The past week has been mostly  grey days with long periods of rain, interspersed with some bright sunshine before the next wave comes through. It was rather unremarkable and already the winter lethargy has set in.

I am seeing plenty of people on my Instagram feed from back home hitting the beaches after work, basking in the razor sharp sun, their hair stiff from the salty water. Of course, there’s a part of me that really wants to be there. But this is not a new phenomenon. It always happens to me as the summer crescendos back home in the lead up to Australia Day. January is a hard month, but it could be worse. Right?

Here’s what happened in week 3:

11.01.2016: Today at lunch, I walked in the opposite direction. It’s a different view than I usually get, and I enjoyed watching the boats and the cranes packing a cargo ship, and the hint of the SF skyscrapers in the distance. I wanted to keep on walking, but, alas, the day job was calling. Quite literally.

12.01.2016: Found this little guy chilling by the lake. He’d gone down there to watch a few people paint en plein air, but seemed to be more interested in the lunchtime runners and their dogs.

13.01.2016: I really enjoy watching the sun set against a local building in the afternoon. A lovely way to wrap up the end of a work day. It’s been a funny old week. Mercury is definitely in retrograde. 

I don’t think that my life is terribly interesting, and the whole aim of posting one image per day has made me incredibly conscious of what I am doing and how I am showing it in its best light. That’s not why I started this collection. 

My aim was to remember the little snippets of my life – as boring and mundane as they mostly are – because I don’t remember much about 2015. Trying to dig myself out of the #statusanxiety hole I’ve built for myself and get on with it! 

14.01.2016: Last year, I decorated a room at the Family Justice Center. It was a beige coloured room with no windows and poor airflow, but I wanted to make it homely and vibrant, yet also practical and hard wearing. I love popping into see how it’s faring. So far, so good.

But still, my favourite part of the room is my art. I made a triptych that hangs above the computer stations, a geometric cluster above the table, and one large piece that resides over the couch. And even now, the one over the couch is my favourite. I love colour and being close to water, and this marries the two in a way that I am still pleased with — which is rare when your inner critic is her usual vocal self.

15.01.2016: This one section of the lake reminds me of home. Each time I pass it, it leads me to imagine I’m walking around Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The shallows of the lake could be the deep, blue waters of Port Jackson, if you squinted and really employed your imagination.

I can’t ignore where I’m from and the impact it has had (and continues to have) on my life, but it’s always interesting to see I’m subconsciously looking to see comparisons or relate it back to what I know. Memory and looking back are big themes in my life, and sometimes it’s just nice to indulge the replays in your head whilst you’re taking shade in a place that reminds you of home. 

16.01.2016: I have one word to say to you — migraine. This is my view, the cavernous range of my doona. All I can do is treat myself kindly and say I’ll see you on the flip side. 

17.01.2016: The long period of winter rain has blown into the Bay Area. I consulted the internet to pick the perfect time between waves of rain to take a walk — and though it was grey, It was an opportunity to watch the planes come in the opposite way. And I love watching the planes come in the other way. 

Plane spotting is just one of my numerous hobbies and a big part of our daily life. And some of my favourite people on Instagram are those who give me a different perspective of aviation: SFO-based air traffic controller @sam1sf, OAK-based@oak_mod, Australian pilot @tcrossau, and Changi-based pilot @nexxster. You should follow them and tell them I sent you 😉.

18.01.2016: Today was Martin Luther King Day. I had the day off work and enjoyed time out in the open, and planning out what my year will look like. But not everyone had the day off here. It was still go at the music studio, so I spent my evening there.

I’m working on ‘Ashokan Farewell’ right now. Having already sat through the 18-1/2 hours (or thereabouts) of Ken Burns”Civil War’, I am well versed in what it’s supposed to sound like. So that’s a plus.