Diary

I just love my new life!
I love my new job, my new friends, my new wages!
I love the new me!

Because I feel like a brand new person. I have more energy and are able to actually enjoy my free time now, before I was always so tired that I hated even thinking about doing something. Now, I enjoy doing things.

This past weekend I was a busy bee on the Saturday, I did some washing, I cleaned the house, did the shopping, baked a cake and cooked. All before my monthly Girly Night with films, face mask, foot bath, nice food and popcorn with my good friend C. It was an amazing feeling to have that kind of energy. It has been a long time.

And today I got my first wage, "only" for half a month, but still it is more money in one lump than I have had for a year and a half. Nice.

I'm feeling alive again. Not only do I feel like I can enjoy the times I am not working, but I also have the money to actually do something during those times as well.

The only thing I haven't been doing much of lately is writing, but I think I just need to settle in this new life first.Also, I have an "old" laptop, and it gets extremely hot this time of year, and since I have it on my lap I get extremely hot too. Right now I am sweating like a pig. Hahaha, nice ha! It is 30 degrees (Celsius) in here as it is anyway, with this laptop on my lap it gets warmer than that. So, only a short moment at a time. And also, I do sit in front of computer screens all days, so some days I just don't feel like sitting in front of one when I come home.

Anyway, I am sure the inspiration will show up when it gets cooler again.

Tonight will be pizza night, a simple way to celebrate.

Love
Carina

Diary

I just realised that I haven't said anything about my new job yet, and how it is! But first I want to mention the fact that I have posted two music videos in a row, coming from sadness. Just because you have a positive view of life doesn't mean you can't be sad when sad things happen. Of course you can! And you should! All emotions are of importance. Death will remind you of living. Tears will remind you of laughter. And so on! Not at that exact instant, but when it starts to settle.

The important thing to remember is not to get stuck there. It is important to remember to look forward and remember your bliss.

On that note it is time for me to tell you how incredibly happy I am at my new job. I am still in training (for 4 weeks), but the job I will do is fascinating and I know I will enjoy it tremendously. But it is not only that I love (yes I use the strong word love already) what I will be doing, it is everything. When I walk in through the doors I feel at home, I feel embraced by warm welcoming feeling. People are nice, helpful, pleasant and relaxed. Happy. The values and the attitude are completely in line with my own personal beliefs about life in whole. It's the Fish Philosophy; Play (Have fun), Make their day (leave the customers and the co-workers happy every time), Be there (be present where you are NOW), and Choose your attitude (make a deliberate decision). Everybody is equal, it is One for all and All for one.

A couple of months ago I stumbled upon a company called Mindvalley. They have the same kind of attitude and they are one of the best workplaces in the world according to some competion. While reading up on them I said to myself, and my son, that that's the kind of company I want to work for. Well, my new job is not one of the best workplaces in the world (yet), but it is one of the best workplaces in Spain. I am sure they have the possibility (and the ambition) to be on the top list in the world. And I for one is planning to be a part of it.

This just goes to show that you should dream. Not dwell on your dreams, just notice them and let them go again, and soon enough they will come true!

I am so happy!

Love
Carina

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad should have turned 65 today, sadly his last birthday was his 60th. We played this song at his funeral for several reasons. He really liked Smokie, and their version of this song is absolutely wonderful, but he was also a sailor in his youth. I am sure he is sailing the energies to be near all the people he loved.




Happy Birthday, my sweet, loving Dad! You are forever in my heart. You are a big part of who I am today, without you I wouldn't be me, in so many ways. I miss you every day, even though I also feel that you are present every day. I love you until Eternity, just as I know you love me until Eternity! Thank you for being my Dad!

Love
Carina

Diary

I had a really nice and relaxed Sunday. My Sweetie and I were invited out for lunch by a couple of friends of his. I had met them only briefly a couple of times before, so this was the first time we really hung out with them.

Anyway, we met down to a restaurant in the village we all live in for a drink first while waiting for another couple to come to show us the way to the place we were going to. I was talking the other woman, B, and it turns out that she is interested in holistic, mind-body, thinking just as I am. I am always surprised when I meet people that anything at all about stuff like EFT or that are all just big energy fields. My life lacks of people that I connect with in that area, (in real life that is, online I have whole communities) so it is nice to actually get to talk about such things.

