Wow – another month already! This was the first month in a loooong time where things felt… kind of normal? I feel like I’ve been busy, but in a good way – busy from being out in the world and doing things. It’s a weird feeling right now, but a good one!

I started off the last month with a very long overdue haircut. I hadn’t had my hair cut since January or February of 2020, so it had gotten really long and out of control. Honestly, the haircut felt so good – like a literal and figurative weight had been lifted! It just felt really nice to have a fresh start, in a sense. And I’m loving my new cut!

I also had the chance to go to the Carnegie Museum with my friend and her toddler! Pitt gave us a Friday off, and I decided to use the afternoon to visit the Carnegie Art and Natural History Museums for the first time in well over a year, which was super exciting. I got to see some of my favorites, like the little hall of miniatures, and some new things, like the locally sourced exhibit featuring my favorite Knotzland bow ties! It’s also just so funny to experience the museums through the eyes of a toddler – we definitely spent more time with the dinosaur fossils than I usually do.

I also stopped by the museum cafe beforehand, marking my first time in a coffeeshop since the beginning of the pandemic. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love coffee and going to coffeeshops, so this was a MAJOR moment for me. I know it’s something small, but it felt big, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

I had two more MAJOR milestones this month – my friend from college, Aneesha, visited, and I went out to eat at a restaurant for the first time since the before the pandemic! Aneesha was supposed to come visit to celebrate my MPH graduation last year, but obviously the ceremony was turned into something virtual and it wasn’t safe for her to fly or visit. It was super exciting to see her again, and the feeling of knowing that it was safe enough to be able to get together again was just such a relief. We laid pretty low – we wanted to catch up – and played lots of Monopoly Deal, my new favorite card game.

BUT – we did make it out for dinner! We went to DiAnoia’s Eatery in the Strip District and sat outside on their cute patio. The food was so incredibly delicious, they had patio heaters so we weren’t too chilly after the sun went down, and I felt really safe. I’m such a foodie and love going out to eat, so this was something that I’ve been looking forward to in my post-vaccine life for a while. We had a minor issue with our car on the way home (my dad had to come help fix something), so it was definitely a memorable return to life out in the world.

Now that I’m back to my routine, I feel like I need another weekend to recover, ha – it’s going to take time to adjust to having plans again! But of course – totally worth it.