I plan out my posting schedule in advance for these posts, but once again, it comes up right when I need it the most. It’s just been a little bit of a struggle lately, so I appreciate the reminder to stop and focus on the good. Here’s what I’m feeling grateful for right now.

Summer Weather Lingering
We’ve had some absolutely beautiful days lately, and it makes me so happy. Having my macchiato and my book out on the patio, usually with Taylor Swift in my headphones… it’s just so relaxing. Endlessly grateful for the sun warming me, for the patio that is only a year old but I can’t imagine not having, and for fresh air that helps me feel physically calmer.
Finding my Reading Groove Again
I have been in a little bit of a reading rut… I was just having a hard time finding my focus and getting into anything, and finding it much easier to get lost in scrolling Instagram or Tiktok or watching Netflix. But I just finished Siren Queen and once I actually let myself get into it, I was completely drawn in and couldn’t put it down. I’m so glad I’m back in reading mode again.
A Great Medical Team
I’ve been dealing with some extra exhaustion and a little bit of shortness of breath, in a way that was reminiscent of how I felt before my feeding tube. It has not been fun, and has made me remember how horrible it was to deal with this day in and day out! I’m very grateful to have a doctor who listens to me, believes me, and helps come up with a plan to figure out what’s going on and first steps to solving it! (We think it’s just a slight iron deficiency and I’ve started taking supplements. Nothing major, fingers crossed!)
Friends Moving Back to Pittsburgh
I have a group of friends who I’ve known since elementary school, and we’ve been friends ever since. One of the friends recently moved back to Pittsburgh, and it’s so exciting that we’re all in the same city again. There’s just something really special about spending time with people you’ve know for over 20 years – to know them as kids, and now to see them all grown up with kids of their own!
No Travel Plans
I love traveling, really. But after traveling twice in June, and going to Charleston at the end of July / beginning of August… I’m kind of exhausted. So much packing and unpacking and planning and sleeping in a bed that isn’t mine! So I’m looking forward to just being able to enjoy being home for a while, and doing things around Pittsburgh. Sometimes it’s just nice to take it easy.