2025 Ins & Outs

The view outside my window.

Welcome to the first blog post of the year! I’m a little bit late to the party, but as we’re only a few weeks into 2025, I want to detail my Ins & Outs for this year. Goodbye, online shopping. Hello, park walks!

In

• Frequent trips to the local library • Blogging • Healing • Therapy

• Steven Furtick sermons • Sticking to a balanced budget • Spending time with family

• Writing • Going on park walks • Rebuilding my community • Taking care of plants

• Beanies • Throw blankets • Listening to podcasts in the car • Prayer • Setting goals

• Hope • Logging off • Working out • Magazines • Comfortable clothes • Reading

Out

• Overspending • Neglecting self-care • Being afraid to try • Isolation • Impatience

• Reading books I don’t enjoy just to say I finished them • Excessive consumption

• Being too busy or stressed to write • Neglecting to spend time with God

• Not listening to others as attentively as I should • Social media • Online shopping

• Self-doubt • Anxiety • Bad self-talk • Negativity • Trends • Distraction

One of my words for this year is “heal.” I think 2025 is going to be a big year for healing myself after a difficult 2024, and prioritizing my self-care, creativity, and my walk with Christ in a myriad of ways.

What are your ins and outs for 2025?

On my way,

Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee

This past weekend was one of the best I've had all year.

My mom, my sister, two of my cousins and I rented out an Airbnb for the weekend to get away from it all.

The house was all windows with a huge kitchen, high cielings, and an expansive patio out back leading to a dock right on the water. It wasn't unlike the Cullens' house in the "Twilight" series, the first film of which we indulged in on Saturday night while eating enormous slices of local-made pizza, delicious mozerella sticks, and garlic-laden French fries. 

Other trip highlights: Country music jams in the car; spontaneous ice cream (I got a blueberry cheesecake flavor with cheesecake bits!!); late night talks about some of our most embarassing moments; banding together to kill a large bug that had snuck into the house; and making friends with a small yellow cat that found its way onto the front porch.

One of my goals as 2024 winds down and 2025 (how?!) begins is to spend some time reviving this blog.

I miss it. I miss how creative and joyful I feel when I pay attention to it. I haven't had a lot of great things to write about lately, but this trip was a bright spot, and I wanted to share it. I hope to get back into the swing of blogging more often, even if it's just for me. I even unearthed my Canon Rebel a few days ago. More to come - soon, hopefully!

Do you have any fun plans for the rest of the year, especially as the holidays approach?

Let's go girls,

A Very Cozy 2024

P and I on the steps of Starland Strange in Savannah, GA.

Maybe it's winter, or maybe it's just me,

but I've been wanting to be as cozy as possible lately.

I've always had an affinity for cardigans, sweaters, knitwear and all things snuggly, but as of late, it has seemingly amplified. Whether it's a new Hearth & Hand blanket from Target or a perfectly rumpled cable knit sweater found during an afternoon of thrifting, cozy has got me in its clutches. Here are some of the (conventional or otherwise) things that have felt cozy to me this month.

Possibly the coziest sweater of all time.

A new favorite show. I'm usually not too big into television, but lately when I'm looking to relax, I've been seeking solace in an absolutely addictive show that P and I discovered called The Traitors. We've finished season one and are now watching the first season of the UK version of the show. Also cozy: P had never seen The Breakfast Club (for shame!), so I made sure we watched that together this month. Side note: They did Ally Sheedy's character so wrong with that makeover.

Plants. I was obsessed with plants in 2023, but the obsession is only growing (literally). There are some nice pothos plants and other varieties on sale for fairly cheap at my local Publix, so anytime P and I pick up groceries, I am very tempted to add a new plant to the family. (My newest addition is Phil, a philodendron plant.) What makes my day is when I see a new leaf coming in on any of my plant bbs. It gives me a little shot of glee and makes me want to jump for joy.

Playing video games. I go through phases with playing video games, and then losing interest. Right now, I am replaying the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane remastered trilogy on my Playstation and having a blast. It's fun and mindless at the end of a long workday.

Reading graphic novels. Growing up, I was never a graphic novel fan, even though I was obsessed with doodling cartoons of my own. On a fluke, I picked up a graphic novel from the library (also an obsession lately) and now I am HOOKED. Graphic novels are so quick to read and the art is so inspiring. It makes me want to start drawing or painting again.

