to help and was then promptly served.

On my way home, I was thinking how in the past, I would have - most likely - reacted quite differently. I would have been pissed off about nobody reacting, having to walk all the way to the front and then to the back again etc. And how that would have probably shown in my interaction with the shop assistant, who would in turn potentially not served me as friendly as they did.

And I would have blamed it all on them instead of recognizing the role I was playing in the scenario. Isn't it beautiful to recognize that so much of what you put out there, will come back to you? How we create the world around us?
It certainly made me very happy.
And my books are all shelved again. With some spare space for future book purchases.
Plus I paid €5.40 for four shelves. You can buy them online for about €17 each. Bargain!

roses are ... pink

After finishing the dress, I continued with this top, which I had cut out ages ago, too. It's version A from the Simplicity pattern 1613. This is already my third garment from this pattern but the first of this version.
Number 1
Number 2

My brain is not made to understand the way things are constructed and thus it took me a long time to get my head round the instructions of how to create this lovely knot at the front. It all (more or less - as with all my garments: do not look too closely!) worked out in the end and I got it done within a day.

What next?
I could finally complete the coat I started months ago. But I somehow feel a new project coming on instead.

I haven't given up eating

I guess, I haven't been sharing all too many food pics with you lately. Rest assured, I am not fasting!

Firstly, not actually a food pic but a couple of pics of the lovely flowery decoration at Dinzler café where I met with a friend for breakfast last week.

And secondly, my glorious Schnitzel in honour of getting the job I wanted. But let's face it: it's always Schnitzel-time!

Dinzler - and it's only empty cause everyone was sitting outside

Schnitzel at the Hedwig Grill

Summer time: show off your shoulders!

This dress took me quite some time to complete. It's the Simplicity pattern 2281, version C, without the midriff applique.

First mistake happened at the sleeves which I managed to sew on twisted.
Then the project came to a standstill when the zip had to be inserted. I prefer to do them by hand. Which turned out really crap. Not quite obvious from the photo below but it really was all wanky. So, I undid it all and redid it with the machine. Which was an improvement, but because of the pocket, it still looked shit. I thus, redid it again, this time removing the pocket. So now I only have one pocket on the other side. Which quite frankly is fine with me.
Lastly, the hem looked shit due to a mistake with the lining. So, I had to redo that again.

But finally, I have a dress! And I really like the shoulder details. And everything about it really. I think I might do another version of it in another fabric, this time without the pocket to start with which I hope will save me a lot of hassle!

*ouch*

I think I have shown my glorious bruises on here before. The other day, I woke up and found this bruise on my thigh:

Yes, it's literally the size of the palm of my hand... And the crazy thing is that the only way I can explain it, is my having scratched myself because I got a mosquito bite the day before.
Very pretty...

yoga love

I've been doing yoga for more than a decade now. On and off. A lot of the time off...
As with other things, I am much better and find it more enjoyable when doing it in a class rather than by myself at home.

I recently took part in a 7 day yoga challenge organized by the Yoga Goddess Collective (check them out on FB, if you are interested). And it has really revived my motivation. Starting my day with some yoga makes such a difference. I can feel a whole new level of calm and peace within. To me it is one of the exercises that help me practice mindfulness. Just like meditation does, too.

And last but not least, I discovered the photo filters on my phone and had some fun experimenting with those! 📷

2017 resolutions - May review

My 2017 resolutions
January review
February review
March review
April review

1) exercise: I bought a new bike! And have been taken it out a few times. Also extended my Pilates membership. Still room for more, but it's going in the right direction at the moment.

2) healthy eating: no comment... I feel I should take this off my list. It's not happening, is it?!

3) less moaning: let's say more awareness for when it is happening especially linked to being judgmental.

4) my coaching business: definitely moving forward on this! I am finding I have less time for my blog at the moment. So, do follow me on Instagram for more or less daily updates now.

5) less time on the internet/mindfulness: daily meditation reintroduced 😎

Menschen 2017 - May 2017

Reminder: Menschen 2017

Agnes, Christiane, Doris, Michael, Volker, Oskar - attendees of the NLP Course
Nik's mum, Katharine + son
Ms. M. and Mr. S. - met at the photoshoot with the mayor
Thomas - NLP testing
The team at Blickpunkt Rosenheim (x6)
Toni from my brother's gym
X - the wonderful massage therapist (I'm terrible with names - this does not reflect on her at all!)
Paul - from the English speakers group - my theatre companion



January 2017 - 17
February 2017 - 8
March 2017 - 17
April 2017 - 33
May 2017 - 21
New total: 96

more sadness

Terror attacks are in the news all the time. But when they happen in London as opposed to far away Kabul, they hit harder.
Hearing about what happened in London last weekend brings tears to my eyes. Borough market - an area I've been to many times.

