Ikar

9 Oct - 14 Oct: My girlfriend is away for holiday with a friend for a week. I took her to the train station on Saturday. We had a call today to check up on one another. It does feel strange to be alone in the flat though. Last week we attended a pub quiz, had my girlfriend cousin's family over for a visit (with their 1-2 year old), had a photo-shoot (for my new website and a few pair photos too). I met with my friends - one quite smart IT guy, who has a smart home. My other friend and I put together a cabinet from IKEA. I also visited my family, met a colleague - English teacher. I also learned a bunch today about AI and I also attended a seminar on tech in education.

I'm using the template I used the last time. 2/9/24 - 8/10/24 "L" will stand for the (last) plan/notes for this term. "T" will stand for done this term. I added "Future goals/direction" to better reflect on the things I am trying to do and to add specificity. I will copy it and stick it somewhere where I can see it to remind myself whenever I feel aimless. I will also use different colors: blue for newly added goals/habits, green for completed/successful, orange for ongoing/some progress and red for ones I haven't worked on in that period. Books/Reading articles/Learning: L: I finished the business book and did extensive work of putting it into practice. I am currently working on improving the financial management of my business. I wanted to go through the CELTA materials again, but I didn't have time. I at least met with my coursemate twice and discussed it. There were some opportunities to visit the speaker's club, however I feel the pressure to prepare and rehearse something beforehand and to be honest, I don't want to and can't find time to do that. T: I didn't borrow any books this month, because unfortunately the library is in reconstruction. They should open it in a few weeks though. I however do think I made good progress in educating myself through chats, meetings and Reddit with other English lecturers. I feel more confident at what I do and how I do it and that's a good feeling to have. Possible direction/goals: (Borrow) and read one book until the next monthly report. Family: L: I met with my family twice and with my girlfriend's family twice as well. I had two separate meeting with my brother too. I'm currently organizing, planning and mobilizing myself for more work in the grandma's kitchen. T: My friend, my girlfriend and I made significant progress in the installation of the cabinets. The upper part is pretty much done and the lower cabinets are waiting to be installed. We're more than half-way through the project (including the planning - mostly done by my brother and father) and I'm very happy thanks to that. The installation of the lower cabinets will be more challenging, as we also need to deal with several pipes and the sink, but I'm confident we'll manage it. NOT: I don't want to get alienated from my family. Possible direction/goals: Work on getting the new kitchen for my grandma. Continue work on maintaining the relationships with my family. Business/English: L: I started some important projects in August, among them are: setting higher prices, contacting old students with offers for re-engagement and the website improvement project. We'll see how they go. From the numbers below, it's clear that I didn't have many language school courses during the summer. Many companies cut language school courses during the summer completely. For my financial stability over the summer, it is really better when I have my own courses, because individual people only cancel the lessons when they are on holiday (2 or 3 weeks, but not 2 or 3 whole months like companies). I even got a pay raise in one of the language schools, but the gap is just too big at this point. I can earn 20-35% more on my own even on their best paid courses. T: I have the CELTA certificate at home now! I also improved my financial planning by implementing new tools. I also worked on writing some of my new website and worked with my web-designer. I wrote about the teaching-philosophy change above. The good news also is that I won't need the numbers below from the next month. I now officially have only 2-3 hours of lessons for the language schools a week, meaning tracking this metric is has become redundant! It will come down to just 1 hour in November too. - 20 (11) hours last week in August: Category A 81% (91); B 4% (0); C 10% (0); D 5% (9); E 0% (0). Brackets are % values from previous month/week. - I've done a bit of an analysis of my courses and categorized them based on what they provide me. I earmarked five types of courses: a) my own - well paid + generally more motivated students (as they pay the courses themselves) + more challenging b) premium - language school courses paid at a premium compared to my standard LS courses for various reasons (roughly matching the a) group) c) flexible - courses from LS that don't have a fixed schedule, meaning it's on me if I make time for them or not (though I mostly do, as can they plug the gaps or can start my day) d) challenging/fun/prospective - standard LS courses with an added quality e) neither - standard LS courses without any added quality - NOT: I don't