Make your Month Fun

Welcome back to another episode of A'lil Hoohaa's monthly photo blogging challenge. 

Traditionally in March we use the number of years this challenge has been running, and I was actually looking forward to featuring my son’s jersey number 13. A neat little idea, a bit of structure, maybe even something mildly poetic.

March ignored my plans entirely and did its own thing.

It started with me bouncing between bed and bathroom thanks to a charming episode of food poisoning. Not exactly the “fresh spring energy” I had in mind. Still, I dragged myself back to work, only to learn my coworker had fractured her leg in a motorcycle accident and would be out for the rest of the month and possibly longer.

There went the “part-time working” part of my blog’s name.

I had also planned to use my days off to prepare for the upcoming A–Z Challenge, shoot footage for the video challenge, chase magnolia trees, enjoy early spring, and schedule a few relaxed coffee or lunch dates with friends. Colin’s hockey season, of course, was still ongoing. Because why wouldn’t it be.

Instead, March became a loop:

office → grocery store → practice/game → laundry → bed → repeat.

And yet, somehow, I still managed.

One of the small wins of the month was finally picking new glasses, only about ten years overdue, so let’s call it timely rather than delayed.

No selfie, you’re spared that, but I did treat myself to a visit at the lovely Yana Cocha coffeeshop nearby. It’s one of those slightly unusual places: part outdoor gear shop, part café, a place I wish would expand its menu into lunch mostly so I’d have an excuse to stay longer and pretend I’m a more relaxed version of myself.

Instead I went in for espresso and chocolate cake.

Another highlight: a perfectly normal errand that turned unexpectedly delightful.

I dropped off plastic bottles, glass, cardboard, and tin cans at the recycling center; glamorous lifestyle content, as always. The staff there somehow manage to make the place feel clean, efficient, and almost cheerful.

And somewhere between sorting bins and life admin, I stumbled across a shark scene made entirely from recyclables.

Yes. Bottles and cans turned into art.

Honestly, it felt like the recycling center was trying harder at creativity than I was this month. Respect!

While I didn’t manage my usual spring ritual of wandering parks and hunting for magnolias and cherry blossoms, spring found me anyway.

One of Colin’s away games took us to Bellinzona in Ticino, the Italian-speaking Switzerland, where the weather traditionally is milder than where we live.

Five minutes from the arena, there it was: proper early spring. Blossoms, warmth, lightness,  the full “I should be outside more” package.

I did nothing particularly intentional to find it. It just showed up. Which, honestly, felt very on-brand for this month.

A week later: complete contrast.

Final away game of the season in the Bernese Oberland. Same sport, entirely different climate, about 15°C colder and emotionally more committed to winter than anyone asked for.

We found a cozy café to wait out the time before the game. One of those places that makes you think, “Yes, I could live here,” despite having no actual plan to do so.

Colin’s season had him playing both in his regular age group and as an underage player in U21, which basically meant double everything: double games, double logistics, double snacks, double laundry, and double attempts at staying organized.

So naturally, I also got double tired.

And then there was this moment. A random pedestrian zone. Some bubbles floating through the air. Nothing significant, nothing planned, nothing remotely “blog-worthy” in theory.

If bubbles in a shopping street make my top five, I think we all know how March went. At this point, I’m not sure if I’m documenting my month or just collecting evidence that I left the office occasionally.

Thank you for having fun with me through yet another very creative month of life. March didn’t look anything like what I had planned, but looking back, it still had its moments. 

I’m curious to see what next month brings. 

As always, don’t forget to check out the posts from my fellow bloggers participating in this month’s challenge!