I'm not naive. But despite London being a big city and of course there is crime in a big city, I always felt safe. I'm not sure how I'd feel now.
I of course also know that there is no 100% safety anywhere.

I am thinking of those affected. In whatever way.

a classic

The photos never come anywhere close to the beauty of the actual place.
I cannot quite explain the happiness that I experience when cycling (or walking) along this path near my house. Cycling with my new bike has become even more pleasant by the way!

The view of the alps at the horizon gets me every time.
Unfortunately, hayfever season has also started. While I was out for more than an hour, everything was fine. But when I got back home, my eyes were so itchy... Annoying, but as I've had much stronger reactions when I was younger, I am trying to focus on the improvement in the situation.

octagon balcony

Right in the city centre but I only noticed the awesome balcony the other day. Pretty, right?

picture perfect Sunday

Summer truly arrived over the weekend with up to 30°C.
Sunday afternoon trip to the Walchensee. The water was an awesome turqouise colour and sitting on the pedalo in the middle of the lake was just pure bliss. The beauty of the surrounding was simply breathtaking.
I feel that there is still so much more for me to explore here.

gratitude rocks

I came across the My gratitude buddy website through a webinar held by JP Morgan Jr (a coach, and relative of a friend).
Check it out! I love it!
You write yourself messages that will be sent to you at random. And the really cool feature is that you can share the link with friends who can add their messages to you. Share the love and gratitude! 💕

a premiere

Not quite THE premiere but a premiere for me nonetheless.
I had come across the play Amor & Psyche based on Greek mythology that finished its run on Sunday at the local theatre. And you may imagine my excitement, when I saw it was performed in English!!

And my disappointment when nobody (at first) reacted to my post in the English speakers FB group... Especially as my determination to go and see the show by myself was waning. Cue even more excitement when somebody finally replied AND reserved tickets AND booked a table for dinner beforehand. As I continuously bemoan the fact that I tend to be the organizer of anything that happens in my social life.

I enjoyed it.
The Theaterinsel (theatreisland) is a small theatre with maybe 50 odd seats. So a good view is guaranteed. The actors' English didn't make me cringe instead added to the charm and my amusement in places. I loved how they used the space and how even on a small budget you can make a show cool.

The second half dragged a little bit but that might also be due to my short attention span. All in all, it was a wonderful evening which taught me once again: Expect the unexpected! Always.

out and about

I'm feeling a little lazy with regard to blogging at the moment. Not because of lack of stuff to blog about but other sorts of busyness.
But that's ok.

After almost two years in Rosenheim, I am realizing just how many places there are that I haven't yet discovered. Always helps to have a "guide" to introduce me to new places! Such as the Hofstätter Lake on bank holiday Thursday.

I especially loved the chair placed in the lake. I am all for looking at things from a new perspective!

2x

Can't remember whether I have written about this already (and too lazy to check...). I have been meditating on and off for a number of years now. When living in London I attended a weekly meditation class with one of the most delightful people I have met so far who happened to be a Buddhist nun.

Meditation doesn't always work for me. Some days the thoughts keep coming and I don't manage to focus on just breathing at all. I love the image of thoughts as clouds that we allow to pass by without holding on to them. Letting go in general is such a special skill in my opinion and something I am consciously working on.

I couldn't work out why I was finding it so tough to incorporate meditation into my daily life. Knowing that it makes me feel better every time I do do it. Thanks to an NLP intervention, I came up with the solution of fixing a time to do it. I was excited to have come up with such an easy solution which felt so right for me.

When I got home though, other thoughts had crept in. Fixing a time when my current schedule differs each day really, didn't seem practical anymore. Until I had another light bulb moment:
My 'fixed' meditation times are now after waking up and before getting up in the moment. And the last thing I do after going to bed at night. Those are fixed times but still offer flexibility. And by picking two times, if I miss one, I will still get to meditate at least once - which was my original objective.

