Hi friends! Things have been predictably busy around here, between the kids’ schedules; keeping up with the podcast (we’ve had some amazing guests lately—be sure to check out the rest of the blog for some highlights!) and taking on some freelance projects. So I wanted to do a combination Life and Loving Lately post, where we can catch up on some personal updates as well as some things I’m really digging lately.

Work Updates

I’ve been doing some outside hosting lately, and it feels so good to put that hat back on!

When I left TV news I started taking on some freelance work, and lately I’ve moderated a local political debate and am in talks with another company to do some hosting work in the restaurant space, among other things.

For anyone who’s had a career transition, or who’s hoping to find happiness beyond your current gig, let me be the sign from the universe to remind you, there is a way to engage in the parts of your work that you find most meaningful, while avoiding the things that aren’t so great (bad schedules, time away from family, etc.)

I always make sure to acknowledge the privilege I had in having a partner to support me while I transitioned from structured work to a freelance/entrepreneur lifestyle—I can never write about this topic without having to put that giant disclaimer in there—but if you find yourself able to align your passion and your schedules, do it.

Catch up on the Latest Episodes of We Gotta Talk Here!

Personal Updates

One more thing that’s been going on around here? I finally got COVID.

That’s a sentence that comes with a mixture of both relief (to have had a fairly mild case), and surprisingly, still some shame. I don’t know why, but COVID is still associated with a borderline plague-level fear. When you tell people you had it, only recently are we starting to not make a big deal about it.

But thankfully, I’m back on track. My symptoms were relatively mild—congestion and fatigue, which is exactly what I get when I have a sinus infection. Here’s the strangest thing: I tested negative for COVID for the duration of the symptoms, and only tested positive after the symptoms had passed and I noticed a change in my sense of taste and smell. Just because I was curious about the taste/smell issue, I took the test two days after I started feeling better, and it came up positive.

I haven’t verified this with a doctor, but I’ve heard that the omicron strain takes longer to show up in the nasal passages, so lots of people are testing negative when in fact they’re positive. And the reason, I was told, that my test came back positive after the fact is that the virus will be detectable in your system well beyond the point of your symptoms being gone, even though you’re no longer contagious.

So, yeah! That’s the past couple weeks in a nutshell! Now that the personal updates are done, let’s dive into some current favorites that I’m loving lately.

What’s new with you?! Drop me a line on Instagram. I love hearing from you!