want to have a job that I don't enjoy. I don't want to have a job that is not well paid. Possible direction/goals: With my job position and student demand secure, I'm more able and willing to reschedule or even cancel classes in case I want to do something, mainly in the evening and for holidays. I enjoy having this option thoroughly. Keep classes at a stable 20-25 hours a week. Keep asking for reviews or recommendations from students. Look into strategies to become truly self-employed by skipping the agencies in between. - check university offers after CELTA Create a learning plan for myself. - going to CELTA Go through "lecturer academy" + CELTA materials. Networking and business events. Past projects: CELTA qualification - July 2023 Questionnaire - June 2023 Fixed logos on my website for better visuals. Updated the pricing section of my website. Variable/tiered pricing (do in July/August). Got minor pay raises from language schools. - summer 2023 Did evaluations/testing of my students, if required. Attended one networking event and one marketing seminar. Introduced "phone call" classes. Update website/business profiles with "phone calls". Lecturer academy Brona. - fall 2023 Sample business contract on my website. - update the web with new ideas before July Google sheets system for students. - update it Questionnaire part 2 - January 2024 Canceled agency courses - March Taxes - April/May 60/55 minutes online transition - April/May Questionnaire part 3 - June CELTA - July Contacted old students with offers - Aug/Sep 2024 Raised prices - from Sep Website improvement project - from Aug Exercise/Movement: L: I was more active this month, going for trips with my girlfriend and cycling occasionally. I also started going to physiotherapy and visited my GP, everything seems to be OK. T: I visited the physiotherapist a month ago, but I still do the exercises from time to time, mainly the main three I got during our very first meeting. I can now also say that I exercise once a week, either running with my girlfriend or going to the workout playground with other guys. I also cycled and went for some trips. NOT: I don't want to become fat. Possible direction/goals: I enjoy the fact I do not have to be "actively" dealing with this area of my life, as it's technically a part of my job. I just have to be on lookout if that was to change. Keep in shape. Blogging: L: I had another burst of inspiration some day in the late evening and managed to push out an article in about an hour and something. T: - Possible direction/goals: Find a suitable UI/web template. Set up emailing for subs. Post two articles a month. Polish links in articles. Interlink new articles with old ones. Finish articles in concepts. --- What to do if I am bored? Replacement activities for 1 hour: reading books, cleaning, washing the dishes, reading newsletters Replacement activities for 2 hours: going for a walk, work on my business, blogging --- Additional thoughts/activities: I'm now more open to working abroad now after taking the CELTA. I also met many new and interesting people and managed to meet a few older friends. My priorities for the next six weeks: Prepare for the CELTA English teaching course that starts in six weeks. - done I want to work on the questionnaire part 3 in May/June as well. - done Reconstruct my grandma's kitchen. My hobbies are: personal finance, graphs/projections/statistics, gunnery, GIS/statistics, reading/videos about (modern) history, English, working on my business, blogging/writing, geography. This month, I did these cool activities: going for trips with my girlfriend, watching films with my girlfriend, meeting friends, going to the shooting range with my girlfriend, working on my business, starting physiotherapy, finishing the business book. --- Goals/resolutions/aspirations for 2024: Main must-have plans for 2024: Prepare for (Feb-June) and successfully make (July-August) the CELTA certificate course. Finish the university in January. In case something goes horribly wrong, then in May. I've got this. Move in with my girlfriend in April. Set up the new kitchen for my grandma. Optional nice-to-have plans for 2024: Re-start my financial blog in February. Learn how to type with all ten fingers on the keyboard. Habits: Stop watching porn (again). Start getting up when my alarm rings = Put my alarm across the room. Establish flossing at least once a week. Exercise regularly. Continue: planning, walking/exercising, writing/journaling, reading, working on good life/work balance. It's a short list, but if I manage all of it, I will be happy.

I've been sitting here for about half an hour, wondering what I am going to write. Truth is, I already wrote it all above on September 8, so there's no point in repeating myself. I however do think the situation improved since then; I do more sport, the sex life is better and the trips this month went well, including the one at the weekend. It's OK to have a shit day in a relationship every now and then. There's not much to write/think about when it goes well after all 😄

3 Oct - 6 Oct: I spent the weekend out with my girlfriend on a trip to another city. The weather was bad, but I think we managed it well and had a good time overall.