It's about 10 days now, and it's working well 😊

massage heaven

I can't even remember when I last had a massage. Which means it was high time to treat myself. 

And it was heavenly as always. ❤

just do it

Sometimes the stars align, right?
Well, that might be a grand.... After my motivation to exercise had seriously dipped over the last couple of months, I made it a topic in my final NLP weekend, hoping (but not believing) that I would be able to access some 'inner wisdom' that would help me to get back on track.

Lo and behold - I did tap into something thanks to my lovely fellow coach Peter. The concrete plan emerged to get a proper bike. On Wednesday, I noticed that the bike shop in town had moved to the outskirts. What I didn't realize when standing in front of the now closed shop (and being pissed) was that their new store opened on Friday last week only! With lots of opening offers.

On my visit to the grocery store on Friday, I then noticed a bright pink bike lock. First step towards getting a bike, I thought and bought it. And then on Saturday I went and bought myself my new lovely silver bike.

I test rode three bikes and was pretty confused as to how to decide which one to get. Cause well, they were all bikes that seemed pretty similar when riding them around in little circles inside the bike store...

In the end, I went with the one that had the biggest discount 😎

Took it out for a spin along the Inn
Squeezed into the back of my Seat Ibiza and my fluorescent bike lock 💗

chillaxing

After the stressful 8 minute facebook live recording in the morning, I enjoyed the sunny day at the Happinger Au See. It's a 10 minute drive away. Unless, your SatNav tells you the wrong way...
I got there in the end and it was beautiful. And the lake was actually not too cold. Had I brought my swimsuit, I would have gone for a swim (others did) but this way, I only went in knee-high.

As always, the pictures don't do it justice. The Alps at the horizon make me smile every time. It doesn't get old!

niche = nitch??

I don't want to be a bitch about this - and maybe I am being the moron here - if so, please do tell me!

I was listening to another free webinar. The lady doing it is German. She was doing it in English and she kept saying nitch. That is not how you pronounce niche? Or is it?

And while I am at it...

My Facebook business page - including my first live video I recorded this morning.
For days I had been going back and forth over whether or not I would REALLY dare to do this. This morning I sat in front of my laptop for probably half an hour, playing around with the lighting, until I finally had the courage to press 'record'.

And I even had two (live) viewers!
Then the video finished. And disappeared.
Argh..................
Turns out that I had forgotten to click 'done' afterwards. I had only seen the option to delete immediately (it was tempting, I admit it!!!) but not that I had to press 'done' to add it to my wall.

But having had the bloody courage to do it once, I was now determined to do it a second time. I actually felt a bit calmer. So, there you go. Check it out if you want to see me and hear me speak.

what the hell...

While I have been keeping this blog anonymous for the last 5 or so years, I have finally decided to change that.
And I am sharing my new coaching website and instagram page with you all - exciting times! 😎
Well, exciting and a tiny bit nerve-wracking... No more hiding.

Coaching Website
Instagram

a day in the life of KS

I really want to create more days like this.
Wednesday last week, I did some work in the morning, then went to see a friend to celebrate her boy's first birthday, came back to work some more, went out again for a photo shoot with the mayor in honour of the organisation I volunteer with celebrating their 20th anniversary, realized that even in Rosenheim you can network, and ended the day with pilates practice.

Note to self: I need to stop stressing myself.

chicken

Today started with lots of sunshine and blue sky. Which made me very happy.
Shortly before I was about to leave the flat to meet a friend for lunch, it started pissing down with rain. Which didn't make me too happy.
First of all, I had planned walking into town, partly to 'exercise' and partly cause it's a pain to find a parking spot. I then realized that this would end with me being totally soaked.
Then I decided to take the car. But within 5 steps from my flat towards my car, my feet were already soaked. So, I cancelled the lunch date.
Which is very unlike me.
Of course an hour later, the sun was back out again...

Anyhow, fortunately he was able to reschedule to Thursday. Something to look forward to. And fingers crossed for decent weather!

it's been emotional...

There was no doubt that the last of the seven NLP weekends would be a bit emotional.
I have learned so much and NLP is something I use and that supports me in my personal life as well as my coaching. It has been an eye opener in so many ways and I cannot really put it into words.

