these were some weird weeks.

we took the train north a little earlier than our usual christmas schedule. being flexible on dates allows us to book cheaper tickets, which is nice, and in retrospect, i was glad we came earlier because we’ve had plenty of downtime to be sick and spend time in hospitals: paulo got some food poisoning just before christmas, i got some high fever that morphed into a pestering throat ache… plus a nodule on my thyroid that we’re currently investigating. *sigh*

other than that, just the normal christmas things: being with family, consuming inordinate amounts of food, seeing friends, reading, kidnapping the little niece for a few days of cuddling.

christmas day brought together several families, and we were 28 people at the table, kids and all! the smaller ones were very excited about santa coming to visit, but cautious and shy when he actually got there 😅

i got some nice christmas gifts: books and postal-themed things, handy 3d printed objects from my brother, an underblanket that makes my bed toasty warm, a pijama and an insect bite healer (a sci-fi gadget that makes insect bites stop itching within seconds). plus, a new macbook air to replace my 9 year old one, which was not a christmas gift but felt like it. it’s so smooth and fast! i must have been very good this year! ☺️

i finished a couple of books these weeks, eleanor oliphant is completely fine, and where’d you go, bernadette (both nice reads), as well as a few children’s books that i offered to my cousis. “where’d you go, bernadette” made me want to take a cruise to antarctica, something i’ve always considered a little silly. i’ve even exchanged emails with the group that manages the quaint post office at port lockroy, but now i kind of want to go see it for myself and help count penguins!

on the last day of the year, we rented a little flat in the middle of nowhere to ring in the new year with friends. it was super quiet, with an amazing window into the surrounding mountains. just our thing.