It's not just the games either. It's also the news, adverts, people with certain character traits... It's not always easy to opt out, but it's worth it, as then it's possible to use the time for something worthwhile. I had it quite similar. I had some people watch my streams on Twitch and after I quit games, I wrote with one or two of the guys on Discord. I obviously had no Steam at that point and I didn't have much incentive to be on Discord either. It all eventually fizzled out a year or two later, but I don't think it's something unusual, even if it was an "offline" connection. If there is only one attachment (let's say a common hobby) between two people, it'd be strange if those two people (acquaintances) met afterwards on purpose. I think there are more attachments between true friends than just one. One hack I found out for news and social media was to just not use their apps and access their websites through a normal mobile browser. That way I am more in control and have to think more before I go there and I'm OK with it.

I'm happy to read that you don't have Duolingo as your only way to learn the language. The key is to really have many different sources and to put in at least half an hour a day on average. I've been trying to point out to my students that Duolingo and lessons with me (normally once a week) are probably not enough to learn English (in your case French) well enough. The main benefit of it is that it's 'free' - they just pay by watching the ads. Some of my students really like it, possibly because it's quite well gamified and that works for their personality. I tried learning Russian using Duo several years ago, but I finished after a year or two, because I got bored of the app. It still throws rather out-of-context vocabulary/sentences at students, because it tries to be an app for everybody. Duo also doesn't train the thing most people actually want - to be able to understand and say something on the spot. Yes, it can help you prepare some phrases to use, but if the reaction of the other person is not simple, it's game over. And ultimately, speaking can be only improved by (surprise, surprise!) speaking 😄

Definitely. I came to the university knowing next to nobody. I didn't have many childhood friends and the guys from the army didn't live in my hometown. Being at the uni/dorm exposed me to many different people and over time I realized which relationships suit me the best. My primary friends still come from the university background, but I've met a lot of new/interesting people over the last two-three years, be it through business (business partners or students) or through hobbies. I also think students are a big part of my social life. I even meet with my former students sometimes, if I feel we connected on a more personal level during the lessons. How did it change for you after college?

27 Sep - 2 Oct: I went running twice with my girlfriend this week. I met up with a few of the guys who used to live at the dorms as well. I've been busy with learning new stuff professionally - reading and chatting with colleagues, as well as with some writing for my website. I also managed to check out some Mememan comics/videos after a long time 😄

I can relate to what you're saying about getting stressed and frustrated with your wife. I find (and I guess so does my girlfriend) that not all arguments are important, we just need to vent sometimes and that's OK. No need to take it too personally or seriously. I hope you'll be able to find some more time for yourself soon.

20 Sep - 26 Sep: I did some admin stuff, put again some work into the reconstruction of my grandma's kitchen with my friend and cycled at the weekend to visit my family. I also spent a lot of time with my girlfriend, going to seminars and watching films. I had a call with an experienced English lecturer who works for one of the language schools and who did a few observations. I wanted her advice on some language-related jobs that she works, how to get into them, some tips for beginners really. We randomly started talking about marketing after that, but I was sort of surprised that her business know-how was lacking. It was a reminder for me to take advice from people only in those areas that they are good at.

14 Sep - 19 Sep: My friend and I put some good work into the reconstruction of my grandma's kitchen and managed to achieve some pre-final results, so some of the shelves are on the wall already. Spent some time with my girlfriend and friends and work. Nothing special.

8 Sep - 13 Sep: It had been a busy, but otherwise uninteresting week. I put together the final parts of my revised financial plan, went for a fun with my friend, spent time with my girlfriend, went out with friends. I had many lessons and admin-related stuff.