We ended the course with a final feedback round which moved me to tears throughout. Each one of us got to sit on a 'throne' at the front  - able to give feedback to the group. And to receive feedback.
Even listening to other people's feedback and everything they are grateful for brought tears to my eyes. To start with, I didn't even think I'd bring myself to go sit on that chair at all.
And when I did, it of course ended with actual tears. Very happy tears, I'd like to add. What a beautiful coincidence (?!) that this morning's meditation was all on gratitude!

I know this will sound pretty soppy - but it really has been such an incredible experience.
At the end of which stands the title NLP Practitioner, certified by the German Association for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. 💃🎆🎓

picture perfect

the little creek near my flat - so pretty 💗

energetic

I had an awesome weekend!
Supporting people during their first experience with NLP. It was great to further deepen my own knowledge and so rewarding to be able to help others. And - who would have thought - I was even able to accept the great feedback I got.

One of the attendees said that she felt that I was full of energy. Which I thought was a nice compliment and a bit different from the comments I usually get with regard to my calmness. And - as my trainer noted: how awesome that I have both in me. 💕

2017 resolutions - April review

My 2017 resolutions
January review
February review
March review

1) exercise: a complete disaster... I need to work on new tricks to keep me motivated!

2) healthy eating: Hm, equally not going great. But I feel that I've been cooking more, and having less take aways. Whether that equates healthier eating, too, is debatable. But it's certainly worked out cheaper.

3) less moaning: I'd like to say that this is still going well. But maybe I need to ask those around me whether there has been a difference.

4) travel - has been replaced by working on my coaching business: website is live. Started an instagram account. set up a business fb page. got business cards. this is going well!

5) less time on the internet/mindfulness: more time watching DVDs. Especially in the last couple of weeks I have enjoyed time by myself a lot more consciously. Thumbs up.

Menschen 2017 - April 2017

Reminder Menschen 2017

Maren, Nora, Samuel, Frederic, Thomas, Ani, Julianna, Martin, Matthias, Alex, Ruth, Christian, Andi, Julia, Dirk - ProjectTogether workshop

Mr. and Mrs. S. - Antonia's parents

Finni - finally met one of my friend's son - such a cutie! As well as a friend of his, Tobias, and his two kids

Tom - my new hairdresser and a very interesting guy.

Laura Long - Kathryn, Pam and Ana - connecting in two wonderful zoom sessions and my first experience with EFT.

X and Y and Carl - at the pub quiz. I am terrible with names. The two girls were on my team though, so they definitely 'count' for this list!

Dani and the three kids (T's wife) - I was having coffee with a friend, when I recognized one of my ex colleague. So I finally got to meet his wife and three adorable kids.

January 2017 - 17
February 2017 - 8
March 2017 - 17
April 2017 - 33
New total: 75

the day has come

With a heavy heart, I finally decided to let go of my beloved CK jeans which I bought in New York probably 10 years ago. I figured I didn't want half my bum on display after all...

roll it, baby

The other day I came across the Marie Kondo folding method. And as especially my t-shirt and jumper drawers always looked rather messy, I decided to give it a go.

I feel it looks a lot tidier. On the other hand, all my black jumpers kind of look the same in a rolled up state. That might prove tricky to pull out the 'right' one.

Added bonus: I managed to free up a whole drawer this way! But also another reminder that I really do not need any more clothes... Good news for my bank account!

sleep tight

I am sure you have all heard about theories on how to manifest the things in life that you desire. Ask - and you will be given.

I was attending a webinar the other day about vision and mindset. Now I'm the visual type - listening to anything is pretty challenging for me and as per usual I kept drifting of - but I did take away this exercise:Write down your goals, formulated in the present tense as if already achieved, as specific as possible, and place the piece of paper underneath your pillow. Once I started, I kept thinking of more and more things I want. I'll probably end up sleeping on top of a book.... Not sure how comfortable that will be.

I shall keep you posted how it works out 💤

and it continues...

There has been more snow. But also some sunshine. The way life goes.

cookie time

For a couple of weeks now, I've been craving sushi but for once decided to empty my fridge instead of getting take away. So, I was very happy that C picked sushi for dinner on Monday. It was yummy and here's what the fortune cookies told us:

"Try & you might. Don't and you certainly won't."

Can't argue with that, can you?
Cs had to do with travelling which was so fitting for her, too.
The right cookie clearly went to the right person!

🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣

forgiveness

I love Facebook.
I hardly use it. In the sense of updating my 'friends' on my life. But I've been 'meeting' some amazing people through it over the last months. An awesome tool to connect!

