https://thenormalityproject.myportfolio.com/102-days

102 Days Project, Calton Hill (2026)

05/09/2022

Jesse 🌅
The last 102 days represent my summer since finishing university. I've travelled a lot and had loads of fun with great people I’ve met over the last 4 years. Whilst I loved not having the pressure of uni work looming over me, I’ve missed having the solid plan of knowing I’ll be back at uni in September. My first summer without knowing where I am going to be or what I’m going to do next has definitely been nerve-wracking. Partying and working the festival has been great but has added more stress to flat hunting and job searching.

I was almost considering a masters just to know what I would be doing for the next year but decided against it as I don't want to be booked in somewhere for that long. It’s scary but I’m excited to figure out what I want to be doing for the foreseeable future and where I want to be based.

25/08/2022

Grace 📚
Honestly, I’ve missed being a student. I started my first full time job in October 2021, and as cliché as it is, I didn’t realise how much time and freedom I had as a student. It’s something that I’ve noticed especially in the spring and summer months. Time that I would normally spend outside in the sunshine with friends, I’ve now spent inside a building serving customers. I love my job, I really do, but anyone who knows me knows how much I love being out in the sun, so to have that time significantly reduced has been tough.
Don’t let people make you feel guilty for not conforming to their ideas of success. Everyone has their own definition of success, and the markers of individual success vary between everyone. Your success will conform to what your priorities are, and what your own goals are, so don’t let people take that away from you. You’re welcome for that valuable advice from my 80 year old soul.

19/08/2022

Tania ✨

"I’m quite an expressive person, so I’ve been conflicted over what I’d like to write about all day. Recently, I’ve been on this journey of really getting to know myself and being unapologetically me. I’ve struggled with being a people pleaser all my life but earlier this year, I had an epiphany. I realized that I was going above and beyond to make everyone around me happy while I was struggling. I’d spend time with people who made me feel bad about myself because I felt like I had to and not because I wanted to.

I got to see my best friend in April when I flew home to Dubai and the conversation we had changed my life. She told me that I put myself in a box because I am too afraid to step outside of my comfort zone. That stung, but it was just what I needed to hear.

So, I decided to put myself out there. Underqualified for a job? I applied anyway. Too scared to work on my dissertation because I didn’t feel smart enough? I did it frightened. As the weeks passed, I started to fall in love with this new version of myself. The one that refused to limit herself. I felt unstoppable… and that is exactly what helped me break my people pleasing tendencies.

I started curating my peace by trying anything and everything and it made me realize that life was too short to spend my time on people or activities that I did not like. I was suddenly aware of the power that I possessed in making these decisions. So, if you haven’t heard from me in a while… you know why.. Lol. I just refuse to go back to that place again. I’ve fallen in love with the woman I am becoming and she has no place in her life for half-hearted people or conversations.

Oh and did I mention I got my dream job and I start on Monday? Yeah, I cannot wait."

07/06/2022

Claudia, Edinburgh ✨
I had to do some quick maths to work out how far back 102 days was, think it’s about 3 and a half months btw.

Thinking about this during exam season makes me miss the freedom of doing my own thing. There are so many projects that I have planned but never finished because uni was in the way. I realised I’ve been cooking less (haven’t made croissants in the last 102 days x2 which used to be a monthly ritual/therapy), drawing less, taking less photos, just doing less of the creative things that I love – traded for the efforts of trying to pass my degree, which is super sensible but I still miss it greatly and I’m really hoping I haven’t forgotten how to do these things.

Also, the freedom of doing nothing. You always forget the privilege of summer holidays and how you’ll never have those when you start working. Particularly, I think I miss doing nothing with someone the most in the past 3 months. When you’re doing nothing with that someone, there never seems to be enough time to do nothing with them – it’s like a strange sentimental feeling/slight anxiety that I miss.
Claudia's food Instagram is really amazing
She also shared one of her favourite recipes with us. All of which will.be on the website soon 👨‍🍳

28/12/2021

Jack
For me, lock-down was the absence of big events. When the daily dog walk was often the highlight of the day and the biggest variety in my daily routine was which guest was going to be on desert island discs when made dinner, it has made me appreciate the small things that happen every day.
Watching 15 minutes of a replay of Liverpool's 4-1 victory over Man U from 2009 with my dad when we were meant to be painting the front room, eating lunch and doing the crossword with my family in the garden at lunch on Saturdays or later on, kicking a football around in the park are all things that can all too easily be taken for granted.
Looking back now makes me realise that those times are just as happy and important as ones that happen before lockdown but the lack of other distractions crystallizes these events as ones that deserve recognition. Despite the unquestionably dire few months, I am determined to remember and appreciate those points in time that deserve to be remembered and appreciated and to continue to do that into the future.

