I foolishly thought my life after Tahiti would be less intense. I would only have the wedding to worry about!

But of course there have been some curveballs: my godmother passed away, I’ve been sleeping poorly, my restless legs have been bad, and my primary coworker quit suddenly (followed by the new primary coworker going on leave unexpectedly).

Highlights: seeing some extended family at the funeral I hadn’t seen in a decade or more, iron supplementation is mostly working for my restless legs, getting some Goliath beetle larvae from the mated pairs at work (one is over 40g as of the last substrate change a week or so back!), an absolutely indulgent Thanksgiving, the birth of my nephew. The creams and potions the dermatologist gave me are working.

Lowlights: Going to McDonald’s at 4:15am to get some insomnia French fries but they had switched to breakfast.

Looking forward to: working Christmas Day (the zoo is closed & we have an extravagant waffle party), visiting St. Louis in February for my bach/to meet my nephew, my 3 year friendiversary with my best friend Jess, my birthday!!!, and of course, the wedding.

Focusing on: getting some photos of Tahiti out there! Truly, I am. Also, quality sleep. Processing grief. Keeping Goliath beetle larvae alive. Getting the wedding invites in the mail. Catching up on messages! There are too many platforms for messages!

I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying the holidays. Are you looking forward to anything? I’d love to hear about it. Reply to this email or reach out to me otherwise.