Plus:

• Taste-testing my husband's yummy new recipes

• Sipping water or tea from a fun new tumbler

• Tom Odell's newly released piano ballads

• The color green

• Cold morning runs wearing my dad's old fleece jacket

• Using Notion to journal and stay inspired

• Dark academia everything

What does cozy look like to you? Let me know in the comments.

With many snuggly days ahead,

Tiny Joys: July 2023

Today I am introducing a new segment on the blog: Tiny Joys!

Tiny Joys are just what they sound like: little things that have sparked joy or a smile for me recently that, when life gets tough, can really make a difference in my day. Like pizza. 🍕

Tiny Joys: July 2023 Edition

Women supporting women: A great start to the weekend looks like putting together an alternative outfit just to go to the coffee shop and receiving a compliment from a very sweet customer. It was basically this.

Lavender lattes: The reason I was in the coffee shop in the first place was to get an iced lavender latte. This has been my beverage of choice at the moment and I'm sad I didn't discover it sooner.

"Fast Car": I'm probably VERY late to the party on this one, and I normally don't listen to country music, but this weekend I can't get "Fast Car" out of my head. The popular version right now is the cover by Luke Combs (very good) but it's the original by Tracy Chapman that is even more raw and authentic. It's heartbreaking but beautiful. Give it a listen!

"Adult Drama" by Natalie Beach: If you're a contented little introvert like me, there is nothing better than picking up a long-awaited held item at the library. This week, it's "Adult Drama" by Natalie Beach. I'm obsessed with essays, memoirs and funny/insightful non-fiction collections, so I've been devouring this book this week. 

Writing: This week I was assigned four new articles to write at work and in a joyous burst of inspiration, I wrote and wrote and wrote nonstop until I had the first piece done within a few hours. After a season of grief, I feel like my creativity is finally starting to surface again, and it was one of those moments where I felt so elated to be able to write for a living. 

And now, for the...

• I bought ridiculous bat-themed creepers/stompy boots because why not?

• Looking forward to watching "Asteroid City" with my mom later this week.

• This song blew my mind.

• I recently subscribed to the Downtime newsletter and it's always a fun read. 

What about you? What are your tiny joys this July?

I had a feeling I could be someone,

It's Been 84 Years...

Welcome back to the blog! It's been a minute. And by a minute, I mean a literal 439,000+ minutes, oops. Somehow, the last time I posted was for my obligatory annual birthday post in 2022. Buzz, your girlfriend, WOOF. Better late than never?

In the past 439,000 minutes, life has been ... weird. I lost a loved one. Time went all funny. Things got hard. In Summer 2022, back before everything happened, I planned to retire this blog and start afresh under a new domain. But now, here I am, a full year has passed, and I never did press publish on the new site.

As I look ahead at turning 30 in September (a whole new decade!), my mind has been on time, life, aging, and memories. You know, I'm kind of awed by the fact that I've been posting on this blog in some form or another for about 10 years. My biggest struggle throughout my blogging journey has always been wanting everything on my site to look *perfect* but as I've poked around the blog a bit for nostalgia's sake, its contents are a beautiful reminder to me of all the little moments and memories (often imperfect and offline) that I've made along the way.

So, for now, Acoustic Erin shall endureth. To give the ol' gal a bit of a fresh look, I changed the blog header and also am sprinkling in bits of my own handwriting (see below). I may be making more tweaks to the layout, pages and look/feel of the site as the weeks go on, but mainly, I'm excited to finally feel like I have words to write again, and to be returning to a medium that, amidst all of the chaos online, feels delightedly old school and slow paced, the same as it always was. 

It's good to be back.

New post signature say what,

28

 Today I turn 28. This morning I woke up and on impulse, drove to my parents' house for breakfast. (Not me crying at "Wake Me Up When September Ends" on the drive over.) This morning was especially nostalgic because my parents are moving in a few weeks, and they're in the process of boxing up all their belongings. I am now two residences removed from this house, but I spent a good 15 years here, and it's crazy to think that it's not going to be in the family anymore.

Yesterday Peter and I went thrifting and I got my cartilage pierced. Tonight, we're going to a concert for my favorite band and I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!!

27 was just a crazy year. I met my husband, got engaged, and got married all in the span of like nine months. It's wild to me how much has changed from 26 to 27, and I can't even imagine what it will be like going from 27 to 28. I hope that this year holds a lot of fun creative projects, and that it brings me closer to the Lord in my walk with Him.

My old birthday posts can be found here (I can't believe I've been doing this for so long on the blog): 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21.

