2021 was one of those years where life didn’t exactly explode with excitement, it just quietly wandered along, tripping over the occasional surprise. These journals follow me week by week as I fixed things around the house, watched far too much football, enjoyed slow mornings in Los Alcázares, and tried to remember what I walked into the kitchen for. Again.
It wasn’t a year of grand adventures; it was a year of real life, the ordinary days that slip past unless you write them down. So I did. Sometimes planned, often not. Sometimes joyful, sometimes frustrating, occasionally emotional, and always honest.
This page brings together all my 2021 journal entries, organised by week, so you can follow the rhythm of the year as it unfolded, a mix of routine, reflection, small victories, a few lows, and the usual chaos that seems determined to follow me around.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began with no phone, no money and no Kindle, but plenty of determination. Swimming in the Mar Menor, Euro 2020 drama, reflexology, bank frustrations and small victories filled the days as life slowly returned to normal after the mugging last week.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A scorching week of swims, flamenco, live music, long lunches, unexpected encounters, stomach troubles, quizzes and the slow return to normality after the shock of the previous weeks.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot, sunny week filled with new gadgets, long swims, good food, live music, reflexology, helpful friends and an unexpected twist when your stolen wallet suddenly reappeared.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of scorching heat, swims, stomach troubles, noisy nights, rude tourists, good friends and the usual mix of sunshine, chaos and small joys along the Mar Menor.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began with good food, good company and a rare peaceful night’s sleep, followed by several days overshadowed by worsening stomach pain, doctor visits and the slow, frustrating wait for specialist care.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week centred around stomach troubles, health appointments, helpful friends and the slow but steady process of getting answers, with moments of normality tucked between swims, Kindle sessions and football.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began with renewed energy after my gastroenterologist visit, filled with early morning swims, balcony gardening, football frustrations and the ongoing battle against the August heat, all while preparing for more medical tests ahead.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week centred around hospital visits, frustrating admin battles, early morning swims, football highs and lows and the ongoing dance between August heat and Kindle powered relaxation.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of early swims, computer upgrades, football frustrations, a brilliant Bonnie Tyler concert, long walks, stormy skies and the steady rhythm of life between the chiringuito, the Mar Menor and my balcony.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of early swims, balcony gardening, photo sorting marathons, football highs and lows and a colonoscopy that brought equal parts discomfort and comedy, all wrapped in the familiar rhythm of chiringuito coffees and Kindle reading.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of sunshine returning, thoughtful encounters, swims in both the Mar Menor and the newly refurbished town pool, football highs, bank frustrations, balcony gardening and the familiar comfort of chiringuito coffees and Kindle reading.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of calm morning swims, balcony gardening, football relief, hospital updates, neighbourly chats, lift malfunctions, long walks and the steady comfort of chiringuito coffees and Kindle reading, all under the returning blue skies of Los Alcázares.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of medical admin, cooked breakfasts, swims in the Mar Menor, football joy, runaway scooters, neighbourly chats and the comforting rhythm of chiringuito life.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week filled with surprise reunions, great meals, long chats, cinema trips, scooter adventures and the familiar rhythm of chiringuito mornings, all wrapped in sunshine and the easy pace of life by the Mar Menor.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A slow, gentle start to the week that quickly turned into a whirlwind of hospital appointments, paperwork, errands and football, with plenty of Kindle reading, neighbourly chats and the familiar rhythm of life by the Mar Menor.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began with routine blood tests and quickly spiralled into hospital panic, emergency appointments, injections and a looming operation, all balanced with coffees at the chiringuito, neighbourly support and the comforting rhythm of reading, films and football.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week dominated by hospital preparations, injections, storms, a major operation, unexpected grief and the kindness of friends, all wrapped in the familiar rhythm of chiringuito coffees, football and the quiet determination to get through it.
Location: Los Alcázares & Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A painful, difficult week that began with enforced bed rest and ended with an emergency return to hospital, a second operation and the surreal world of drips, staples and Agent Sharky’s hospital dispatches.
Location: Los Alcázares & Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began with drips in both arms and feet, continued through pain, injections and Agent Sharky’s dramatic dispatches from “behind enemy lines,” and ended with my release from hospital and return home to recover.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of slow healing, daily dressing changes, unexpected power cuts, insurance battles, kind neighbours and the comfort of being back in my own home, where recovery finally began to feel possible.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of slow recovery, gentle walks, dressing changes, football highs and lows, insurance admin and the steady return to normal life, with friends, cafés and Kindle reading helping me regain my rhythm.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of Black Friday bargains, good food, football highs and lows, small victories at home and the steady return of normal routines, all supported by friends, neighbours and the comfort of familiar cafés.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet start at home, a sociable weekend of meals and music, a chaotic ATM saga and a boys’ curry night to round off a week where I finally felt more like myself again.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quieter week after the fun and chaos of last week, filled with website work, gentle routines, football highs and lows, a birthday meal and the ongoing saga of banks, parcels and booster jabs.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of bank frustrations, football highs, sociable evenings, Christmas preparations and the steady rhythm of coffees, strolls and website work, all wrapped in the familiar warmth of Los Alcázares life.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of pain, rest, Christmas reflections, swollen legs, football joy, a trip to Murcia, curtain shopping and the quiet arrival of a New Year, all wrapped in gratitude, loss and hope for better days ahead.