30/11/2021

The last 102 days have been nothing short of chaotic. In June this year, I started a new job, fundraising for the RNLI. I absolutely fell in love with this job, I felt like I was making a difference every single day and fundraising for such a worthwhile cause was amazing. Being from a seaside town, and sea rowing my whole life, I grew up seeing the lifeboat service is an extra emergency service. They save so many lives and they do incredible work, and I was honoured to be part of that work in some minor way.
From the age of 11, I spent most of my time rowing on the sea and I think I spent just as much time, if not more, in the rowing club. It was like my second home and all the people there were like my family. My brother and mum also rowed, so I had the unique experience of socialising with my family along with such an interesting mix of people from all ages and backgrounds. Being part of the rowing club completely defined my teenage years, and when I look back on that time of my life, all my best memories are there. However, when I was 15 years old, my dad came out rowing with us, and whilst we were out at sea, he had a cardiac arrest and unfortunately did not make it. Losing a parent is something that definitely does fundamentally change the way that you experience everything going on around you. For a very long time, I really struggled with it, I suffered badly with anxiety and depression, and went completely into myself. So many simple things became so hard for me, even just socialising with people I had been friends with for years. However, the rowing club really was my safe space. Surprisingly, it was the one place away from home that I always felt safe in, and I never felt anxious. Coping with anxiety and depression really clouded the memory of my dad and I looked back on everything in such a negative light, but in the last year or so I have really started to come to terms with it all, and now I only think back to the good memories. I can see now that, although I miss him every day, I am a much stronger person for it, and it has taught me healthy ways to cope with anything else that life might throw at me. I don’t think I would be the same person I am right now if it wasn’t for the rowing club and the life experiences I had there, and I am so grateful for it.
In September I moved back to Edinburgh for my final year of university and I was very apprehensive about coming back. I am incredibly close to my family, and so leaving them is always a struggle. Third year in covid was so hard, with everything being online and not being able to socialise, but this year thankfully has been completely different. Being able to get out again, play sports and actually attend university in person has been so much better, and it really has helped to diminish the stresses of the year.
Overall, this last 102 days have been so incredibly positive, I’ve met amazing new people, found a job I love and aspire to do full time, and I have somehow managed to stay on top of university in the process. Hopefully the next 102 will be just as good!! :))

14/09/2021

Volume 3 is finally here !!!!! 🎉🎉🎉
After 102 days if summer bliss we are very excited to bring you more stories from amazing people 📖
We start off with Rachel who is an artist from Leeds 🖌️
"In January 2021, as the 2nd lockdown hit Scotland and I was in the midst of my third year studying Economics and Politics, I decided to set up Rachel Astrid Art. My small business began as an Instagram account selling prints of my acrylic paintings with 50% of profits going to Scottish Women’s Aid to support their amazing work in ending domestic abuse in Scotland.

Since then my work has been featured in magazines, as the cover of a podcast, on postcards for charity drives and one piece was selected alongside 24 other inspirational artists from around the world to feature in the She Decide Virtual Gallery. All my pieces are created with the intention of bringing a sense of warmth to whoever is looking at them. To create this I often use suns in my paintings and images of people’s faces that have no features to symbolise anyone.