One of these people is Laura Long who also works as a coach. Last week, she introduced me to tapping (check out EFT). As per usual, I am not particularly interested how exactly it works, the fact that it does have an effect for me, is what matters.

What struck me in both sessions was, how - and this came from another participant actually - the term 'forgiving myself' caused quite a reaction in me. As well as 'punishing myself'. At first, I was completely taken aback, as I had no clue how I should interpret that. But then yesterday, I had a bit of a light bulb moment. Something to explore further for sure.

Like a virgin

Carl from the English speakers in Rosenheim group organizes a monthly pub quiz at the Irish pub. Now, I'm not really into them - I wasn't when I lived in the UK either. Primarily cause I like winning, and my general knowledge and other specialist knowledge is nothing to write home about...

Nevertheless, since I moved here almost two years ago (holy shit!!!), I've been meaning to go. And finally, last Sunday was THE day! Besides very slow and slightly confused service (Kilkenny is not cidre... and good to know that one of the pizza ovens is taped shut 😶), I had a really nice night!

With a slightly disappointing ending: the winning team scored 34 points. And we came second with 32. BUT (and this is why I secretly feel like a winner also!): we unfortunately corrected one of our answers to the wrong answer (Like a virgin was indeed released in 1984 and not 1986) AND somebody should have trusted my math skill and we would have gotten the marathon in miles question right. And as the bonus winning point: I guessed correctly that Elvis Presley passed away in the '70s.

Highlight: I remembered that Qantas gets mentioned as the safest airline in the film Rain Man. 

From the category: why on earth do I remember these random things???

And lastly, I shall stock up on cidre for those nights when insomnia hits - best way to get me to fall asleep!

revelation-ary

The other day, when driving around Rosenheim, I suddenly had the sensation of enjoying the driving. For anyone who wasn't aware: I generally avoid driving when possible. I am scared to have another accident. It seems that using various NLP techniques really has had an effect! Not that I ever doubted that, of course 😎

And to celebrate this little revelation, I decided to treat myself to some proper cake from the Dinzler café. 

As you can see my plan to cut out sugar or even reduce my sugar intake
is going incredibly well...

And yes, they were as massive as they look! And no, I did not eat them both in one go!
The one on the left is a sort of Sacher Torte and was most delicious: chocolate, nuts and jam. So YUMMY!!!

6th

6th NLP weekend.

And the interesting experience of having a head full of thoughts as well as being empty. Seemingly even at the same time. 

The latter (the empty head) being a luxury that I want to treat myself to more often. Cause let's face it: I have gathered enough evidence that overthinking hardly ever adds any value to the issue at hand...

have I learned my lesson?

Probably not.

For a number of reasons - mostly laziness - I missed my pilates classes for the last three weeks. I was proud nevertheless to have motivated myself to attend last night. And deeply regretted it. It was so tough 😢

I was close to walking out at about half time out of frustration of not being able to do the exercises properly... I do know that I need to get back into a routine again as I can feel my back starting to hurt again. Not good. And all my own doing. I know, I know...

kids...

My friend D from London times, who now lives in Berlin, was down in Munich over the weekend. I can't even remember when I last saw him in person, but it must be several years ago. But as is the case with some people, nothing much changes and when we do meet it never feels as if there had been such a long time between meetings.

For the first time, I also got to meet his son. Such a cutie! Who seemed to take to me instantly - cuddling up and taking my hand. He also does the cutest impression of sulking - LOL! It was great to see them together, too. Clearly a close bond between Daddy and son.

Not so great - for a planner like me - was how the day panned out. Because of the crap, rainy and cold weather, the plan was to visit the Deutsche Museum. Great idea, I thought, as I still haven't been. When I arrived, there already was quite a queue, which moved quickly though, so I wasn't too bothered. Of course (?!), D and his 'entourage' were late though.... After about queuing for half an hour, they closed the ticket office due to overcrowding. Brilliant...

They reopened about an hour later, saying they'd let another 100 people in. I was pretty convinced that there were more than 100 people in front of us... Also, by the time we would have potentially gotten in, the museum would have closed in less than 1,5 hours... So, after faffing about for an hour, we finally collectively decided to go into town.

We made it to the next coffee shop, where one of the kids fell asleep.
Anyway, I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around town with D, while his friend and the kids went to another exhibition (we didn't all fit in the car....). I guess planning with kids follows different rules.