There are more aspects to it now. I just always drop in after a few days to reflect on what is new in my life. I also have monthly reports, which help me reflect in a more general way and plan for the future. On top of that, I also keep an eye out on spam on the forum and ban bots. I don't know for sure. I wrote: "Maybe I stop drinking or eating enough, get tired faster than her... I really don't know." We talked about it already and that's why she started going to trips with others too, so it's not all on me to satisfy her traveling/nature hiking needs. But really aside from this, there's no other big challenge that would make us separate. We can manage all the practical aspects well, always come to an agreement and I can say my girlfriend makes my life better and she even makes me a better person 🙂

Hello Mohammad, thanks for your praise 😄 I really haven't gamed since 21st April 2019. That said, I had a few occasions where I randomly came across a random browser game or watched an old stream of mine, but those are really isolated events. @BooksandTrees once said that after a certain point, he stopped caring how many days has it been since he gamed and that he stopped counting them. I came to the same realization. Games are not something I instinctively think about. When I quit, I really saw it as a closed chapter of my life. I understood why I did it and moved on to activities that were better for my needs. In fact, I never even blocked Steam or did anything else than to uninstall the games. I just knew I was through and knew I just needed to do something else. I'm sorry to read about your separation. I think it's OK with sport; sure, she does more exercise, but I rationally know it's good for me to do more sport. I think it would be OK to exercise twice or thrice a week instead of my rather random once a week now. She also motivates me to move more. Plus it's something I can opt out of easily, if I don't have time because of work, feel bad etc. Traveling is a more complicated. It's just not as fulfilling to me and I don't see much of a point in it to do it as often as she'd like. It's not about time or money in this case; I'm happy to spend the time with her and I have enough money saved up to not work at all for a few years, plus the travels she comes up with are fairly cheap. The main issue is that I feel as if every time we go and walk/hike somewhere, I start feeling physically ill. Maybe I stop drinking or eating enough, get tired faster than her... I really don't know. But it's really hard to keep a smile if I get a bad headache, which I got while on holiday hiking, which I did mostly because of her. And obviously when we're out in a different place/country, I can't just pack up and go home to take care of myself. The argument then becomes "Why be together then?", if I can't travel with her even to a minimal extent (she sometimes travels with others too). I don't think it's an entirely fair argument, as I don't push her into my hobbies/interests either, but I understand the fact that there is a point where the partners are just too different. I'm still willing to keep the communication open and perhaps the next two trips with her will be OK, we'll see 🙂

3 Sep - 7 Sep: The last few days have been tough on me intellectually and mentally. I have taken some steps towards better money management in my business (and in my life as well). I haven't made terrible decisions or spent money stupidly, but I have to rethink the allocation rather. It's mostly a question of planning, but it's still a challenge. It's not easy to write this, but I don't know whether my girlfriend and I will be together. I'd love to, and I will absolutely hate it if we split, but there's obviously a limit. Traveling and sports are such a large part of her life that even with effort from my side, I don't know if I can keep up. I'm not writing this to blame her (or perhaps to show that my choice of a girlfriend was poor), but to show the differences. Our relationship is built on such a tremendous amount of respect and tolerance that I think is really without many parallels in today's world. She motivates me to do more exercise though; I generally cycle, run or workout at least once a week for an hour or so, I also started physiotherapy and got shoes that by themselves improve my posture. On the bright side, she started looking for a potential new job and I'm happy to assist her with that, even if nothing comes out of it. She feels stagnant and bored in her current one, although she's more unhappy about the above. We came up with a plan though and we'll try to find a compromise.

I think you conflate meaning and addiction into one thing. I can agree that making a lot of money just for the sake of having a lot of money is a bad goal. It is a goal though, so the person has something to work on. The problem comes when/if this person reaches their goal. If this person doesn't have any other goals, they will fall into an "undefined limbo". This state is not easy on people, because they have no identity at this point and they don't know what to do. Without making consistent effort (being dedicated, perhaps addicted or having some meaning attached), they'll never be known for anything and never get anywhere. They won't build up a reputation as a hard worker by working hard once a year and they also won't build up a reputation of being kind to others by helping somebody once a year. I think that's why "working on something" is generally considered a virtue. If I had to hazard a guess, you derive a lot of meaning from (and perhaps are addicted to) being in opposition to "normal things" - your belief to not conform, to stand in opposition, gives your life meaning.