View over the valley.

Eventually we were on our way to this tapas place up in the hills. Well, up the mountain. Up, up we went on this simple road, whirling our way left and right to avoid the wholes in it, and free walking cows on the sides of it. After about ten minutes we spotted a place, in the middle of nowhere, with parasols, tables and chairs. Sort of set on the top of a hill in the mountain. A lot of thoughts went through my head, and I am sure through the other's heads as well. Images of axe murderers, don't ask me why, and food poisoning came to me. But, hey, at least it was something new and different for us. The place was not new.

Another view, this time with the Sea in the background.

We walk in, and to my surprise there were probably at least ten people in the bar, and even more surprising was that there were about 15 people out on the terrace in the back. All sorts of people. I would not have been very surprised if the people had been farmers or mountain people, what ever that is, but again I was surprised that they were all sorts of people; young hip girls in their 20's, fashionable women in their 30's, men of all ages, different nationalities, you found them all there. But then again, that is the way it is here. Just our group of 6 had 4 different nationalities. The man in the other couple was a Frenchman, who spoke in a mixture of French, Spanish and English, and sometimes a little bit in Swedish. Very funny and almost impossible to understand except for Dutch guy in the company, probably because Dutch is a mixture of languages too. (Be careful ever saying that out loud to a Dutch person, as they tend to take as an insult.)

The food (well, tapas) was really nice, they had all the drinks we asked for and the bill ended up being on 40 euros for the six of us. The view was spectacular over the valleys with the Mediterranean Sea and the horizon in the background (unfortunately, my pics does not tell the beauty of it), and we had a really nice time with a lot of laughter.

Cows out on an afternoon walk in the sun. 

On the way down, back to our village, we had to slow down to get past the cows that had now decided to go for a walk on this already small road. We all felt like tourists going; "oh, look at that", "there's a pregnant one", and "wow, they are really big".

After a coffee and Baileys at the place where we met up a few hours earlier, I made my way home, up the hill (a nice 5 minute walk), to continue doing nothing at all.

A surprisingly nice afternoon, at a surprisingly nice place. In the middle of nowhere. This is one of the things I love about Spain. You never really know what will happen, if you are only open to the possibilities.

Love
Carina

Today I'm not doing anything

One of the things I love about living in southern Spain is Sundays! More or less everything is closed and it is a chilled atmosphere hanging in the air. Sundays are lazy days. A day to catch up on your reading or hang out with the family. I tend to spend most of my day in bed, just because I can.

I love Bruno Mars, and I just love this chilled out video. Enjoy him, it and your Sunday!

Love
Carina

Diary

Scented candles, bubble bath,  mediation and
 EFT is a great way to relax both mind and body. 

I have been working today, and I spent a lot of the time thinking about what I want to do with this blog, and what I want to write in it and other very important stuff like it. Every time I think about the Quality Inside And Out now I get goose bumps and feel a nice chill up my spine. I love that feeling!! I love having that feeling! Does anybody else ever get like that?

I am in pain today though, my muscles in my shoulders, neck and upper back are all tense and very sore. I must have slept in a very bad position last night. I made it through work thanks to EFT, I hid in the restroom every now and again to tap a bit on it to get the tension and pain down a bit. When I came home my son gave me a massage, and I put some tiger balm on. It helped for a while.

In a bit I will light some scented candles and get into a nice, warm, soothing and bubbly bath and after that I will do some more EFT and meditate. That should help relax my muscles!

I meditate every day now, it is so nice. I love it! It helps me connect with my inner self, and it gives me a clearer mind. I mostly use guided meditations so far, but eventually I'm hoping to be able to do it all on my own.

How was your day? What do you do to relax?

Love
Carina

Diary

Another dream has come true! I finally have my roof top terrace!! My Sweetie and I found the perfect place for us the other day. It has one more room than we've got now, which means that we can have a guest room. It has a bigger balcony than we have now and a more proper kitchen, with a utility room AND it's got an 80 m2 roof terrace! It is a little bit further from the sea, but we still have a sew view, and it is still only a 20-25 minute walk down to the beach. There is a comunal pool though, and I've got my roof.