The courtyard of the old town hall at Marienplatz.
Weirdly, I had never stepped inside before!

it's all in my mind

It was tine again for a visit at the hairdressers. As we all know (?!) not my favourite pastime... I had booked an appointment at the same salon as last time, and this time had the pleasure of getting the salon's owner.

Working on my mindset, I was determined to relax and un-clench my fists. And what can I say? I had a lovely and unexpected conversation about coaching, about life, Stephen King, jumping in puddles and the Camino de Santiago. And last but not least left with a nice hairstyle, not that different from my usual style but seemingly more versatile.
Then again, I am always happy with it right after the hairdressers...

off the shoulder look

Off the shoulder tops are all the rage at the moment and it's a look I really like. Given how much fabric I have, why not sew one instead of buying one?

So, I dug out my Simplicity 1613 pattern, which I first did back in 2015. I used some of the fabric leftovers from this dress and decided to do this one WITH the band.
It turned out a little tight, as the fabric doesn't have as much stretch as the one I used for the first version. But I like the look and at least when trying it on, the band stayed in place, too.

the hot and the cold

After some very sunny days already in March, the cold is coming back. And with it, some snow, too.
Just last week, I made a mental note to get my tires changed. Good thing, I procrastinated on that one...

Luckily. they are also predicting 18°C again for next Tuesday!

No. 10

Saw this on a recent visit at my parents':

Eintracht Frankfurt currently number 10 in the Bundesliga

Also reminds me that a couple of weeks ago - for the first time ever - I met somebody who is also from Erlensee!!! Normally, people (even Germans let alone non-Germans) have never even heard of the place.

one at a time

Note to self:
If I want to know the answer to my questions, I need to ask them one at a time.
I realized the other day that I subconsciously worry that I might not be asking the 'right' question and therefore - in order to maximize my chances - ask a handful of questions all at once, hoping that one of them might be the 'right' one.
Very confusing for the person I communicate with, of course...

productive Sunday

I spent about an hour on ordering business cards for my coaching business. And it was fun! Vistaprint has so many different designs on offer, that I found it difficult to choose one. I began by shortlisting about 20 designs, whittled them down to four, then entered all my details to compare the actual cards with each other.

And eventually placed an order.

And this was just one element of my productive Sunday. I also completed my tax form for my new business. Then thought I might as well start with my tax declaration for last year. Good thing I did! Cause I then realized that I have to register and wait for an authentication code to be sent to me by post. So, I got the ball rolling.

And lastly, I started on a new sewing project and prepared the lettering for my latest painting.
Well done me! 😎😉

it tastes of ... soup

In an attempt to eat more veggies and to waste less food, I have started to make soups. Also putting my Vitamix to good use (even though I don't use it to boil the ingredients).

What can I say? I know nothing about seasoning. The other day, I mixed my leftover beetroot (first time ever I had bought beetroot, by the way!) with potatoes, an apple, onions and some horseradish. And even some herbs. Loosely based on a recipe I found online. I could taste the beetroot. But nothing else. Not even hint of sweetness from the apple. Or some spice from the horseradish.

I also stand by my view that soup is not a meal. It fills me up for all of an hour at the most...

14

Do you remember your 14 year old self?
For me, my teenage years seem to all be jumbled up together. I don't have any distinct memories to being 12 as compared to 16.

Last week, I started another volunteering role. Once a week, I will meet with A for about an hour or so. We used the first meeting to go over German grammar. And her trying to explain the Bavarian schooling. I am still a bit lost....
I am kind of hoping that my mentoring role will go beyond giving tuition. But in any case, it's worth it, if A feels she is getting something out of it.

vehicular terrorism

After Nizza, Berlin and London, Stockholm got hit by a terrorist attack. A lorry driving into the crowds in a busy shopping area.

I don't know whether the term 'vehicular terrorism' has always existed. But it does now.
The world we live in.
And no, I don't think that everything was better back when. I guess the kind of threats we are facing have changed.

And now let's all laugh together

Friday night I get a call from T: somebody from their team is injured, whether I'd like to take her place in the spartan sprint race on Saturday.

