Hi everyone!
For new subscribers, welcome! So glad you’re here.
I suspect this post will be shorter than most — a promise I often make and break. But maybe not this time?
Back in the FL
As I watch a tense game unfold between the Florida Gators and the Auburn Tigers on Saturday night, I’m reporting from my dad’s home in central Florida.
It’s been a while — since mid-January 2024, actually. I ended up stuck in western North Carolina first by allergy shots (which I needed three times a week for a while) and then by Hurricane Helene.
Life at Dad’s is, well, for one, flatter. My neighborhood walks don’t involve a variety of inclines and declines.
But it’s also flatter in sense of having few peaks and valleys. There’s a steady regularity to each day that I need right now.
As I noted a few posts ago, I’m in need of a reset. The biggest thing that has gone by the wayside is my exercise routine, including those walks that used to be both daily and an hourlong. But I also hope to reestablish my meditation routine as well. My body and mind are more resilient when both are in place.
Dad is a man of habit, and I tend to slip into his rhythms when here. I never wake up as early as he does, but I make sure to set my alarm so I can be there to help him drive to the grocery store if he needs.
Then, there’s the newspaper. He still gets a print paper which has some fun puzzles in the comics section, from Jumble to ciphers and Sudoku and the crossword. I do those while nursing a cup of coffee and some cereal and then get to work.
Lunch is at 1 p.m., with both of us often lying down for a nap around 3 p.m. Dinner is usually between 6:30 and 7 p.m. And then bedtime, for me, usually around 10 or 10:30 p.m. — even earlier than Dad. (Hey! I’m a working girl; I need my sleep.)
I also have a lot less of a social life here, though some of my dearest friends are either near or up north in Jacksonville:
As much as I love my western North Carolina friends, being here at Dad’s is almost like stepping into a vortex when time has little meaning and I can distill my life to the most essential things. For me, here, that’s time with Dad, my health, and my work, with visits with my friends keeping me grounded in the rest of the world.
I also love the weather. I can no longer walk in 90-degree noontime heat without worrying about ruining skin damage (boooo), but I would if I could.
I’d also wear nothing but what I call the Florida “hanbok” (the Korean word for traditional clothing): a tank top and short shorts.
What can I say? As much as I love the mountains — and I would rather live there than anywhere else in the world right now — I’m still a Florida girl. At least when it comes to my temperature and clothing preferences.
Speaking of, Florida just won! Go Gators!
Alright. That’s it for me. It’s been a long day of travel, and I’m ready for this reset to begin fresh and early tomorrow.
Wish me luck!
Soon, I’ll have to tell you about how I get back and forth since COVID-19 — namely, flying in my stepfather’s single-engine prop, a Piper Comanche. It’s pretty fun.
Hurricane Helene & Wildfires: Ways to Support Recovery
Love Asheville From Afar. This one-stop shop features Asheville businesses that desperately need money to survive the slow winter season. From coffee and food to art of all shapes, to simple donations, you can get a range of thoughtful gifts for just about anyone in your life.
Asheville Goods. Another site where you can buy themed boxes featuring a bunch of local shops — or customize your own!
Help Catye Gowan Feed People with Dietary Needs! This chef has been out there on her own since the storm began cooking food designed for people with severe dietary issues like Celiac and dietary preferences like veganism. She’s a force for good, and every dollar helps!
BeLoved Asheville. These folks are the best in the world — the ultimate model of mutual aid and greeting the world with love. Check out what they’ve been doing, and donate, here.
The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: 40 Days and Nights of Survival and Transformation. A Ground Zero view of the storm’s devastation — and a community’s resilience — from a trauma chaplain who lived it.
L.A. Wildfires: Opportunities to Help
World Central Kitchen. They were unbelievable for us here after Helene. I don’t know the grassroots organizations running in LA right now — LA readers, feel free to share so I can include them! — but I can vouch for the amazing-ness of World Central Kitchen. A hot meal means everything in such difficult moments. I’ll add more links as I hear about places doing great work.
Support Karen and Ingin’s Recovery from the Eaton Fire. I was asked to share this GoFundMe for a journalist of color. If you can, check it out and give.
This Week’s Dose of K-Pop: LE SSERAFIM (르세라핌), “HOT”
I wouldn’t normally have the same K-pop group twice in a row, but with LE SSERAFIM’s recent EP, Hot, the song choices make themselves.
Back in Florida, it’s all about being “Hot” — just like the title track. This song is a bit of a surprise, with a languid and dreamy melody rather than the bouncy dance track the title seems to imply.
I like it, and I hope you will, too. (Though last week’s “Ash” is a better song.)
Love y’all,
Sara