Today we went on a small adventure to two of my least favorite places: Marshalls and Target. As expected, Pizza was deeply sad to see us leave, though thankfully we were back pretty quickly. We didn’t find what we were looking for, and within minutes I was reminded exactly why I avoid those stores: the lighting, the lines, the general sensory overload.

My dad and I have had a name for what that bright, overhead lighting does to us ever since I was a kid. We call it “mall sickness.” Despite feeling very mall sick, I still managed to photograph a mannequin with no pants and take a couple self-portraits at the request of my bestie Paige.

The rest of the day felt slow and full in a good way. A new class on contemplative spirituality, church with my parents + Godfather, wrapping gifts, and eating my current favorite mock-pizza situation (cottage cheese, marinara, avocado, and Ezekiel bread). I also drafted another chapter of my book, and now I’m winding down a bit before a short two-day workweek begins.

This is my favorite time of year for a lot of reasons I won’t get into today. I’m just feeling light lately, grateful, and really excited for Christmas and for the new year ahead. If I don’t post again before then, I’m wishing you happy holidays and a gentle, hopeful start to the year. -J