Still feeling like a smol emo child,

E

The Honeymoon Adventures, Pt. 1

This post is going to be about my honeymoon, but I have to preface it by saying: waking up on your wedding day is a weird feeling. The night before mine, walking through the ceremony with family and friends at the rehearsal dinner, I was more nervous than I have ever been. The next morning, though, I pulled on a pair of checkered pants and ate toast at a local diner with my parents, somewhat subdued, even though it was The Day. Then when the wedding was over, it was finally time to travel.

For our honeymoon, Peter and I ventured to Savannah, GA and Asheville, NC.

Our honeymoon was a supreme road trip, up from central Florida over to Savannah for a night, then continuing onto a remote cabin just outside of Asheville for the remaining nights. Because of all the driving, there was also a lot of music, and because there was a lot of music, I decided to write down my favorites from the songs that we played. I have included the tracks in a playlist at the bottom of this post!

The hotel we stayed in Savannah was called the Hyatt Regency, and it was right on the water.

Our room had a view of all the boats down along the river, and right below was (the aptly named) River Street. Because of all the traveling, we were too tired to explore Savannah extensively upon arrival, but we brought food in from Olympia Café, a fantastic Greek restaurant. 

The next morning, we sleepily emerged from our hotel room to go look around downtown Savannah.

I did not know, but Savannah is something of a walking town, so we walked the streets to get from place to place. We happened upon an adorable breakfast spot called Goose Feathers Café, and settled in at the window seat. I got a cup of orange juice and something called an Eggel Bagel(!) with avocado.

I wish we had had more time to explore Savannah before heading to our cabin in Asheville, and I definitely want to go back. There were a lot of cute shops we spotted on our walk that morning that weren't open before we had to leave for the next leg of our journey. I would definitely recommend Savannah, even though we experienced precious little of what it had to offer.

Please ignore the dumpsters lolol.

Our travels took us over a large bridge and through dense woods, and eventually we arrived (up the side of a mountain - big deal for a FL gal) at the cabin in North Carolina. The cabin had an adorable front porch, a loft bedroom, a hot tub outside, and a hammock. I already miss it, and the crisp mountain air that is infinitely preferable to the constant humidity we have here near the coast.

We spent a lot of time in the cabin cooking (Peter), reading (both of us), and eating store-bought macarons with abandon (me).

I could definitely see myself living in a cabin someday. It was just so green and peaceful - save for the times that the tree branches surrounding the house would creak so furiously against the roof that we thought someone was trying to break in. Save for that. 

 I have more adventures from our time in Asheville to share, but I will save them for the second part of this post, which I hope to finish drafting next week.

Until then, here is the playlist of the songs I jotted down from our honeymoon travels (basically a love letter to The Spring). I made an Acoustic Erin Spotify where you can listen to them, and will be updating it with more honeymoon tunes next week. I hope to add more playlists for y'all to listen to as time goes on. I also started a blog Instagram, which you can find here.

And now an interlude from my husband, who will be writing fun footnotes to my posts for the time being (click here to read the first installment).

~Peter's Paragraph No.2~

Hello all! Recently, I became interested in flash fiction. "What is that?" you ask. Well, it's short fiction stories, usually 3,000 words or less. I started writing some in the hopes to get published on a small-scale website, but then I thought to myself, "Why not make a website of my own?" This has been something Erin has been encouraging me to do in the recent months and I realized creating a flash fiction website would be a good hobby to have. So, yours truly has created The Creative Anecdote, a website of flash fiction that believes in paying for creators' works. The prizes may be cheap, but hey, it's being funded by me right now. If you like the idea, please follow us on Instagram (@thecreativeanecdote) and join our mailing list on our website. Just by doing that, you are supporting something that helps support others! Love you all. 

And there you go, that is the post! Have you guys ever been to Savannah or Asheville? Where have your summer travels taken you to?

Missing the woods,

E

Marriage, Blogging, & Everything Else

I never quite know how to awkwardly side-shuffle from stage left back onto the blog when I've been gone for any length of time, so...here I am. If anybody's out there, ~salutations~. Also if it's just me, hi, I love your work.

I got married in June, and wedding plans consumed my life for months before that, but now I've been spat back out into my new normal life, which includes 300% more cuddles but still my requisite amount of anxiety.

Side note: It's funny to me how fast my actual wedding went by. I know people are always saying that, but it's true. There were so many bright moments from that day (being tossed in the air multiple times during an impromptu mosh pit at the reception among them) but it's crazy that that was already over a month ago. 

