(Picture taken at the end of January, on a trip to Vietnam.)
My first trimester has taught me to take things easy. Not that there was any alternative to it, there is no other way of being. I live life in my own bubble. Finally it is okay to put myself first, let others take the initiative at work. I feel insulated from the relentless race and hostility of the world. The default mood is warm and fuzzy, while also clear-headed and decisive.
As of recent, hunger makes me nauseous. All-day nausea of the first trimester has passed and I feel more energized and focused at work. I thought Asian home-cooked fare is my go-to, but understood better after my return to Sweden. It is about bland foods, as close to its natural flavours as possible…unless it is umami! I take to MSG well and have to watch my intake. Otherwise my cravings have surprisingly turned Swedish. This week’s to-eat foods are boiled potatoes (with some oily Chinese chilli paste), frozen raspberries and I suspected, vanilla custard made from scratch. Fresh fruit are always a hit, oranges in particular. I made a rice porridge with overripe kimchi and the sourness went down well. I have started eating raw blueberries again instead of its jam. Tartness appeals to me, so much so that I prefer the cabbage-carrot side salad (juice of half a lemon, parsley and chilli powder) to its hearty Shepard’s pie main course.
Eating stops nausea. If I run out of fruit rations on my walk home from the bus stop, singing helps a great deal. It’s a great distraction and the long-drawn breaths ease nausea. Singing helps me to breathe deeply and enjoy the walk, so nausea and anxiety over my discomfort do not take over.
I think about Isak more often over the day when I am away at work. I missed him more than I used to.
I want to keep this even temper and state of mind with me, that inner peace and calm are just a chuckle away.
Sunshine in Rickleå 