Yesterday afternoon I was watching Coconut nap, marveling at his little eyelashes and deep sighs, when I had a sudden flashback to his “burrowing” phase last year. He’d made a habit of diving under the comforter and crawling to the bottom of my bed as if he were a mole digging a tunnel. It was so cute and weird and occasionally annoying (he’d often knock my pillows to the floor in the process). And then one day the burrowing stopped, as suddenly as it began, and he hasn’t done it since. The idea that Coconut goes through phases, that his personality and quirks evolve, is so endearing to me. 🐶

But it’s also a distinct reminder of the passage of time. Not just with him — though I do sometimes get misty noticing the progression of his cataracts or increasingly white coat — but with life in general. A few weeks ago, on my way to meet a friend downtown, I decided to walk the last leg of my commute instead of taking the train. I ended up strolling through Boston Common, the Public Garden, and finally along my favorite street in the city, Marlborough St. Seeing beams of sunlight shine through the trees, onto the cobblestone sidewalks and those gorgeous Back Bay brownstones, made me catch my breath and think: This is the best city in the world. It was the same sense of awe I’d felt when I’d moved here almost five years ago: before the pandemic, before I switched jobs, before grad school.

I think this propensity for nostalgia is stemming from a lot of changes/endings that have either happened recently or are on the horizon:

1. The makeup of my team at work is dramatically different from how it was just months ago. My role responsibilities also feel different, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic…
2. I registered for my last semester of grad school. Come December I’ll finally be DONE!
3. This’ll be my last full year in Boston. When my lease ends in 2025, I want to try a new city. As much as I love it here, half a decade is a looooong time to be in one place.

Another instigator of the nostalgia could be my recent birthday. I officially entered my ~late twenties~ last month, and while I don’t feel old, I’m quite surprised by how little I know in comparison to what I’d expected to at this age. Not knowledge in an academic sense, per se, but more like self-knowledge: by 27 I’d assumed I’d have a clearer sense of what “career fulfillment” means to me, how I’d like to interact with my family, if I want to get married, if I want kids, etc. In reality, all of these things are still veeeeery much question marks.

But while those swirl around in the back of my mind, I also have some lighter life updates! So far, 2024 has felt like such a travel year. In June, my boyfriend and I visited Cape Cod for the first time — we rode on the Cape Flyer, a normally two and a half hour train ride from Boston to Hyannis (though in reality, this ended up taking much longer due to maintenance issues). We arrived in the afternoon instead of in the morning, hungry and a bit disappointed that we’d have less time there than we’d hoped — there was only one evening train back, which we’d be taking the same day. We’d originally planned to rent a tandem bike (LOL) and lounge on the beach, but only the latter made sense with the time constraint. It was also chillier than expected, but being so close to the ocean still felt magical and relaxing.

Then, in early July I spent a week in NYC with my sister! I went during my company’s annual Week of Rest, a glorious week off for all employees that began during the pandemic. I stayed in my sister’s new apartment, which was decorated in a way that was just so her. Think: comfy, girly, fairy-like, clean. I also loved meeting her friends from dance class, exploring the new neighborhood, and having rooftop reading time together (her building’s got the most beautiful view!).

The highlight of the trip, though, was celebrating my birthday with my sister, which honestly felt like the PERFECT day. It started with midnight s’mores (of course), and in the morning I went on a run and did some work for grad school — let’s be real, my ideal day would actually not include studying, but getting it out of the way made the rest of the day stress-free.

We then proceeded to have the most luxurious experience at AIRE, a spa with several different baths (heated, saltwater, lukewarm, etc.). Our favorite combo was alternating between the hottest bath and the cold plunge — pro tip: the key to staying in is keeping your hands above the water! Post-spa, we headed to Brooklyn, where I enjoyed a pain au chocolat and a cup of pistachio milk at the viral L’Appartement 4F (no mini croissant cereal, unfortunately). Then we went to Emma Straub’s bookstore, Books Are Magic, followed by thrifting. Our time at Buffalo Exchange felt like a scene from Lizzie McGuire: we tried on clothes in side-by-side dressing rooms, gleefully swapping pieces and evaluating what looked best. (We both walked away with tees!)

Finally, we headed back to Manhattan for dinner with one of my college roommates and ended the night with ice cream from Morgenstern’s, joined by my cousin and his girlfriend. I got my usual, Durian Banana, which I’ve had at least three times now. By nighttime, I was happily tired and full and feeling very loved. (Thanks again Chem for planning the best bday ever. ❤️)

Now I’m back in Boston, but I’ve got a few more trips planned before the end of the year: two to Europe (which are technically also trips to NYC, since I’ve gotta drop Coconut off with my sister) and two to Texas. I seriously can’t wait — one of the Europe trips is a vacation with my boyfriend, and the other is a work trip (my first one)! I’ve got a lot less anticipation for the Texas trips since it is, of course, home, but it’ll be nice to be down there regardless.

Aaaand somewhat travel-related, I’ve also been getting back into reading! I’d fallen into a slump, but now I’m pumped to read books set in the places I’ll be visiting as part of ~travel prep~. In an effort to spend less time in front of a screen (…she writes while typing this post lol), I also started a book journal, which is essentially a bullet journal dedicated to reading. It’s been really fun getting crafty with it — I’m now the proud owner of several rolls of washi tape — and I think it’s definitely contributed to my renewed enthusiasm for books. I mean, you can’t fill a book journal without reading, right?

As usual, I’ll end this post with a collection of recent camera roll favs: still lovin’ homemade banana pancakes on the weekend; jause which means “snack break” in German (it’s an especially big thing in Austria, and it kinda feels like a mini charcuterie plate on bread!?); one of my first book journal spreads; an Asian-inspired chickpea dinner; a post-vet pickle treat for the goodest boy; and a seriously amazing birthday cake that my boyfriend baked me.

🤘