Hey you,

What do you think one should do to live life to the fullest? How would you describe yours? Mine would be to experience as much as possible.

During my first semester in Germany, I took eight courses, including an intensive German class and an English speaking class, while going on dates with local guys and making international friends. My second year was filled with remote work, rock climbing sessions, and relationship ups and downs.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get the most out of life, no matter what that means to each person. After all, it’s about following our passions, having meaningful relationships, and making a positive difference in the world.

The main idea is, indeed, to make the most of our time.

As I’m checking the box for living abroad as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I can’t help but crave more. I plan to visit Paris while I’m still 26 because I can get discounts and free entry to cool places. I’m growing my online presence by putting out more content and, at the same time, learning German and writing my papers. I want to do this, this, and that.

Before I knew it, I found myself drowning and gasping for air.

A packed schedule makes me feel like I’m making the most of my time, but it took me a while to admit the harm it has inflicted on me. I’m already so tired and overwhelmed, but the effect is worse when I don’t have anything to do. I went from being overwhelmingly busy to uncomfortably lax. I get bored and down instead of enjoying my free time.

This concern has grown since I entered the winter semester last year. Although I still have regular classes, I no longer have a student job, language course, or sports class. This is partly why I began working on The Hard Truths and posting videos on Instagram and TikTok. I’ve never done these before, so why not? They sound like great personal projects.

But I know in my heart that it’s just me trying to keep spinning the wheel of “living life to the fullest.” Although it brings me joy, there are times when I feel like it leads me nowhere.

I used to not understand why boring days bothered me so much. Turns out, it’s pretty simple:

I didn't have much room for not-so-great things because my idea of “living life to the fullest” was only for all the great things.

When it’s all about trying something new and going somewhere I’ve never been before, I focus on the ideals of making those moments special or worthwhile.

Also, the reality is that:

• Real, everyday life is more on the dull side. We have priorities in life that come in routines and structures. Real life is more boring than exciting.
• If we always feel like we haven’t done enough, we’re probably doing things for the wrong reasons. Worst, we can’t ever enjoy them.

I’ve decided to put the idea of living a more boring life into action after giving it more thought. Here's how I'd do it:

⚖️ Have a healthy desire for “more”

It’s not wrong to want more out of life. Having hopes and goals can propel us ahead and keep us going. After all, it’s human nature to be curious and experience more.

But it’s still essential to find a balance and be content with what we have. Focusing too much on finding “more” can make it hard to enjoy and appreciate what we already have.

Sometimes more doesn't mean better.

🥱 Felling fulfilled is also possible in things we dismiss as uninteresting

What we think is dull doesn’t have to be inherently dull.

For me, reading used to be such a boring hobby. It's not because the books themselves were boring, but rather because my gadgets were always more entertaining.

I’ve been getting back to reading these days because writing requires mental fuel, and what is better for it than reading? And I think I’ve discovered the joy of reading again. I know that well-written books can teach me a lot about the art of storytelling and delivering moral lessons, which can help improve my writing skills.

The key is not to dwell too much on the fact that those are uninteresting. Instead, rejoice in its simplicity and predictability.

🏃 It's okay not to want to go the extra mile

A lot of people don’t. I don't.

When people are quitting their 9-to-5 jobs to do what they love, I’m still set on securing one because I like it. I’ve done it for years. I like the office culture and routine it creates for me. Some people stay with their 9-to-5 job for a long time because of the sense of security.

Not going the extra mile can be so peaceful that it makes us temporarily forget how frantic the world is. And you know what? I like the idea of not living a crazy life from time to time.

​

Disclaimer: Everything expressed here comes from my personal experience. I never claim to be an expert.

🌱 Good to know

​I got my life together and now I’m constantly bored​

People who have made mistakes can teach us a lot by telling us what not to do. I found this online column called Ask a Fuck-up and a letter from someone who’s underwhelmed with their nice life. The final paragraph of the reply to the letter is so in line with how I feel about my decisions in navigating my life. ✉️

​Why reading feels not fulfilling​

As I told you, one of my goals this year is to read more. I want to make reading an engaging and fulfilling experience again. But my motivation changes all the time, and reading hasn’t been gratifying for me. Writing this blog post has prompted me to consider why this occurs. 📚

​People Answer "How's It Going" Honestly​

“Why won’t anyone answer this simple question?!” is how BuzzFeedVideo sums up this quick yet funny video. Since I've been talking about my life in today's post, I'm curious about how other people's lives are going. How would you answer this question truthfully? 🔎

Life as an 🇮🇩 in 🇩🇪

And how’s your 2023 going so far? Mine has been quite… interesting. 😉

Two weeks ago, my boyfriend and I spent the weekend at his sister’s house in Munich. We cooked tasty food and played many exciting games.

My round-trip tickets were ridiculously cheap. I think I paid about EUR 35 in total. Here's a fun fact: if you’re younger than 27, you can get a type of ticket called Super Sparpreis Young from just EUR 12.90. This is such a fantastic initiative to help young people travel on a budget.

This semester, I have to write two Hausarbeiten (a German plural noun for "term papers"). This may not sound like a big deal, but it kinda is. 😟

Writing a paper is a lot of work, and I’m always so done with everything after that. But I very much prefer Hausarbeiten to Klausuren (a German plural noun for “exams”). I think I’ll die from being pressured to craft answers during a 90-minute exam.

I want to focus on working on my term papers (and some other things) for the time being, so this will be the last newsletter issue until I’m ready to write again—probably by the beginning of May. I'll still be active on social media, but probably not as much as before.

I hope you enjoy this letter. If you want to read more, check out my profile and have fun going through the posts. Feel free to send me a message about your thoughts.

Until then, I wish you much joy in life. See you at the next one. 💕

Cheers,

Devi