Friends of ours live in the same complex, but in the buildning next to us, they too have a roof terrace. I can feel a lot of sun tanning and barbequeing ahead of me.

So now I am packing! And we are moving sometime during the easter weekend. In only a few days time. Woohoo!

I took a suitcase full of my clothes up there yesterday. Now, it's uphill most of the way and even the suitcase wasn't heavy heavy it was not to play with at the end. Finally there I got up to the hallway outside our flat and I couldn't get in. I tried every key fifty times at least, but none of them would even fit in the hole, so I texted Sweetie and asked him how many keys he had. Turns out he had 6 keys and I only had 5. Crap. I put the suitcase in the storage room and walked back home. After a couple of hours Sweetie came home and we compared keys, and the key that he had and I didn't was not a door key put a post box key. Hmmm... Turns out I'd been trying to get into the wrong flat........ LOL

Sweetie and I went up there with a few more things later last night and got in, strange what the right key can do when it's the right door..... :D

Enjoy your lives out there! I am enjoying mine!

Love
Carina

Diary - Birthdays

It is birthday week in our house this week. Past Sunday our little kitty had his very first birthday, today is my birthday, and on Friday our big kitty has his 4th birthday.

A lot of people don't like their birthdays, I guess because it reminds them they are getting older. I'm not like that though. I like my birthday, and I like my age. Every year is better than the year before in my world. Every year I have grown wiser and smarter, one way or another.

So far today I have stayed in bed, playing silly games on facebook, watching telly and answering congratulations from a lot of friends and  family. I love it when people congratulate me! And I am grateful for every single one of them.

Eventually I will get up of bed and do some exercise, probably the 20 minutes Zumba Express and an 8 minutes tae bo exercise. I have been doing them for the last couple of days, it doesn't take any time and I plan to keep doing them every weekday from now on. I need it and I like it.

Tonight we are going out for dinner at a very lovely restaurant in Fuengirola, called La Farola, with some friends. One of them has a birthday today too so it will be a joyful evening, as always when we meet.

My favourite ice hockey team, Brynäs, is playing a very important game tonight and as a present to me I am sure they will win. And I say thank you now, for the unexpected but great news I will be getting sometime during the day.

Have a great time out there. I am.

Love
Carina

Diary

I had a brilliant day yesterday! We went to some firiends house for a roof terrace BBQ in the afternoon sun. The men (?) played videogames down stairs while us girls stayed up on the terrace, chatting and drinking Tinto de Verano on loungers all afternoon, until the sun set and it got a bit cold. See, that is what I want! I roof terrace! It has been my dream since I first came to Spain and I will have one in the next place I live, or I will not move at all! Roof terraces are not only for the sunny days, they are also for the warm evenings and nights. Imagine to lay up there looking up on the black sky where the stars are shining.

I want to have BBQs with friends and take advantage and enjoy the weather where I live. I want to dance up there, in my bikini. So, yes, I will have a roof terrace. Soon!

Today will be another brilliant day, I've got some bread (very low carb of course) in the oven, some washing in the machine. I will do some Zumba and clean the house. After a nice shower I will take the train, where I will do some writing, to IKEA where I will walk around on my own and look at what furniture I want for when we find our roof terrace place, and I will do some writing. Hopefully my Sweetie will turn up with a friend and we will walk around some more and hopefulle get a book case, or a cupboard for our livingroom. And I will take the train back home, while the guys go by car, and do some more writing.

Yes, this will be another brilliant day indeed.

Oh, and hopefully I will get a call from an agent saying we got a viewing on our dream house this week! Dream house being a place with a roof terrace and plenty of indoor space. :D

I wish all of you out there a brilliant day as well! Be well, love yourself, have fun and enjoy your life to the fullest!

