Juliana Moves

Merry almost Christmas! Wow wow wow, how this month has flown by! I was basically traveling for two weeks (for work and then for fun) and it sure did eat up much of December. I am excited for Christmas and the new year, though. How are you hanging in? 

I was just telling Patrick that it feels good to be back in the swing of trail running (MMT training has started!) and getting away from Arlington on the weekends. Don’t get me wrong: I love our house and our neighborhood! But I had serious cabin fever and wasn’t quite feeling like myself throughout the fall. I needed fresh air and the woods and trails and to freeze my ass off on the top of a mountain in Shenandoah (see: this weekend).

I hope you’re feeling good about yourself and this holiday season! If not, I hope you find your way to some peace and joy ASAP.

Here’s what I’m…

…Reading: Let’s catch up! December has been a pretty big month of reading with all the plane rides and such 🙂 Since we last caught up I’ve read The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu (excellent), The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (also wrote Circe, which I read earlier this year and loved), Sandwich by Catherine Newman (not my normal book pick but I enjoyed it), and listened to Bossypants by Tina Fey!

Now I am reading National Dish by Anya Von Bremzen and A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden. National Dish is so interesting and Anya explores how certain dishes around the globe came to be identified as THE dish for each country (think: ramen in Japan and pizza and pasta in Italy). A Dawn of Onyx is just a classic romantasy book, which means it’s fun and easy! 

I have the week between Christmas and New Year’s off and I’m sure I’ll read plenty then too!

P.S. I was looking through my 2024 books to try to pick my top 5 favorite books and I simply cannot. I would have to divide them up into categories (I’m thinking fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) and then pick my top 5 for each LOL!

…Eating: With all my travel I have been eating out a lot, but I’ve had some really delicious food! At home we’re back to eating lots of veggies and fiber and protein, but in OKC I had an Oklahoma-style turkey burger with tons of caramelized onions on it and it was delightful.

…Wearing: Lots of layers. It has been freezing in VA since I got back and that means gloves and ear bands and vests and jackets and fuzzy socks. Yesterday Patrick and I went running in Shenandoah and the high was 35 or something like that. It was the first time in two years (I think) that I had to wear my go-to cold weather running outfit! Brrrrr.

…Listening to: Charlie Brown Christmas music, of course. One of my favorite podcasts (Stuff You Should Know) does a lighthearted Christmas/holiday episode every year, so I’ve spent my last few runs listening to all the older episodes! I do this every year, but forget most of the topics so it’s fresh and festive each time!

…Trying: To do some goal setting for 2025. I’ve talked about this before, but I love a goal. I am a very goal-oriented person and do well working towards something. That said, I cannot bring myself to sit down and think about what exactly I want to chase in 2025! I don’t want to force the process, but I also know I would enjoy it once I got started.

…Thinking About: This F. Scott Fitzgerald quote. It feels especially relevant as we head into a new year.

…Excited For: Patrick to open his Christmas gifts! I went with practical, but very nice gifts this year, which I think he’ll enjoy, but we’ll find out in a few days!

Thanks for reading along, especially if you’ve been following this blogging journey as I’ve restarted it in 2024! I can’t believe this year is already nearly over. What a year of change and growth and joy and exploration.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Juliana