Today was one of those slow-paced Sundays where we didn’t really have a plan—we just drove around Mandeville with no particular destination in mind. Most of the shops were closed (as expected in the countryside on a Sunday), but that didn’t stop us from exploring and soaking up the scenery. One of the most interesting places we passed by was what my husband calls the “Red Lake.” He told me that when he was a little boy, people believed the lake turned red because nearby factories used to dump chemical waste into it. 😳 These days, it’s no longer a lake—just a wide expanse of reddish dirt. According to one of the locals we spoke with, my husband’s story checks out. They said the dumping…

I’m spending it here in Jamaica with my husband, in his hometown. It’s a little extra special this year because tomorrow also happens to be our first wedding anniversary. Getting here was a bit hectic. I worked from 8:30AM until 3:30PM yesterday, rushed to the airport for our 5:30PM flight, landed and cleared immigration by 7:30PM, picked up the rental car, and then drove another 2.5 hours — well, he drove not me lol It was my husband’s first time seeing his brother in a while, and his mom is also visiting at the same time (she’s based in the U.S.), so we ended up hanging out late. Around 1 AM, they surprised me with a birthday cake and sang happy birthday — I wasn’t…

Checking in today. This blog always lingers in the back of my mind, and even though I keep telling myself I’ll write something, I often don’t. Is it that I’m getting older, or is it just that my energy drains faster these days? I promised I’d keep this space alive so I can one day look back and see how life was—even if it’s the little things. I’ve said it before, but it still feels true: so much has been changing around me. Am I getting older faster than I thought? Lately, I’ve been struggling to manage my emotions and behavior. I haven’t been great at recognizing what stresses me out, or how to stop taking everything so personally. And let’s not even talk about…

This week has zipped by so fast that when I look back, I can’t even remember doing anything worth mentioning—seriously, what even happened? 😂 There’s been so much going on around me lately. I keep telling myself not to let it get to me, but I think my body might be a better judge of that. I don’t feel stressed out, but somehow it’s showing up physically anyway. Work has been a bit of a madhouse recently. With two of my colleagues off on vacation, it’s just been me and another coworker holding down the fort. Those two weeks were intense, but we made it through. And just when I thought things might ease up, my best friend at work decided to quit. She’s putting…