spring wanderings
Does May still count as spring?
Truly where have the days, weeks, and months gone? I can’t believe its been months since my last post. Sorry about that…really trying to get to monthly posts. (Note: Share what you’d want in future posts in the comments!)
I’ve been deep in the spring cleaning, cooking and baking, and home DIY projects. Rather than resisting this pull to nest in my new home, I’ve dived in, head first. The number of bingo cards I’ve created with household projects is wiilllddd. Plus the bonus point side projects. Thankfully we found a good handyman to help realize the more technical converting tin lights to pendants.
I like to start a new project, but the completion rate has always been closer to 28%. The bingo cards have helped my follow through significantly, and the bonus points have kept me interested.
I’m excited to start the summer with ZERO household projects as we welcome a whole slew of visitors to the Algarve - friends, my mom, old coworkers, best friends and their moms. It’s going to be jam packed, so I’m glad I could get our home feeling more like a home.
Here’s a glimpse into some of the garden and house projects.
I’ve been afraid to put anything on the walls. So after a year, my grandpa’s portrait had to be the first on the wall. I love this photograph - it was taken while he was in the military and I love that the plane behind him features his future wife’s name (and soulmate). I marveled at the serendipity when I was younger since it wasn’t his first wife but his second and life partner. Today I like to think of it as some sort of destiny and fate bringing two people together.
In 2026 one of my goals is to get closer to an analog life. So I created an “analog station” featuring our vinyls, record player, coloring books, card games, a 2026 calendar for travels and visitors, and charging station for our phones. At night we’ve been really good to plug the phones in and check into the present moment, without distractions from screens. Most nights feature a different record (loving the addition of our “now playing” shelf which also highlights the artistry of the vinyls and puts them on true full display), conversation and catching up on the day, a homemade meal, some time for reading or play, and lots of connection.
I was struggling with antsy-ness and anxiety earlier this year, in large part because I was spending so much time on social media “staying in touch with current events in the US.” At least that’s how this part of my brain rationalized the decision to spend so much time scrolling and reading about what was happening in my home country and the global impact it was having.
Between ICE raids and murders, the Venezuelan President being kidnapped by the US, the US blockade on Cuba and then the US attacking Iran plus many other chaotic and sad moments, I was exhausted and my nervous system was depleted. I’ve always struggled with the desire to not stray away from the hard things and sit back on my privilege of not being directly impacted by these current events, while also needing to manage the big emotional toll consuming so much news takes on an empath.
Thankfully gardening and DIY projects gave me something to physically do with my hands, coupled with a lot of running (four 10ks run thus far). My days have been filled with channeling my sadness, anger, frustration and moments of hoplesness into creating something beautiful. While I carry an obligation to engage and push for those directly impacted, I also don’t want to lose sight of the beauty that exists in our world, the humans who show up for one another and provide examples of the best of humanity.
As an American living outside the US, I do my best to shine a light on the realities in the US to people here. The fact that our taxes are leveraged for war and violence, but that most people can’t access affordable housing, health care, child care, or quality education. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can leverage my knowledge and perspective to help paint a fuller picture of the realities in the US, to push for change from outside.
And I’ve been actively savoring the precious human moments, connecting with my 91 year old next door neighbor, savoring the back and forth trades of homemade sweets (ice cream, lemon poppy-seed cake, fruit bowls, and more) and that connection of two humans living in the same space and time but from incredibly different lived experiences. I think about my grandpa a lot after our sweets-exchanges, and it feels like another moment of serendipity.
Here are some of the sweet moments from the last few months. Can’t wait to share some of our summer adventures next.
Crocheting again (my grandma’s favorite hobby) during the month of crocheting hosted by the city
Trying out a new hobby (2026 goal) and taking a turn at the ceramic wheel — made four teeny tiny bowls for my birthday present to me
Testing out lots of new recipes both sweet and savory: lemon blueberry scones, lavendar and lemon bread, banana bread, sesame chicken bowls, eggplant parmesan, orzo pasta salad, yakisoba, Garbanzo e espinacas (spanish tapas), casseroles
freezing my own fresh fruit (why have I never done this before?! It’s so easy.)
gardening and journaling
sitting in the hammock with pipoca
Exploring Lisbon for my birthday and catching up with other Bay Area immigrants
birding, learning about birds around me and logging them in the Merlin app — lots of storks here in the Algarve
Celebrated Pipoca’s FIFTH and GOLDEN birthday on May 5th!
Learning that potatoes have flowers and fruit seeds?! (don’t eat them, super toxic)
Running a 10k to celebrate the end of the dictatorship
Reading lounge, garden and hammock - been obsessed with all of Lisa See’s books — Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, Peony in Love, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
Day trips to nearby towns to get a taste of their lifestyle, markets and gardens.
Pipoca celebrated her golden birthday with new toys, chew toys and long beach walks!
