This week was quieter but not calm. I took the TOPIK exam, didn’t stress out the day before, ate way too much New York cheesecake ice cream, and let myself *rest*. Which, for me, is harder than any grammar rule in the Sogang textbook.
Welcome to CTRL+ALT+Spiral the weekly life-log where I turn mild emotional chaos into content and remind myself (and you) that rest counts too.
Rest isn’t lazy. It’s prep.
I took the week off running not because I wanted to, but because my knee demanded it. (Overuse strikes again.) That forced pause turned out to be the best thing for my focus. Instead of limping through workouts, I gave my attention to the TOPIK exam… and surprisingly didn’t spiral the night before.
Was I fully prepared? No. Did I do one last mock test the night before? Also no. I chose sleep. I chose peace. I chose cheesecake. Growth?
I paused Korean class too and I’m not sorry.
Something about last week’s class made me shut down. I was tired. The pressure was heavy. And when I don’t prep enough, those classes stop feeling helpful and start feeling like judgment zones. So I stepped back.
Not permanently. Just long enough to remember why I’m learning Korean in the first place. (Spoiler: it’s not to impress a teacher or speed-run to Level 6.)
Other things that happened:
- Still watching The Americans — trust issues remain strong.
- Checked out the new Superman movie — fun, if a little too shiny.
- Ate my favorite ice cream flavor like it was a coping mechanism (it was).
- Had a lovely catch-up with my mom ...she’s giving her first sermon (!!) and I’m honestly so proud.
This week wasn’t exciting. It was necessary.
Sometimes spiraling doesn’t look like drama. Sometimes it looks like pressing pause before your body makes the decision for you. And sometimes, that pause gives you just enough clarity to show up differently the next time.
If you missed last week’s backstage-mess energy, catch it here: CTRL+ALT+Spiral #6 → Slightly Stronger, Still Spiral-Shaped
Or if you want to get these spirals in your inbox (along with writing tools + gentle motivation), subscribe below:
CTRL+ALT+Spiral is my 33-week experiment in showing up — even when the week is quiet, the lessons are loud, and the pressure tries to steal the joy. Come back next week for Spiral #8.
Until then: rest counts. Cheesecake counts. So does starting again.
bye