I plan to share more about the wedding and honeymoon in a separate post, but for right now, I'm dipping my toe back into the blogging waters to see if anyone's still swimmin'.

I feel like a lot of the bloggers I used to love reading stopped posting content around 2019. Some of my favorite reads are still here (God bless), but to me it feels like blogging has been left behind. Which I don't completely hate - I feel like there's something inherently slow-paced about it, something decidedly old fashioned that might not be as popular in our fast-paced lives. It takes time to read or write a blog! It takes devotion! It used to be my Saturday morning ritual to run three miles, fix a bowl of oatmeal, then sip my coffee while reading and commenting on my favorites. That took hours.

Regardless, I will always have an affection for blogging. Something always draws me back in, no matter how long I've been away.

Offline, behind the scenes, I've been thinking and praying about what I want this space to be. I have thoughts of writing more long-form essay content or short stories, of creating a mailing list, of sharing more snippets of my daily life. My husband might even make his own blog - but for now he has contented himself with the addition of what we lovingly call "Peter's Paragraph," which, starting with today's entry, you will see added to the bottom of my blog posts (scroll to the bottom).

I sometimes still struggle with perfectionism when I come to this space, but my favorite blogs are authentic, unapologetic, and the writers say what they feel without any preamble. People like that inspire me to write even if I'm only writing for myself - which, in the end, isn't a bad place to be.

And, what's this?! A bonus Jonas? Don't look now, it's....Peter's Paragraph (which we invented on the honeymoon as a kind of joke but look where we are now).

~Peter's Paragraph~

Greetings all! My wife let me infiltrate her blog with whatever I want to say (LOL). Thus, “Peter’s Paragraph” was created. The best authors know how to use the paragraph as an outlet to let their ideas flow. That is why we see paragraphs that are pages long and some as short as one word. However, paragraphs in school are taught to be 3-5 sentences. This elementary objective limits writers from being creative and reaching their true potential. As a result, I would like to relate the paragraph to life… There are people telling us that we have to be this or that (3-5 sentences long for example), but our potential is truly greater. It is up to us to determine if we want to live in the parameters defined by others or create the parameters ourselves.

Bam! And just like that, the blog post is over. If anyone is following along, how has your summer been? Are you reading any good books? I would love new recommendations, as always!

Hello goodbye,

E

27

It's that time again, folks....

THE ANNUAL BIRTHDAY POST!

My 26th year, to say the least, has been insane. Obviously COVID has been raging for a large portion of it, which has made things #complicated, but even without that, 26 has been the year of insanity.

During my 26th year, I....

- Got out of a relationship
- Started dating someone new
- Quit my job
- Started working at an epic new job
- Moved out of my childhood home
- Moved into a cute cottage with my sister
- Finished writing a novel I'd been working on for years
- Started serving at church
- Went to therapy (which I can't recommend highly enough)
- Pierced my ears
- Pierced my nose
- Got health insurance
- Saw one of my favorite bands live (pre-COVID, lol)

Some of these are just fun things, but others have been Major Life Changes. During COVID. Send help.

Like, I'm not going to lie, some parts of 26 were really dark and difficult (read: March 2020). There have also been light spots (buying a PlayStation 4, friend dinners, meeting a cool human). But ultimately, this year has been the year of change. Maybe that's why I've tended to be more nostalgic lately. But! God is good. Even though I've had to get out of my comfort zone this year, I've grown a lot and it's rewarding to see how God used circumstances to grow me closer to Him. Heck yes!

This year for my birthday I just wanted to get off the grid a little, so my family and I hightailed it up to Ye Olde Writing Cabin to spend time in nature.

And eat cheesecake. That as well. I know the world isn't back to normal yet, and maybe things will be different for a while, but I feel strangely hopeful as I begin Day One of Year 27. And it's just nice to be with my family in a place of peace for a couple of days.

I can't believe I've been blogging long enough to have this many archived birthday posts, but if you want to peruse old ones, here they are: 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! I haven't blogged in a hot minute because of all of the aforementioned life changes, but I still love this space and hope all of you are doing well.

I'll try to write soon, maybe. If there's anything you want me to write about, let me know. And tell me how you are doing in the comments!

Is this the real life or is this just fantasy,

E

Goodbye, Groundhog Day

This is the smol writing cabin I sometimes write about in posts. Spent a couple of days there quarantining and trying to put words on the page with my novel.

