It’s been a hot minute from my last Substack. And for good reason - life has been busy.
I’ve attended two weddings and one funeral. Traveled and stayed in the States for three of the past seven weeks. Celebrated several birthdays. Caught up with almost all of my college and NYC friends. Threw the second Leith Awards event. Written almost five thousand words. Peed on a lot of sticks. Read at least ten books. Swam many times, both in the sea and in a pool. Painted two hallways, a ceiling, and wallpapered half of a hallway. Plus, you know, worked my day job.
I also got bangs! Or ‘fringe’ as they call it.
You can probably gather what are the highs and lows from the above. But oftentimes the big and small details that you remember go missed when headlines are so big and vast.
Here are some micro and some not-so-micro moments I don’t want to forget…
The garden. Walking out every morning to see what bloomed or grew overnight. When the hybrid tea finally popped. Coming home to tall, blooming foxgloves. Finding an apple a year earlier than we thought we’d have one! Watching the strawberries turn from white flowers to small green hairy nubs to large red hearts. Watching the bees literally eat up the flowers we planted for them.
Singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with all of my aunts, uncles, siblings, parents, nieces, cousins and most second-cousins and nephews in memory of my grandma.
Finishing The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab and couldn’t stop thinking about Luca, and Addie’s cunning strategy.
Re-outlining my book on a flight, knowing now what the end will (likely) be.
The quiet solo time at Chicago O’Hare after intense family time.
Conversations with my mom on the enclosed patio, at night, with some Butter Chardonnay and the insects singing around us.
Watching Finn sunbathe in the garden like he’s on a lad’s holiday in Spain.
Being reminded of how important friendships from key parts of your life are, and the funny stories that ensued out of them.
Absorbing family member’s vents and frustration too much.
Watching my friend’s teenagers tell us about their summer goals.
Watching my friend parent teenagers.
Realising I booked only one return flight back to the States 16-hours before takeoff.
Jumping straight into wallpapering from memory instead of a YouTube video.
Crying (in the open!) with a large part of the Schwabe family while a cousin read off her letter to grandma and memories with each cousin.
Having an impromptu picnic with our two neighbor families and their kids…and continuing until after midnight.
Branching out of our normal burgers and sausage BBQ and opting for Molly Baz options.
Watching my brilliant colleagues pitch their projects in their own unique ways.
While underwater, and with our ‘gobbles’ on, watching my nephew ‘swim’ above me without floaties for the first time.
Finishing Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas and thinking “damn, a lot just happened”.
Getting used to more oily hair thanks to post-pill life.
The bangs settling in against my middle part’s wishes.
Taking off Flo notifications.
Running to jump into the cold sea, realising there was a jellyfish an inch away from my foot.
Feeling like we commandeered a parent’s home, fridge, and booze to have a quiet couple’s night in with my best friend.
Walking through the dark suburbia parking lots to a bar for post-wedding after hours with another best friend.
Meeting a friend’s fiancee and getting on like she had been part of the group the whole time.
Catching a fish on the second cast.
Hearing “Aunt Cori” and “Uncle Ian”.
Not hearing “I wanttt…”
Seeing a moon jellyfish dance in the water next to me.
As for what’s next…staying still.
We’ll likely be in London for a bit over the summer, otherwise, we are not leaving Edinburgh.
I want to soak up the 20-degree weather, the sun, the garden. I want to soak up more casual, random meet-ups around the city. I want to rest. To write. To play. To swim. To cook and eat. To explore.
There is no better place in the sunny summer than Edinburgh.