We’ve been here in Florida for a week now. It’s been warm and wonderful. It is a very sharp contrast from the pace of NYC, and that’s okay. It’s nice to have a mix of energies and activities. We are basically moving in to a new home down here, so there is plenty on the to-do list; unfortunately, writing and photography fall pretty low on that list compared to the other things that needs be done. But it’s okay. There will be time. We will be here for a few months (with a healthy few side quests thrown in for good measure).

We are “home” so we are behaving as such: gym every morning, healthy, home-prepared meals, after dinner walks, alcohol free, plenty of sleep. Basically we are unwinding all the excess we enjoyed the last two weeks of NYC. No regrets, of course, but if we are going to continuing nomading, we will need to have some solid habits to get us through. Taking advantage of “home” time and equating it with healthy habits gives us more freedom when we are experiencing new cultures and cuisines during our travels.

The holidays are fast approaching, and that means M will be joining us for a month! It can’t happen soon enough, but we still need to wait two more weeks. Elliot will remain in Europe (with our blessings) so that he can spend time with his partner’s family, as is only fair, since I had them both for Christmas before. While I understand and support it, it will be hard for me to not have him here. It will be our first Christmas apart. We are both being brave and stoic. For me, it helps that there are so many changes for this Christmas. Location, activities, commitments, everything feels a little different this Christmas, so it’s probably the best year for him to go elsewhere. I’m just super grateful to be with my parents and to have Meredith coming in. After three months in the Northern Irish weather, Meredith, too is really looking forward to visiting us in Florida.

This first week here has been full of errands and seasonal fun. I got the house mostly decorated for the holidays. We were invited to a party and had a really enjoyable evening meeting all our new neighbors. We drove around the neighborhood with mom and dad to look at Christmas lights. We had a delightful and educational zoom call with friends discussing possible next stops on our nomading tour. Tonight we attended an incredible holiday show at the local high school. Prism by Sebastian High School has over 250 kids performing for two hours. Their marching bands, jazz bands, choir, color guard, and a host of other very talented kids put on a fantastic show to a full house. After the show we had a lovely family dinner out with Margie and Jimmy and mom and dad. It’s nice to be home. And it’s nice to be warm.