Today marks the 12th day since I submitted my mortgage applications to finance the construction of my house. Am I already waiting a long time? Of course not. Even if I receive an answer within the next 12 days, it will still be considered fast. I thought this title would make a great first post because it quickly gives readers a glimpse into my world.

My name is Joanna, and I am a textbook millennial — 35 years old, single, child-free, and the proud owner of a mixed-breed dog. After various twists and turns in life, I currently live with my parents in my family home. I’ve experienced a depressive episode in the past, and I suspect I have ADHD (naturally, I’ve self-diagnosed based on information from social media).

I have a degree in nutrition and psychodietetics, but I’ve never really worked in the field (apart from a brief stint that ended with acid reflux). Despite my extensive knowledge of nutrition and weight loss, I’ve spent most of my life struggling with excess weight and, more recently, obesity. To be honest, though, I’ve stopped fighting it for now and have been taking metformin for several months due to insulin resistance and PCOS.

This is not my first attempt at writing a blog. Every previous one ended in failure, and unfortunately, I’m not giving this one particularly good odds either. Some of my greatest „strengths” include a short-lived enthusiasm and impatience, both of which I’m currently trying to cure with a force of nature called Building a House.

The idea appeared suddenly. After an argument with my father, I took my dog for a walk and spotted a sign that said „Land for Sale.” I was promised a house within two months, and today it’s been roughly one year and two months since I decided to make that idea a reality…

On average, I regret that decision about once a week.

At the same time, the vision of having my own home is what keeps me going and motivates me to get up and go to work. At this point, I already own the plot of land and have the foundations completed. If I don’t get the mortgage approved, that will be the end of my house-building adventure.

Recently, so many setbacks hit me all at once that I think I may have had a nervous breakdown. Fortunately, things are getting better now. I realized that what has been happening in my life is sometimes so absurd and unintentionally funny that it might actually be worth sharing with a wider audience.

With that in mind, I asked ChatGPT whether my current situation could make for a blog that might eventually earn some money. ChatGPT said yes, so I started writing.

My plan was to begin with a free WordPress blog…

But then again, I wouldn’t be myself if I hadn’t immediately purchased my own domain name. To be fair, I only bought it for a month instead of a year, which I consider a major achievement and perhaps even a sign of maturity (sarcasm).

But seriously…

I have no idea whether this blog will survive for a month, three months, or a year. I also have no idea whether it will ever make any money. What I do know is that the last three years of my life have been absolute madness and an emotional rollercoaster.

For almost two years now, I’ve spent up to four hours a day commuting to work in Warsaw. More than a year ago, I made the decision to buy a plot of land, and a few months later I became the owner of one.

Since then, I’ve gone through several crises, disappointments, moments of doubt, and frustrations. Yet I still believe that soon I’ll be sitting on my own terrace with a cup of tea in my hands, watching a beautiful sunset.

ChatGPT suggests that this is where I should write that the blog is mainly meant to document this journey. But honestly, I feel that this blog is my idea for „what comes next.”

Once the house is finished, I won’t have the motivation to spend four hours a day commuting to work anymore. I don’t want to waste my life that way — especially considering that my salary is far from spectacular. I want to spend time in my home, not just sleep there.

I’m fully aware that I’ll have a mortgage, bills, and a dog that needs feeding. Even so, I don’t want to get stuck. I want to keep moving forward.

And most importantly — I want to live life on my own terms.