Love
Carina

Diary - A Word For My Friend

There is a strange feeling over my life today. I very dear friend of mine decided to end his life yesterday. He was the warmest, most loving and caring person, always spreading love and laughter around him. A whole little town, and more, is in chock and grief right now. I spent last night crying my eyes out, from love for my friends, love for my friends who found him and for the people who were closest to him. For the world's loss of a great man.

I look out the window and I see the bright sun shining warmly over the glittering Sea and I know that my friend is somewhere in the neighbourhood. Sitting on a balcony, drinking a beer, laughing about life.

I consider myself lucky having been his friend, having him as mine. I am grateful that I put a smile on his face and love in his heart the last time I saw him, in january. I am grateful I got to see him and spend some time with him. I am grateful for all the wonderful words he wrote to me after that day.

He told to me that I am missed and loved back home. I tell him now, that he is missed and loved back here.

I don't ask why, or how. The answers to those questions wouldn't make any difference now. The only thing that matters is that we should remember him for who is was, honour him by showing our love to our friends and family, enjoy our lifes as he couldn't but wanted to, and be as happy as we possibly can.

Take care of yourselves out there! Feel the love and spread it! Let it fly! Laugh! And make your dreams come true!

We miss you, Teddybear! <3

Diary

My day: I woke up, made myself some nice coffee with some cream in it (Sweetie didn't have time this morning, ususally he makes it for me), yummie, and I watch some Frasier and Undercover Boss on telly. I took the train into town and went for a coffee at the cafe where I work (spent some time writing while enjoying my lovely coffee (we've got the best coffee in town), and then to the bank where I had to stand in line for about 20-30 minutes (didn't check, don't care, was listening to music and playing games on my phone) and then I had a very nice walk home in the sun. I went grocery shopping and then home and got changed into my bikini and then I went down to the pool for some sun catching. I love lying on the lounger in the sun listening to music! I just only got back in and I think I might do some Zumba, or maybe make some lovely carb free (well almost) bread. I love that bread!

Anyway, my day has been great, because this is how I have chosen to live my life! Don't be jealous, get even!
I am sure my evening will be just as fantastic and I think tomorrow I will have another great day.

How was your day? Tell me!

Diary

Every day I try to remember to be grateful that I am alive and at good health and that my loved ones are the same. Days like today I realise even more how lucky I am for that. I have some good friends going through life changing events, one with some serious health issues and another two who's family member has gone missing.
Inside I am a disarray of emotions and thoughts, one second feeling extremely happy that it is not me, or my family, and the next second feeling a deep pain and helplessness for my friends.

I urge you all to remember how precious life is, and how fast things can change. Live your life with joy and take care of the people you love. Tell them how much you love them, make sure they know without a doubt.

I wish you all love and good health, be safe and have fun!

Diary

I love sundays here in Spain. Everything is closed, except for most restaurants, bars, and cafes. You are forced to do stuff you like to do such as stay in bed all day, sunbathe, chill on the sofa infront of the telly, read or write (well I choose to see it that way anyway but I know some people use sundays for cleaning and other very important must-do-today-or-i-will-die chores).

So far today I have made a base for the homemade (lchf) pizza we're having tonight and I've cooked some bacon and eggs for a late breakfast, and I have had coffee in bed while watching telly, and now I am doing this. Soon I will make some bread (lchf) for me so I can have a boiled egg and Kalles (swedish) kaviar sandwich for breakfast tomorrow. And I am going to prepare some toppings for our pizza, and after that I will.... well, I have no idea what I will feel like doing when it's time for "after that". Point is that I haven't done anything I HAD to do, all I've done so far is because I wanted to do it, and whatever I do later on will be because I want to do it.
(Btw I am never bored because whatever I do, I choose to do it)

I wish you all a very happy and relaxing Sunday! Spend time with your loved ones and enjoy the fruits of your life.

Diary

Yesterday was a good day, well all my days are good days but yesterday was different, because I had such an inspiration all day. I started out writing on my book in the morning, kept on writing while waiting for the train and on the train and the whole time working I was plotting in my head, idea after idea came to me moving my story forward. Our youngest cat helped moving it forward in the morning too by knocking over my coffee mug all over the bed. Well expect a knocked over coffee mug to appear in the book somewhere.

