Welcome back to Hayley Lately. Each month, this is where I chat about my life and what I’ve been up to in Melbourne. Keep reading to discover the book I couldn’t put down, my new favourite show and the best Melbourne eats.

LIFE LATELY

Man, the first word that comes to mind when I think of January is HECTIC. As soon as I got back to Melbourne from my trip home for Christmas, I truly hit the ground running. I’ve had plenty of online and offline work to keep me occupied this month. Amongst museum and AAMI park shifts, I also spent a week working at the Australian Open, which was both sweaty and busy. The crowds of people every day and the atmosphere was amazing though. I walked past Roger Federer one evening as well (and probably plenty of other tennis players I don’t know).

Outside of work, I honestly didn’t do a lot in January. I went out for drinks with workmates one night to say goodbye to my friend and boss, Steve. He’s moving on to greener pastures. Don’t worry, February is already looking about 10 times more social and fun. I also downloaded the 1 Second Everyday app at the beginning of the month, to document my 30th year. It’s a challenge on some days when all I do is work, but so far I’ve liked having it as a reminder to capture everyday moments.

READING LATELY

I powered through five books in January, which were the perfect combination of YA and adult novels. First up was The Towering Sky, the last book in the The Thousandth Floor trilogy. I thought it was a well-rounded ending and I’d recommend it to fans of Gossip Girl. Next was Marriage Vacation, which is the book from one of my favourite TV shows, Younger. I liked that the book was set in Asia (with a brief Australian stint), but I just didn’t feel a strong connection to the main character. The same can be said for another read this month: Seven Days of Us. I liked the storyline, but didn’t particularly love any of the characters.

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My last two YA reads were Eleanor & Park and All The Bright Places. Both dealt with more serious issues than usual YA novels (domestic abuse and suicide respectively), but I really admired the authors’ writing styles and their approach.

BLOGGING LATELY

I’m really proud of the growth this little blog of mine has had over the past month. A 30% increase in page views in one month is all kinds of awesome, so thanks for reading! In case you missed them, new posts this month included my guide to visiting Singapore on a budget, my winter packing list tips and a list of spectacular Bristol day trips.

EATING LATELY

Let’s be real, I was not adventurous with my eating out in Melbourne this month. However, I did enjoy a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream one sunny Sunday afternoon. My friends also ventured out to Richmond to have lunch with me on my day off this week (yes, singular). We thought we were checking out Killiney Kopitiam, but it turns out it’s now closed and a place called Singapura has taken over. Thankfully, the meals were cheap and delicious (I recommend the mee goreng).

WATCHING LATELY

I’ve been watching a fair bit of TV on my days off in January – it’s my favourite way to relax. I finally caught up on The Flash, which still has one of my favourite TV casts. I also caught up on New Amsterdam, a new medical drama. At first I was like, do I really need to watch another show about doctors? But this one has a different angle that obviously hooked me in.

I’m not much of a movie watcher these days either, but I did check out Every Day, which I really liked. I also realised halfway through that the main actress is Australian. We. Are. Everywhere. If you have a recent movie recommendation, let me know in the comments!

WRITING LATELY

I did a big piece for Royal Caribbean at the beginning of the month, and then I finished off my last couple of posts for The Culture Trip. Here’s one of them: the best UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia. But it looks like I have another writing project on the horizon – watch this space ;)

February = fun, with a gig, my parents visiting, a big birthday celebration and a flight to NZ! That’s all.

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