Man, last month was hectic!

It started off with very extensive due diligence forms we had to fill out for a client. Everybody’s concerned about cyber security these days, so they wanted to know all about our practices and measures. Focusing on that delayed invoicing, which usually kicks off the 1st of the month.

My friend reached out to me to plan some travel now that things are starting to reopen again. We considered some locations that weren’t too far and that didn’t require any quarantining, ultimately landing on Turks & Caicos. Then started the planning for that — flights, hotel, activities. We decided we wanted to go scuba diving so I embarked on getting certified prior to arriving there. I also applied for a new credit card so I could get a bunch of bonus miles for future travel.

One fun thing I got to do was a safari tour at the San Diego Zoo, for Bestie’s birthday! We got to see rhinos and giraffes and all sorts of birds including a cassowary and a screaming salmon-crested cockatoo.

I had put off doing my taxes until the days leading up to the deadline and the software was a bit wonky. Ultimately when I tried to submit them online, it wouldn’t let me so I had to print them and mail them out at the post office. I owed the IRS some money while CA FTB owed me money. Between that and paying property taxes a month prior, I was getting low on funds and felt the monetary pinch.

Then I went and got my second COVID vaccine shot, which knocked me out for an entire day. Thankfully it was over the weekend so I was able to lay around and barely move.

At the end of the month, I had a digital conference to attend, but it was disorienting to do that while trying to hold down the fort with work. I’m looking forward to attending in person next year and putting work aside for that week. Simultaneously, I was trying to complete the e-learning course for my PADI scuba certification that same week, so I was really drained of brain power.

The entire month, I felt like I had a bajillion balls in the air between work, travel planning, and getting my personal life in order. Adding to that stress was a tightening in my cashflow that made me concerned if I could meet all my payment needs (thankfully I got through it). Have you ever had a month that you were glad was over? That’s how I felt.