As winter rapidly approaches, the days becoming shorter and the weather being gloomier, you may very well ask: what is there to be joyful about? Happiness and joy are, of course, very individual emotions. What makes me happy may not have the same effect on you. If you're a summer person and love to lie on the beach, you're probably dreading the arrival of winter. If, on the other hand, you like to curl up on the sofa in front of a roaring fire enjoying a good book, you may be in your element during the winter months.
2021 hasn't been the easiest of years for many of us, especially with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It's been particularly hard for me as I live alone in Spain and my children all live in London, however I'm grateful for the companionship of my small Spanish dog Lisa, who has saved my sanity - though also driving me mad at times! I'm also fortunate enough to have a computer with internet access, so I've enjoyed Zoom chats with my family as well as with several friends who live in the UK. The highlight of the year though was being able to visit my family in London during October to celebrate my son's 50th birthday and spend time with my granddaughter there, plus going to Lincoln the following weekend for my brother's 70th birthday.
The Joy Club is one thing that definitely brings joy to my life! I joined at the beginning of this year and found it a life-saver when I was unable to go to the local gym or socialise with friends in person because of lockdown. It's aimed at people who are retired (or semi-retired) and based in the UK, however although I currently live in Spain I have a UK bank account and was able to join. I have enjoyed making new online friends through the activities that I take part in.
If you decide to join, you can get your first month's membership for free by clicking on this link and, by entering this code: JzBCC6wBx1, you can get an additional free month. More than enough time to fill your life with joy by trying out all the activities! In case you're concerned about the cost, you can then enjoy lots of online sessions for only £5 per month. My favourite classes are Creative Writing, Tai Chi, Zumba, Cardio with Jill and Solo Latin dancing with Tracie. You can also take advantage of special offers for members even if you don't want to pay for online classes.
Now that restrictions are easing in Jumilla, the town that I call home, I have the joy of being able to meet up again with both British and Spanish friends for coffee, tapas and the occasional menù del dìa in our local bars and restaurants. Music also brings me joy so I was delighted to see that our local theatre is planning concerts to celebrate Santa Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
Finally, I really enjoy writing and blogging, though I haven't written any posts for a while. I hope that writing this will inspire me to continue with my blog. It's definitely time for me to sort out my winter wardrobe so watch this space for my next capsule wardrobe post!
To summarise, the key things that bring me joy are (in no particular order!): spending time with family and friends, even if it's only online; keeping myself fit and active through activities such as Zumba, Tai Chi, dancing and walking my dog Lisa; being able to sit outside in the sunshine with friends enjoying a coffee; writing; music and travel. I'd love to hear what brings you joy as well, so please feel free to comment below.
