“Why the **** would I throw shade will all the sunshine!”
– Big Freedia

I am not a summer child, I’d rather feel cold than hot any day of the week, and cooler temperatures always meant jumpers, books, and school season, but I’ve grown more fond of the summer over the years. I don’t have the wardrobe figured out, but I’ve grown better at holidays. And while I still hate feeling overheated, I’ve grown to appreciate the seasonal doses of Vitamin D since living in the UK.

I’ve had some hard summers here. 2014 was a bit of a low point, and 2015 wasn’t that much better, but the last few years have been marked improvements. Travel has absolutely helped, Greece last year and Prague this year, as has a much better work balance and better contracts.

As Summer 2018 winds down, I’m already prepared to look back on it fondly as an overall success. The politics were bad, but the pop culture was good. I’ve not been reading enough, but I’ve consumed a lot of fun podcasts and series, and I’ve become a much more wide ranging news and non-fiction reader (socio-economics is my current theme of study). My health drastically improved and after winding down a satisfying contract, I started up a new and challenging one that I’m both intimidating and excited by. I’m almost afraid to put this out there, the universe being a conniving and changeable entity, but things feel very good right now. Far from perfect, and plenty still to cause worry, but good. I don’t feel that way often, and I like to enjoy it when I do.

This fall I’m looking forward continuing to try and write more. I’m sure you’ve noticed the uptick in posts and word count ’round these here parts, it’s been a bit sloppy in some cases but intentional. I’m looking forward to playing with my wardrobe and bathroom shelf more. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my husband–we’ve both worked hard this year and are starting to be able to enjoy the results of that effort a bit more, which is deeply gratifying. I’m really look forward to travel and good friends! Jeff and I are going to try and squeeze a minibreak in somewhere if we can afford it, we’re going to my parents’ house for Christmas this year (thanks to my parental units’ generosity) for what looks to be a full house, and Katarina is finally coming to visit before her first novel debuts and she becomes too famous to jet around the world!

I don’t have anything else particularly profound to say except that I’m trying to just sit with the progress and the gratitude a bit before the summer draws to a close. I do not practice gratitude enough and usually am so busy with thinking and planning ahead that I don’t remember to just take a beat. So before the bustle of the fall (the best season, fight me if you dare) hits, I just wanted to jot down a brief farewell to a season that has served me well. Pouring one out for you, summer, looking forward to catching up next year.