I'm using the template I used the last time. 26/7/24 - 2/9/24 "L" will stand for the (last) plan/notes for this term. "T" will stand for done this term. I added "Future goals/direction" to better reflect on the things I am trying to do and to add specificity. I will copy it and stick it somewhere where I can see it to remind myself whenever I feel aimless. I will also use different colors: blue for newly added goals/habits, green for completed/successful, orange for ongoing/some progress and red for ones I haven't worked on in that period. Books/Reading articles/Learning: L: Really the whole month of CELTA. It was intensive. I hope to apply at least a part of it into my lessons. T: I finished the business book and did extensive work of putting it into practice. I am currently working on improving the financial management of my business. I wanted to go through the CELTA materials again, but I didn't have time. I at least met with my coursemate twice and discussed it. There were some opportunities to visit the speaker's club, however I feel the pressure to prepare and rehearse something beforehand and to be honest, I don't want to and can't find time to do that. Possible direction/goals: (Borrow) and read one book until the next monthly report. Family: L: I had a call with my family a few times and some messages, but I didn't see them during my time on the CELTA. T: I met with my family twice and with my girlfriend's family twice as well. I had two separate meeting with my brother too. I'm currently organizing, planning and mobilizing myself for more work in the grandma's kitchen. NOT: I don't want to get alienated from my family. Possible direction/goals: Work on getting the new kitchen for my grandma. Continue work on maintaining the relationships with my family. Business/English: L: I am 99% safe to say that I am a CELTA qualified tutor at this point. I'll probably cancel the rest of the agency courses from September, but I'll see in August. T: I started some important projects in August, among them are: setting higher prices, contacting old students with offers for re-engagement and the website improvement project. We'll see how they go. From the numbers below, it's clear that I didn't have many language school courses during the summer. Many companies cut language school courses during the summer completely. For my financial stability over the summer, it is really better when I have my own courses, because individual people only cancel the lessons when they are on holiday (2 or 3 weeks, but not 2 or 3 whole months like companies). I even got a pay raise in one of the language schools, but the gap is just too big at this point. I can earn 20-35% more on my own even on their best paid courses. - 11 (15) hours last week in August: Category A 91% (68); B 0% (5); C 0% (0); D 9% (17); E 0% (10). Brackets are % values from previous month/week. - I've done a bit of an analysis of my courses and categorized them based on what they provide me. I earmarked five types of courses: a) my own - well paid + generally more motivated students (as they pay the courses themselves) + more challenging b) premium - language school courses paid at a premium compared to my standard LS courses for various reasons (roughly matching the a) group) c) flexible - courses from LS that don't have a fixed schedule, meaning it's on me if I make time for them or not (though I mostly do, as can they plug the gaps or can start my day) d) challenging/fun/prospective - standard LS courses with an added quality e) neither - standard LS courses without any added quality - NOT: I don't want to have a job that I don't enjoy. I don't want to have a job that is not well paid. Possible direction/goals: With my job position and student demand secure, I'm more able and willing to reschedule or even cancel classes in case I want to do something, mainly in the evening and for holidays. I enjoy having this option thoroughly. Keep classes at a stable 20-25 hours a week. Keep asking for reviews or recommendations from students. Look into strategies to become truly self-employed by skipping the agencies in between. - check university offers after CELTA Create a learning plan for myself. - going to CELTA Go through "lecturer academy" materials. Networking and business events. Past projects: Questionnaire - June 2023 Fixed logos on my website for better visuals. Updated the pricing section of my website. Variable/tiered pricing (do in July/August). Got minor pay raises from language schools. - summer 2023 Did evaluations/testing of my students, if required. Attended one networking event and one marketing seminar. Introduced "phone call" classes. Update website/business profiles with "phone calls". Lecturer academy Brona. - fall 2023 Sample business contract on my website. - update the web with new ideas before July Google sheets system for students. - update it Questionnaire part 2 - January 2024 Canceled agency courses - March Taxes - April/May 60/55 minutes online transition - April/May Questionnaire part 3 - June CELTA - July Contacted old students with offers - Aug/Sep 2024 Raised prices - from Sep Website improvement project - from Aug Exercise/Movement: L: None of that this July. I went for a few walks, but no heavier exercise. I might want to set up a GP's periodical examination soon though. T: I was more active this month, going for trips with my girlfriend and cycling occasionally. I also started going to physiotherapy and visited my GP, everything seems to be OK. NOT: I don't want to become fat. Possible direction/goals: I enjoy the fact I do not have to be "actively" dealing with this area of my life, as it's technically a part of my job. I just have to be on lookout if that was to change. Keep in shape. Blogging: L: I actually got a spur of inspiration and wrote an article in two days. Wow 😄 I had an idea for an article and I wanted to write it, but then I did something more urgent and I haven't had the time since. Oh well. T: I had another burst of inspiration some day in the late evening and managed to push out an article in about an hour and something. Possible direction/goals: Find a suitable UI/web template. Set up emailing for subs. Post two articles a month. Polish links in articles. Interlink new articles with old ones. Finish articles in concepts. --- What to do if I am bored? Replacement activities for 1 hour: reading books, cleaning, washing the dishes, reading newsletters Replacement activities for 2 hours: going for a walk, work on my business, blogging --- Additional thoughts/activities: My porn use got better in August, but it's still rather haphazard. I'm now more open to working abroad now after taking the CELTA. I also met many new and interesting people and managed to meet a few older friends. My priorities for the next six weeks: Prepare for the CELTA English teaching course that starts in six weeks. - done I want to work on the questionnaire part 3 in May/June as well. - done Reconstruct my grandma's kitchen. My hobbies are: personal finance, graphs/projections/statistics, gunnery, GIS/statistics, reading/videos about (modern) history, English, working on my business, blogging/writing, geography. This month, I did these cool activities: going for trips with my girlfriend, watching films with my girlfriend, meeting with friends, playing billiard, going to the shooting range, writing a blog post, working on my business, starting physiotherapy, going out with my brother twice, finishing the business book. --- Goals/resolutions/aspirations for 2024: Main must-have plans for 2024: Prepare for (Feb-June) and successfully make (July-August) the CELTA certificate course. Finish the university in January. In case something goes horribly wrong, then in May. I've got this. Move in with my girlfriend in April. Set up the new kitchen for my grandma. Optional nice-to-have plans for 2024: Re-start my financial blog in February. Learn how to type with all ten fingers on the keyboard. Habits: Stop watching porn (again). Start getting up when my alarm rings = Put my alarm across the room. Establish flossing at least once a week. Exercise regularly. Continue: planning, walking/exercising, writing/journaling, reading, working on good life/work balance. It's a short list, but if I manage all of it, I will be happy.