 There is no better way to describe the month of April than "Groundhog Day." Due to quarantine, it has felt largely like I've been living the same day over and over again. When I look back on April 2020 years from now, it is likely I will remember a lot of time spent indoors, searching for jobs, and novel writing (read also: crying, oops). 

Needless to say, April was not my favorite, though this month has found me getting closer to the Lord and taking steps of faith, for which I am so, so grateful.

I attempted a Domestic Pursuit and made boxed blueberry muffins the other week (it's a start). They were good! It's weird how something as simple as baking (and licking the batter bowl) can put me in good spirits.

In a way, April was ripping off the Band-Aid of my comfort zone. It was me pouring my heart out to God, securing a new job after a season of uncertainty, getting close to completing the novel I've been trying to write for years, and soon, Lord willing, moving to an apartment. It's all a fresh start. I've been listening to a lot of records again, which I somehow got out of the habit of, and one of the lyrics that's piercing me is from the band Whitney's second album:

"Tell me everything is just beginning, I don't feel alive but I've been living. Back when we were young, we would ride. Though the changes come, you'll get by. Anything could happen."

That's oddly how I feel now, entering May: Anything could happen. Maybe before that would have paralyzed me. I'll probably still have bad days, but I feel good things ahead for May. Starting a new job and moving out during Super Dark Pandemic Times might sound crazy, but this whole journey has been about faith and trusting God for me. Staying safe and smart, of course, but not fearful. I'm trying not to be afraid anymore, which is something that used to really take root in my life.

I'll still have my moments. I'll still miss people. I'll still look back on the past with rose-colored glasses, as I always have, but now it's time to go. It's time for a NEW THING.

Ok, but a NEW THING doesn't mean I'll stop listening to old favorites (I see you, Avril).

I hope all of you are doing well, taking heart! That this time has given you a chance to reassess what is most important to you. For me, I realized that I want a slower, simpler pace of life. I want to trust the Lord more, and to listen to more music, to write daily, to take steps of faith, and to drink only decaf coffee. To read more books. What have you learned during quarantine? Let me know in the comments!

"I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord." - Ezekiel 34:15

Current Favorites: This song (*tears up*) | Also this one (my mood) | Reading outdoors

Entering a new season,
E

A Hard Reset

Campus view, pre-pandemic.

On Sunday, my cousin Daisy drove up to the foot of my driveway with books to share. She tossed them onto the lawn, sprayed them down with an industrial-sized can of Lysol, we laughed, then she drove off, and was gone. Thus summing up the most Social Interaction I've had outside of my immediate household in Literal Weeks.

Some days, I'm really negative, and it can be kind of hard to see the good in this situation. But, in a way, this quarantine time has served as something of a hard reset. It's forcing me to evaluate what I actually want in life.

Before everything changed, I was burning myself out. In February, I was eagerly awaiting a time where I could rest, recharge, be alone for a little while, and work on my book. Then boom! Worldwide pandemic. Tons of time to be alone. Tons of time to write. 

So I'm trying to view everything through the lens of opportunity.

My sister channeling Lloyd Dobler a couple of months ago.

I can't lie and say that I'm not eager for regular life and its calming normalcy to return once more. But, I will say that I'm grateful. I'm grateful for health. I'm grateful for the hours I have now to work on my novel each day. I'm grateful for the cookie dough in my freezer, my morning cup of coffee, the sun shining outside, and the 20 episodes of The Vampire Diaries that I may or may not have binge-watched with my sister this weekend.

Because one day, Lord willing, the world will go back to normal. We won't have this strange time forever. I want to be able to say that I used this time, this reset that we've all been given, and created something beautiful out of it.

I did a thing and posted again on my 25 Project blog, if you want to check that out. I really love that this time is giving me a chance to plug into projects that I've ignored or put off for sometime. That I'm able to take a sort of pause from the hectic pace of normal life and see what God is trying to tell me. It's been tough, but someday, this time will be over. This too shall pass.

Smol List of Current Favorites

This article | Novel writing | Hazelnut coffee | This song | Candles

Treat yourself with kindness and remember to get a short walk around the block.

Probably writing or flailing about,

E

Learning & Leaving

I got in my car, with the entire contents of my office emptied into the backseat, at the end of my last day of work. I expected emotions, and all of them were mixed, as they have been for months, about every facet of my life. Then this song came on the radio, and what could I do but laugh?

Ever since I turned 26, it's as if my life has been in a blender. (Literally me.)

But it's shown me some things, I'll give it that. (Again, me.)