I'm dyeing my hair at since we are going out for dinner tonight with a friend who turned 30 recently, Japanese. I love japanese food, although it does not really agree with my normal diet. My diet is LCHF btw, Low Carb High Fat, and I don't eat that way to lose weight but because carbs are bad for you (at least for me) and fats are good (at least for me). How do I know? My body tells me so.

Anyway, got to go rinse my hair and get ready for the bank and work. Have to make sure I've got enough money for my mobile bill, I love my mobile and what I pay for so it's a good thing. I hope your day will be as fanastic as mine will be! Stay safe and stay happy!

Diary

I never did go out the other day, I ended up spending my day registering on a job site for freelanlancers. I am on a couple of those but what I like about this particular one is that they offer free skill tests, most other sites I've been on charge you for them, and you need them to be able to compete. I love tests!! Anyway, I tend not to do things the traditional way, I have never gotten a job by sending in a complete CV. I have applied for maybe 3 jobs that way, gotten as far as an interview to all of them but never gotten the job. Why? Because there is something about that whole process that I don't like and I think it shows. I've sent out informal letters, or emails, a few times and that has always landed me a job I have enjoyed. All the other jobs I've had, and I have had quite a few since I like trying new things out to see what I like the most, have fallen into my lap because I've wanted them. Like the café I work part time at now, I started to think that it would be nice to work there about six months before I was asked if I wanted to work there. I never did anything to approach them, I had never even spoken to them before I was asked to come down and see them. And that is how I will operate on this job site as well. I haven't, and won't, put my CV on there, but I will send out more or less informal proposals to jobs that feel right for me. If they are right I will get them.

Today I am not sure what I will end up doing, but I think I might go down to the beach with pen and paper, or take the train to some other part of the beach. Anyway, it seems to be a lot warmer today than it was on Monday so.. Have a good day ya'll!

Diary

I am writing! That is I am writing something that will end up being a book! I have no idea where the plot is going, I have got no story outlined, and no charachters made up in advance, and I don't use my laptop. I use pen and paper and write it as it comes to me. I don't stop to think about grammar or spelling, or what I'm writing, I just write, and I can feel that this is it. This will be my first book. And it feels so good to be here!

I have also realised, although I have really known fpr a while somewhere within me, that I seem to find inspiration waiting for or being on the train, and in bed. Not when I am sitting by the desk in front of my laptop, all ready to write. But I don't care where I am as long as I write and as long as I love it!!

I am wishing everybody a great day. I am going out for a train ride to some place I haven't been and I am bringing my pen and paper. The sun is shining and I am sure there is spring in the air. See ya!

Diary

I am back! In a new, better but still the same way. For those of you that don't know, I started to work for a new magazine, as a writer and proof reader, a few months ago and I loved the writing and the proof reading part of it. However, I found all the things around it very stressful and once the first issue was out, part from being extremely proud of myself (for being a published and paid writer) I had also lost all my will to write. So I didn't do any writing at all, until I made the decision to drop the magazine in an attempt to get the feeling for writing back. It has been a little bit of a struggle, but here I am. An experience richer, a lot wiser in knowing what I don't want to do, and happy to be back on track!

I hope you will all enjoy this upcoming blog post!

Love Carina

Diary

I am planning to do some changes on my blog. I am not going to remove anything or stop writing the type of blog posts I have written so far, but it is time to develope and evolve so I will be adding some pages. It might take a while to do so because I want things to be the way I want them to be. The way that feels right for me. One of the things I will be adding is this Diary. I am not sure I am doing it the right way though. Time will tell. I won't be writing in it everyday but when I feel like it. I will write whatever I feel like in a way I feel like writing it in.

Today is Valentine's Day! I've got no special plans for it, it is just another day for us. We show each other our love daily, we don't need a special day for that. I tell the people I love that I love them, when I feel like telling them which might not be every day, but often anyway. I did however send some hearts out on facebook, to some of people closest to my heart. You don't need a partner to enjoy this day, if you are singel I am sure have got a lot of friends and family to share your love with. One way or another.

I wish everybody a very Happy Valentine's Day! <3