Hey everyone! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet!
I’m super excited to share this new vlog with you all today. It’s a cozy get-ready-with-me where I catch you up on life updates, share my progress on my 2024 goals, and take you along to my very first book club meeting! This is something I’ve been wanting to do for ages, and I can’t wait to tell you all about how it went.
For those who might be new around here (hello and welcome!), I’m Flor, a content creator based in New York City. My content typically revolves around city life, personal growth, and just navigating the wonderful chaos that is adulthood in your thirties.
Life in the New Apartment
It’s been about two months since we moved into our new apartment! If you haven’t seen our empty apartment tour video yet, definitely check that out to see where this new chapter began.
Two months might not sound like a long time, but it’s been enough to get properly settled. We’ve unpacked everything (a miracle in itself!), found homes for most of our belongings, and—what I consider the true sign of being settled—we’ve hung our pictures on the walls! There’s something about seeing your art and photos displayed that really makes a place feel like home, you know?
We’re absolutely loving our new neighborhood, and despite moving right in the middle of fashion week (which was CHAOTIC), everything has fallen into place rather nicely. The apartment is coming together beautifully, and I’m excited to share more home content with you all in the future!
Q2 Goal Check-In
April marks the beginning of Q2, which means it’s time for a goal check-in! In my first video of the year, I shared some of my goals for 2024, and I wanted to give you all an honest update on my progress.
The truth? Some goals are going great, while others… well, let’s just say I’m «still working on them» (aka barely started). I think it’s important to share both the successes and the struggles because none of us are crushing ALL our goals ALL the time, and that’s completely okay!
Unfortunately, Julia was pretty sick at the beginning of April (she’s much better now!), so I didn’t get to do my planned quarterly goal review on April 1st. But I figured this video would be the perfect opportunity to reflect on a few key goals.
Health Goals Progress
One of my biggest goals for 2024 is to run a 10K (about 6 miles) by the end of the year. Now, I know for some fitness enthusiasts this might seem like a small goal, but for me? It’s huge! The furthest I’ve ever run was an 8K back in 2014, so we’re talking a decade ago.
I started a 5K program during lockdown when we were living in Germany, and it truly kept me sane. Last year, I tried to restart the program but kept failing (like, four different attempts!). This time around, I’m finally finding my rhythm and making consistent progress. It’s all about building those habits, right?
I also set a goal to prioritize my health by completing all my annual check-ups. As we get older, this becomes so much more important! So far, I’ve seen my primary care doctor, OBGYN, dermatologist, and even a sleep specialist since I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately. Still need to schedule that dentist appointment though!
Language Learning Journey
Another ongoing goal is improving my German! For those who might not know, we lived in Munich for two years, and I started learning the language right before we moved. I made decent progress while living there, but there’s always room for improvement.
I’ve been keeping up with my daily Duolingo practice and am currently on an 182-day streak! My Deutsch isn’t «so gooda» yet (see what I did there?), but I’m trying! It’s all about those small, consistent steps that compound over time.
Building Community
The goal I’m most excited about right now is my effort to be better at not just meeting new people but actually nurturing those connections. Moving to New York in 2016 (we lived here until 2019 before Germany), I made some friends and acquaintances, but maintaining friendships as an adult—especially as an expat—requires real effort.
For months, I’ve been trying to join a book club. I messaged so many people asking if I could join theirs, and no one replied! Talk about discouraging. But about two months ago, I saw that two people I know posted about their book club night together. I reached out again, and guess what? They let me in!
This might sound silly, but I was ECSTATIC. As someone who loves reading (as you probably know from my 15+ book-related videos), having people to discuss books with is something I’ve been craving for so long.
My First Book Club Experience
Tonight was my first book club meeting, and I couldn’t have been more excited as I got ready! The book we read was «Mad Honey,» which I initially thought would be more of a romance but turned out to have a significant mystery element (someone ends up dead!) that I really enjoyed. I also learned so much about beekeeping, which was an unexpected bonus!
The night itself was amazing. Austen, who some of you might recognize from previous vlogs, was there (she’s been part of this book club for a few months), and I also met three lovely new women: Lauren, Katya, and Maddie.
We had dinner together and discussed the book, but the conversation naturally flowed into relationships, family, and life in general. It felt so refreshing to connect with other women in this way—something I realized I don’t do often enough.
The experience was genuinely a 10/10, and if you’ve been thinking about joining a book club, consider this your sign to go for it! Put yourself out there, keep trying even when it feels like no one’s responding, and eventually, the right opportunity will come along.
Final Thoughts
Setting goals is important, but being gentle with ourselves about our progress is equally crucial. Some goals will come easily, others will take time, and that’s perfectly okay. What matters is that we keep trying.
As for my book club adventure, it reminded me how valuable it is to step outside our comfort zones and make time for new experiences and connections. In this digital age where we’re constantly connected yet somehow isolated, gathering around a table to discuss a book and share pieces of our lives feels almost revolutionary.
I hope this little catch-up has inspired you in some way, whether to set new goals, revisit old ones, or maybe even start (or join) a book club of your own!
Until next time, Flor
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already, and let me know in the comments if you’ve ever been part of a book club or if you’ve read «Mad Honey»!
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