In the last 102 days, I managed to expand my business further by having a stall at a makers market, where I was able to meet many amazing artists and lovely buyers in person for the first time, and having my work featured in a gallery for this upcoming year. If life had been ‘normal’ for that time period these great new experiences may have never happened as I may not have felt I had the time to seak them out and prepare for them. "
You can check out and buy Rachel's beautiful artwork on her Instagram ✨

10/06/2021

"Living in a small country definitely has its benefits, but it can also make you feel like you have already explored everything or met everyone and that there is not enough space for you to expand your abilities and find new opportunities that would inspire you. Even though I know that this is not an objective and general truth, it was one of the reasons why I decided to leave home and try to find a sense of fulfillment somewhere else. It might also be connected to one of the irrational attributes of my personality, that is always searching for something better, a way of life that would be more memorable or exciting. The more pragmatic side of me loves planning. It makes me feel ready to handle the immense variety of scenarios that might happen, or just gives me a false but comforting sense of preparedness. Before I moved to Edinburgh, I tried to plan the details of my life here and where it could potentially lead. The thing I did not and could not plan was the pandemic. Being forced to adapt to an unpredictable, but at the same time stagnating, way of life for an unclear amount of time was extremely challenging for me. After three or four weeks (or months/years/who knows?) I realized that I had to go back to a certain structure even if it meant scheduling my daily walks, doing jigsaw puzzles and watching Homeland, The Crown or The Bake Off, depending on my current mood. Along with the majority of people in the cultural industry, I suddenly lost all of my potential career opportunities and we all kept hearing that we should probably start thinking about changing professions. As if I could just move my magic wand with a phoenix feather and become a lawyer. I felt that I had to defend my choices not only from people around me, but also from myself. Since I had a lot of time to spend with my many, many, many thoughts that were influenced by the overwhelming uncertainty, I naturally started to question my decision to work in this industry. Even under normal circumstances, it is challenging, competitive and sometimes extremely exhausting. Some people still consider it to be a hobby and not a valued career and politicians continuously place it on the bottom of their interest. I kept asking myself if I’m really able to constantly prove my skills and dedication, fight over jobs with other 700 applicants and keep reminding people that culture has an important impact on our personal and social development. But because books, movies, TV shows and (some) online theatre performances filled my last 15 months with joy and excitement, I eventually strengthened my belief that nothing feels more rewarding than being a part of creative process. Moreover, creative collaboration between people with different personalities and from various backgrounds eventually increases our openness to diversity and helps us become more open-minded, unprejudiced and educated. It also strengthens the attributes, which are essential for human coexistence, such as acceptance, solidarity and kindness. And I can’t wait to be back in that hectic but fascinating environment." ~ Lucia

29/05/2021

"When the pandemic first hit, my life didn’t change in the way it did for most. In many ways, I was lucky. The core of my busy daily routine remained the same – I attended my lectures and attempted to study, I went to work at the clinic, I ate, I slept. Rinse and repeat. The difference was that I ended up working my job twice as much as I did before the pandemic, all while trying to finish up the last semester of my degree online. Come autumn, I started my new veterinary degree, and subsequently moved to Edinburgh. Still, life didn’t change all that much. Instead of work, my schedule was populated with an increased amount of lectures. There was no time for reflection – there was only moving forward. No room for dilly-dallying. So it’s only now while writing this – a year deep into the pandemic - that I’ve realised… throughout my life, I’ve had no time for myself.

I’ve spent my entire life running from one thing to the next, with little to no breaks. Every step I took was calculated and deliberate, constantly thinking ahead. How will this experience benefit me in the future? What will I stand to gain from working here? Where do I go from here? What’s the next step? All these years, I’ve put my mental health and personal life on the backburner, solely focusing on my career. I had somehow convinced myself that I didn’t need time for myself.

Yet somewhere in the back of my head, I know I’ll burn out soon if I don’t take time for myself.

So I suppose that’s the logical next step – learning how to take time for myself. Thankfully, I have a great support system with friends, both old and new. It’s still a calculated and deliberate step, but I’m learning. I’ll get there. Perhaps I’ll learn how to be more laissez-faire next." ~ Chloe