Learning: Maybe I don't want to be a hermit in the woods just yet (all bets are off for the future). Maybe I need to pursue a profession that better serves me creatively, financially, and mentally. Maybe I need a person who has the same energy levels as me and likes books. Maybe I need to write my novel instead of just talking about it.

Leaving: A place that was once my home. A person who was once my home. The notion that I have to have everything all figured out.

It makes sense that I haven't blogged since November.

I'm not even mad at it. It's been such a crazy time, that even when I wanted to blog, I was sort of at a loss for what to say. I still have an unfinished draft post of all of my favorite records of 2019! I still might publish it - there were some bangers on there. It just goes to show the kind of craziness life's been throwing at me lately.

But now, it feels like I'm entering a new season.

It was windy and we were being dorks.

The other day, my sister and I grabbed coffee and went to the park. I couldn't remember the last time I had done something like that, just hanging out and talking with her in nature. It gave us a moment to sort through everything we've been thinking and feeling and experiencing lately. And we both feel like we're on the cusp of very big change in our lives right now.

Naturally, my constant thought at the moment is, "Everything's ending."

But when everything's ending, that means new things are about to begin. It's a new chapter, a new page, the next act of the play that is my life (somebody stop me, I am getting unforgivably cheesy, SEND HELP, OR PIZZA). And while it's hard to leave behind things that were very, very good, it is the right thing to do at this point in my life. It doesn't make it any easier, and I don't like sitting with these difficult emotions, but tough times can make you resilient.

I guess this is just the latest installment in the ongoing series entitled: Erin Grows Up and Discovers Who She Is.

Even though I think I've known who I am for a while. But I just keep learning new things about myself, and what I want, and what I don't, and it's kind of baffling. There's this quote that I want to include at the beginning of my novel, that I just adore, and it's by e.e. cummings: "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." WELL DANG, e.e. RIP MY HEART OUT, e.e. Because that's how I feel, in this weird phase of learning and leaving. It's knowing that who I am and what I want for my life isn't going to be for everyone.

But that's okay.

Because, to quote the great Avril Lavigne: "I can't not be what I am."

Drink water and take care of yourself,

E

Alive with the Glory of Autumn

We have officially entered That Part of the Year where my favorite coffee shop keeps the door open, and basically, that's all my autumn-loving heart could want in life. I feel like I always say this, but I literally (and figuratively) can't grasp how it is already Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Eve, if we are being technical, which we are.

So this is the thing: it's almost December, and everything is changing.

Not just because it's the end of the year and the holidays are here (BLESS), but because life has been on the move. It feels like I'm losing certain things while gaining others - people, responsibilities, fears. This season, this year, has been so colored by change and the slow process of becoming the person I am meant to be. And it's good, and it's real, and it's scary.

Also, I got a nose ring. #AllTheLifeChanges

So, what do you do? You take time off of work to sit with your thoughts and feelings and burrow yourself beneath blankets and talk about yourself in the second person. You read think pieces whilst burrowed and buy books brand new for once and string up lights in your room because all the twinkling things feel inspiring somehow. You walk around college campuses and hold hands with your person, and listen to albums that sound like how your soul feels.

It's like....life can be very hard and very good all at once.

Saying goodbye to people is hard. Working through anxiety is hard. Allowing yourself to rest even when you very desperately want to Do All the Things is very hard. But it also adds up to something very good. It makes you resilient. It forces you to grow up a little. It makes you realize you were capable of more than you thought, and that there are always new adventures right around the corner.

I maybe-promise that I'll write up another Care Package post, but for now, here is a small assortment of things that have cozied themselves up to my heart in no particular order:

Clairo's Immunity album; this triumphantly glorious song; this intriguing interview; the pages of this book that called to me in Barnes & Noble; this drink with all the caramel oozy bits; reading end-of-the-year lists like this one; making myself a peppermint cocoa because Christmas.

Also, I went to Michigan a month or so ago, and I feel like I still haven't had time to process that.

My family and I being absolutely ridiculous on my aunt's front porch in Michigan.

Seester.

If this isn't the Hygge lifestyle embodied, I don't know what is.

So, there you have it.

Life is good, life is hard, the holidays are here, and everything is beautiful in its imperfection. I hope you all are having really splendid, refreshing Thanksgiving breaks and remember to take care of your hearts, minds, bodies and souls around this time of year, which can sometimes be tough. Have any fun plans for your weekend, or recommendations to share? Send them my way!

It's turkey time,

E