26 Aug - 31 Aug: I got new shoes, did some physiotherapeutic exercising, went to workout with other guys, worked on my website development, got more knowledge to exercise better financial self-control, went out to see an improvisation show with my girlfriend, visited my family and met up with friends twice this week. --- Some good news. My girlfriend reunited with a friend who cut contact with her after we started dating. We also cleared up the topic of sports and traveling a bit more. I'm trying to come up with things to organize, plan and do together, though it's not always easy. We're best friends and living together is great. Incidentally, me just being me, I created one such event. As I wrote above, the job she currently has is not exactly exciting, to put it mildly. It's a local government job, where she is idle for half the working hours. I've known her for long enough to know she needs to do something about it and that she's wasting away there career-wise. I was tough on her about it, perhaps too much, because I made her break down in tears - (this is something I need to be able to handle better in the future; I hardly ever lose my cool in tense situations like this, but I think I can get the message across in a less crude way) - but I think she herself knows she should not go forward with another yearly extension of the contract there. She's a hard worker by nature, but she's lost in what she could potentially do. We came up with a sit-down next week to discuss some possible paths of development. So far, she's already tried a few things, but I want to encourage her further and to help her be more resilient.

Thanks, I feel much better now. I'm happy my sleeping rhythm is back in order now. The museum was OK and modern, so it was also quite interactive. It was mostly focused on the region of Czechia I am from. It was "just" OK for me, because I already know/studied a lot about WWII in general and visited other museums, but I still wanted to visit this particular one. My girlfriend was quite angry though, as she felt that a lot of the important context was missing, especially how the Soviets turned from liberators in 1945 to rulers in 1948 and later. This was better depicted in the Polish museum we visited a year or two ago. Over the years, I came to the conclusion that the Soviet regime was almost as equally horrible as the Nazi one. It was a miracle that there was no direct confrontation between the East and the West.

