Currently | March

SPENDING | 5 more days in the desert for fieldwork. It was a little bit more relaxed than last time (shorter work days), we had hot spring-fed pools at the hotel, and I saw a (full) rainbow.

BUYING | more goodies at Aldi. On my way home from fieldwork, I once again stopped at an Aldi and stocked up on a few things. This time, I was prepared and arrived with a list.

RELIEVED | that the two procedures – the (follow-up) upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy – are behind me and that everything checked out well. They were both routine screenings, but it still feels good to get positive (and with that, I mean “negative”) results.

FEELING | a little out of step with my workout routine. No worries, I am still working out – ha! – but since the half-marathon and my other (Peloton) challenges are over, I’ve been “floating” a bit, randomly picking classes from the Peloton platform in the morning. This can be quite fun for a little while, but I realize that I do appreciate the structure of having one – or multiple – challenges to follow. I get up and just follow the plan. I like knowing what’s “expected” of me on any given day. Just me?

EXCITED | to watch the Great Horned Owl’s nest outside my fourth-floor office window this week. There’s a mama and three babies. So cool! Our office has set up a webcam in an empty cubicle that monitors the nest 24/7.

LOVING | my latest addition to my mug collection.

WATCHING | Friends re-runs (at the hotel during fieldwork) to unwind in the evenings.

GRATEFUL | for being able to spend some girl time with Tanja at the beginning of the month. I was so happy that she could join the Streakers Meetup for the half marathon in Las Vegas and that we were able to spend a few extra days together.

ENJOYING | my current work assignments. Maps and spreadsheets FTW.

CELEBRATED | my birthday earlier this month, complete with a birthday marble cake, flowers from Jon, and a sweaty workout with Peloton friends.

STOKED | about a trip home. I’ll be going to see my family in less than a week and I am so excited. I don’t recall if I mentioned that when my aunt passed away earlier this year, I contemplated going home for the funeral or waiting a little longer until the spring. I had work commitments, fieldwork, and a personal trip planned at the time, and it would have been hard to make arrangements for ad-hoc travel, so I spoke with my family and we all agreed that it would make more sense for me to come around Easter when we could all spend more quality time together.

What is currently going on in your world?

  1. That birthday marble cake looks SO good.

    The owl family is so sweet.

    And I hope you have a wonderful, restorative time together with your family. Safe travels <3

    1. Marble cake is my favorite :) thank you so much – I am so excited for my trip!

  2. I didn’t realize you were going to see your family so soon! YAY! It always makes me enormously happy when you get to see them since I know how much you love being with them. <3

    It tickles me so much that you do an Aldi stock-up when you finish your field work. They need to get a store near you STAT!

    1. Thanks so much, friend. I appreciate your kind words – I am so excited to see my family. I booked kinda last minute, so I didn’t mention it here until travel was confirmed.

  3. I am so glad you get to see your family soon! Yay!

    What goodies did you get at Aldi?

    I used to love following a specific workout plan but now I feel content to move each day. I bet as I get back into running more I will prefer to at least have “run x days a week.”

    1. Thank you – I am excited about my trip.
      I got chocolate (obvsly), cheese, pasta, granola, bread, and some pantry items at Aldi’s. The prices were just so unbeatable.

  4. Those owlets are so cute! How fun to be able to watch them grow.

    So glad to hear you will be going home to visit your family. Especially after losing your aunt, I am sure it will be a wonderful comfort to be with them. Safe travels!

    1. Thanks Suzanne, I am so excited about my trip and some family time!

  5. I am so happy for you that you get to visit your family soon. I just came back from a Germany trip to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday and it felt really good (the visit and then the feeling that going back to the US felt like going home).
    I love shopping at Aldi, too. I was so excited that they have Knoppers. I wish there was one in the Bay Area.

    1. Thank you, Meike – I know you can relate to the excitement of going home and seeing family. I am glad you got to go for your dad’s birthday!!

  6. Yay for a trip home! I hope you have an amazing time and I can’t wait to hear all about it!

  7. […] I mentioned in my recent post, I’ve been “floating” a bit when it comes to workouts, randomly picking classes from the […]

  8. Your updates are such a lovely snapshot into your life!

    I hope you have an amazing trip home. I’m so glad you were able to do field work as well and stood up for yourself at work!

    1. Thanks so much, Rachel.. I am so excited about my trip home. And I definitely thought of you when I spoke up for myself at work, so thank you!

  9. I’m so glad you got the all-clear on your tests. Happy Birthday and have a fantastic time back home with your family. That’s so exciting!

    1. Thank you, Melissa!

  10. I’m so glad your procedures went well and that everything is negative! Enjoy your trip home! How wonderful!

  11. Yay for a trip home! I hope the time doesn’t pass by too quickly but it likely will since that is how it goes when you are traveling home and trying to catch up with so many different people. Enjoy the holiday with your family!

    That is so cool about the owl’s nest! My boys both love owls so they would love to see some baby owls!

  12. How amazing that you will be able to go home.Or probably already are.
    The husband usually says he is “positively negative” when gets good test results back. And since he is still testing for covid every day when going to the office it is an often occurring phrase in our household.
    How great to have the owls right there sitting in front of the window. That must be previous to watch.

  13. I am envious of the role that nature plays in your work life – field work? hot springs pools (not with the coworkers, thanks…)? owlets? What a joy!

    And even MORE joy for your time at home. I am so glad the timing and everything worked out. And I know from IG that you are having a wonderful time with family, which makes me ridiculously happy. <3

    I suspect you'll be just fine workout-wise. I do understand the value of a plan – even if the plan is, "wake up and do what I did yesterday", LOL.

  14. Hiiiii friend! So good to be here again this morning, with my coffee, to catch up on your blog which I have really really missed. I’m glad to hear things are going so well with you, that your getting a clean bill of health, traveling and seeing family, and spotting some owls and even babies (!!! That is so cool and love that they are setting up a webcam).

    It’s been so dreadfully long since I’ve worked out that quite frankly I’m not sure what kind of workout I’d prefer but I’m glad you are making these realizations about yourself so you can customize your workouts based on what works best for you ❤️

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