He clearly doesn't know me at all. I can't even run 1km, let alone 5km....
And most certainly not without any preparation whatsoever. Last but certainly not least, I cannot see the appeal in participating. Ever.

step by step

I am playing with the idea of creating a 'coaching area' in my sewing room. Since I removed the moulding sofa, there is just empty space now. But before I start buying furniture, I figured it'd be a good idea to tidy the sewing area of the room first.

Firstly: I won't need to buy any new fabric for a little while! As tempting as it is... At least not before I haven't turned some of my current stash into garments.

Let me talk you through it:

1. More or less neatly stacked away in my boxes.
2. All emptied onto the floor
3. Entirely unused fabric: 12 different fabrics (one is hiding underneath the pink one)
4. A pile of bits and pieces that will be binned. 

I have to say that I found it pretty hard to bin anything. Always thinking: Surely, I can still use this for something! But let's face it, I won't need hundreds of hairbands and sachets of lavender...
Secondly, there are couple of fabrics that I am not sure what to do with and why I bought them (well, I am guessing they were bargains...). Then there are others where I find it difficult to decide which of the several fitting patterns to use them for. Oh, the opportunity costs!!!

All in all, I am pleased with the outcome. My sewing desk looks much tidier (I also cleared the desk-top) and I have about five sewing projects lined up. Now I just need to decide which one to start with! Stay tuned!

I love Matt

Occasionally I have you tube sessions. The other day, I happened to come across an old friends episode on telly which somehow made me google Matt Le Blanc.
I love him! I love the persona he is on talkshows. This calmness about him is so different from his Joey character (which I also love) and just makes him the coolest guy.

It needed to be said.

Here's to being open minded

On my 'hate' list are things like: warm up games. You know these silly games people play to get to know each other? Honestly, I always feel like hiding in the loos at that point...

But hey, this weekend proved that at the very least, I find these games tolerable and at the very best, I even enjoy them!

Other things I was reminded of:
- Meeting new people is one of the things I really enjoy
- Pushing myself out of my comfort zone always pays off
- Age is no indicator for anything (other than how long ago you were born)
- I am not bad at public speaking and it's awesome to be listened to
- I cherish positive feedback

out and about

At relatively short notice I was informed that I got a hotel night for the Friday night also. I immediately set out to explore cultural options for that evening. And decided to treat myself to the opera "The Consul". At this stage only seats at the side were available at the bargain price of €14 - and with restricted views.

Restricted views turned out to mean no view at all. I could literally not see anything of the stage but at least the board with the German translation of the singing. Once and again, I got up from my chair to check out what was happening and came to the conclusion that an opera really is much more entertaining when you can see what is happening.

But I was in luck (was that the fortune induced by my broken plate already?!) and the family in front of me decided to leave about half way through. And I was then able to enjoy the rest of the opera with a perfect view.

I had a lovely evening. All by myself, too. 💗

the Cuvilliés theatre

Frauenkirche by night

bloody hell...

Blood donation day.

You are allowed to give blood every 56 days and that's exactly how often the German Red Cross comes to Rosenheim for that purpose. 

I'm not sure what it is but both this time and last time, the doctors who did my 'medical' were not particularly nice. Why do people choose jobs where they have to deal with people, if they dislike them so much?

So, yesterday, doctor asks me whether I have eaten and drunk enough. Yes.

My blood pressure was quite low at 110/70. Which made him question me again, whether I had eaten enough. Well, the answer was still yes. What quantifies 'enough'?

Anyway, so, I give blood and the lady next to me, who was hooked up after me, was done before me. And as my arm had also started hurting a bit, I started pressing on that stress ball again. Only to realize that I was also done and they had simply ignored my beeping machine. This extra pumping when my blood wasn't going anywhere was probably not a good idea.

As soon as she removed the needle, I started feeling a bit sick and asked for a drink. Instead, I was immediately put in a position with my head down and my feet up. Which made me feel even worse. It then took a couple of minutes for a doctor to appear (I just needed a f&cking drink!!!). Who of course was the same doctor who had done my medical and who seemed to take a weird delight in seeing me sick: I told you so! You didn't eat enough! And your weight is too low anyway!

WTF???? Firstly, I had eaten and drunk a normal amount. Secondly, my BMI is absolutely normal and my weight and height were part of the info I had to complete. And lastly and most importantly: if you motherf%cker thought I wasn't fit go give blood, why did you sign it off???? 😠

I was eventually given one piece of dextrose and a drink. And felt better immediately. 

Honestly...