23/05/2021

"No one's had a standard year, but if it were possible to have a 'normal' pandemic, I don't think I would fall into that category. The announcement of the first national lockdown came only 5 hours after me finding out I had made it onto the TV show, 'The Great British Bake Off'. That day was filled with quite conflicting and confusing emotions! For the next three months, I went back home and filled the hole of cancelled uni exams, sports, and social events with writing recipes for a TV show I thought may not even be able to run. There was a great deal of uncertainty around the process, location and safety protocols. But, after three months of waiting, I got the confirmation that, in four days, I would be leaving to isolate before filming in a covid secure bubble for up to 8 weeks. The weeks of filming the show were quite amazing, partly because I got to fulfil a major childhood dream, but also because I could interact with many new friends in a nearly normal way after months of masks, distancing and isolation.
My first semester of third year included a little bit of covid risk assessed badminton, a fair amount of online studying and lots of Bake-Off chat with friends. It became a highlight of the week to watch the episodes as they were released with the flatmates and be kindly mocked for my odd sayings and cringy moments! It helped pass the weeks with a good rhythm.My life has changed a great deal in the past year. But in the same breath, I still live in the same flat with the same pals, play badminton with the same team and club, study the same course, and take the same exams. Maybe I’ll still become an accountant after uni (something I would enjoy), or perhaps this whole baking thing sticks and I can change a passion and hobby into a creative career.
That's a brief description of my past year. I knew it at the time, and I know it now, looking back, just how lucky and blessed I have been. I was given a chance to experience new things and meet new people in a time when this was incredibly challenging. The main lesson I've learned from this year, where I have experienced close to overwhelming new experiences and connections and periods of pandemic induced isolation, is my need to connect with people. As I said, my career path looks like it could be a little different now, but I have much more clarity in what my professional goals are. Whatever I do, I want it to bring me the opportunity to meet and talk to interesting people so that I can share ideas and learn from others. I think that's what will lead to exciting experiences and help me find fulfilment. " ~ Peter

18/05/2021

"2020 was a bit of a rollercoaster for me, just like for everyone else. Initially, the pandemic saved me from having exams at a point where I was seriously falling behind on my Uni work. When the first lockdown started and flights were being cancelled, my boyfriend was visiting me in Edinburgh and thanks to the new policies of rescheduling flights for free, he was able to stay for three weeks rather than five days. Then came the first low, when my siblings and I had to cancel our trip to Greece with our grandma, who had never been to Greece and considered it her last adventure at the age of 87. In May, my exchange year to Australia was cancelled. I was devastated, obviously there are worse problems during a pandemic, but this exchange year was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the other hand, I was able to stay with my boyfriend in Amsterdam for several months over the summer, where I made many great memories. One of the highlights was petting baby goats. After the first wave, I was lucky enough to go on a trip with my grandma, my siblings and some extended family, to the town in Silesia (now Poland) where my grandma is originally from. We’ve been there many times with her, but she kept saying this might be her last visit, so I’m glad we were able to do that in the few weeks where everything seemed back to normal. In September, I returned to Edinburgh. The first online semester was a train wreck. I didn’t enjoy my courses and didn’t really do anything besides Uni. It was the first semester that counted toward my degree classification, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. The second online semester went better, I lived in a beautiful flat with great flatmates and made more of an effort to take breaks and have fun from time to time. Now I have one year to go and I can’t wait to be rid of the School of Economics, although I will miss everything else about Edinburgh. Overall, I feel like I’m getting to where I want to be and I’m just trying to enjoy the process rather than focus on the outcome too much." ~ Lisa

15/05/2021

"I started 2020 by going back to Chile. I had been living in Manchester for a year and I hadn’t made many friends, so I felt homesick and alone. I was supposed to come to Edinburgh to do a masters in Counselling, and then the pandemic started and my government cancelled the scholarships. I was living with my parents again after 15 years of not living with them, and it was really hard. I was faced with past childhood wounds, I felt the need to defend all the self-love I had been developing in the last 2 years, and I realized that I need to heal some things before I truly can come back to my country.

On the bright side, I also had the chance to know my parents from an adult daughter perspective and accept them more, and to know myself better (even at 32! We are always learning and growing). I developed my work as a meditation and body acceptance facilitator and I got to work with so many amazing people! And now I’m in Edinburgh and figuring out what to do away from expectations, which is very exciting.

I want to leave you with a thought: Please follow what your gut and your heart tells you. I spent many years worrying about what others thought of my own path, and letting go of dreams because other people told me I wasn’t good enough, or I was too old, or too young, or whatever…but when we regret things, all the people who judge and impose their beliefs aren’t here to suffer with us. You know more than anyone what is best for you, even if you don’t feel it right now (this applies to careers, love, your body, any life decision). And you are worthy of respect and love just for being who you are. You are loved by love itself " ~ Tere

102 Days Project

05/09/2022

25/08/2022

19/08/2022

07/06/2022

28/12/2021

30/11/2021

14/09/2021

10/06/2021

29/05/2021

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