That sounds lovely! And he's already half a year old! I'm also curious about how it'll be for me when I have kids 😄 Good job on both! Regarding weight, there is a saying: "You cannot outpace a shitty diet." Weight control is best done through good diet and good eating habits. It's great you are tackling the problem of stress eating as well.

19 Aug - 25 Aug: I visited my doctor on Monday and had one more bad night, because I couldn't sleep, but I got better after that. I'm happy I feel well again. I went for physiotherapy on Wednesday after... well, after a few years of planning it. I've known the guy for maybe a year, so I decided to just go for it. I got some exercises and I'm looking forward to my next visit this Wednesday. I also finished the business book, although I will come back to it over the next few days, as there are some things I haven't done/processed yet. Went for a walk to the nature and an army museum with my girlfriend on Saturday. Also watched a historical film about the 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia. We went shopping for new shorts and shoes yesterday too. Gonna do some business work today, as I just have one lesson in the evening and no other obligations.

I think the tragedy plays out when somebody decides that "this thing" is the only thing that matters in their lives. I think life is best with a few universal (exercise, good food, relationships, meaningful work etc.) and few personal (anything really) things/areas of development.

14 Aug - 18 Aug: Had two family meetings on Friday and Saturday - one with my girlfriend's family and the other one with my own. Probably caught a virus on one of those, so we spent the whole Sunday at home just lying around in the flat and talking or watching stuff online. Definitely feeling better today. I found out I was partly wrong. I knew my girlfriend was more active physically/more sports-oriented on the second date we had. Maybe I thought I was too, but needed a little nudge to get me going. Even if I didn't like sport at all, regular exercise is healthy and everyone should do it, so that should be my motivation as well. Anyway, she also told me that she'd like me to be more active in the relationship overall. I took it to heart and I have already planned and did a thing or two. I'm happy that we can be straight with one another.

I think the problem with being overtly sexual is that well... it actually works quite well and it gets the attention. As long as people have a part of an animal in them (which we'll always have), it's hard to defend against that and it takes real effort to opt out. Still, I am happy that we don't treat we don't treat women like means of exchange (there are places like that) or kill them as they did during the One-child policy in China, just because they happened to have the wrong genitals. I agree on the last part! It's not always easy to be even in a good relationship 😄 I have a friend from Russia. He's been here in Czechia for about five years, studying and now living a normal working like in a factory, yet his mom is in Russia. On one hand, I think he wants Ukraine to restore its borders, on the other he doesn't see a peaceful transition happening in Russia if Ukraine achieves this. It's a tough spot to be in and I can imagine he's not really happy with any solution. In my opinion, I think volunteering/working with a non-profit helping Ukraine would be a great way to help the cause, while you figure out the rest.

Thanks for your contribution and sharing your experience 🙂 We've already talked about her going to holidays with her friends or family members. She's gone to/planned a few holidays with them already too. The "issue" is, of course, that we like to spend time together, so I am expected, but logically also kind of want to be with her, even if it's tough. The problem also is that she has a LOT of paid holidays at work (5 weeks) and she doesn't really have any other way to use it. I don't have any paid holidays myself, as I am self-employed and I made my life in a way to not "need" holidays, or at least not so many. I'm actually frustrated about the fact that I seem to have medical problems, because I myself feel I should be able to handle a few days of 20km hikes in hilly terrain. I almost didn't get sore, but the headache was just too much to ignore. I have to admit it challenges my pride; I should be able to manage it, but I just can't lie to her that I had a good or even an OK time when I had a headache for 2 out of 3 days. She admitted she's frustrated with her job and I think it's connected to always wanting to "get out" of the city. I think that if she had a job where she'd travel every now and then, or a job where she'd be more satisfied, she wouldn't have to "get out" so often. You are right though; I don't HAVE TO go out with her for holidays. I think my girlfriend goes about it the same as your partner did. Of course, if I get a headache half-way through the hike, that's too bad and there's often no reasonable solution other than to just slog through it. I did and I think I can manage smaller hikes for a day or maybe two (which we could manage on weekends - which doesn't solve her "holiday problem"), but I just don't need it as often as she does. Her having (or potentially not having) paid holidays is not my problem after all.