Doc Hop

I cannot believe that my first semester at Cal State is wrapping up in just two short weeks! Today is my final day of fall break, and then it’s a short sprint to the finish line.

I’m happy to report that my break has been mostly unproductive. I am currently sipping on an iced coffee and rewatching The Office before I head out for a hair cut. (Boy, do I need one!) Outside of a bit of research, I’ve spent most of the week biking and reading Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. (Luckily it’s super long, because I can’t get enough of it.) I’ve also been to a few movies over the past couple of weeks, including Heretic, A Real Pain, Wicked and Anora. Each is extremely different from the last, but they were a few of the best films I’ve seen this year. And I’ve seen A LOT. (It pays to be an AMC Stubs member!)

This week also marked my first Thanksgiving in Long Beach! I do not celebrate colonialism, but I do love to give thanks, especially when I have so much to be grateful for. Cooking up a big, holiday meal always brings me back to the many spent with my momma. They were the best I ever had, but this one was not too shabby.

I was ballin’ on a budget this year, but I made sure to get all of my staples in, including a hazelnut and cranberry field roast en croute. The cranberry core and flakey crust was a nice addition to my typical Tofurky. I finally managed to make a reasonable serving of green bean casserole for one person, but I could have fed a five-person family with the amount of mashed potatoes I brought to the table. (The funniest thing is, I almost didn’t have mashed potatoes at all! When I picked up groceries over the weekend I somehow forgot to grab my bag of spuds on the way out the door. I didn’t realize my mistake until Wednesday night, and rushed back just in time.)

I also put up and decorated my tiny little Christmas tree over the break. Growing up, my mom and I always decorated our tree with red bows, but this year I wanted to go for something a little different. I added purple lights and golden bulbs, which reminds me of my momma, but also of my first alma mater — James Madison University. 🤣 This is just the third year since my mom passed that I’ve been able to put up a Christmas tree, but being in Long Beach has filled me with a holiday spirit that I have not had in some time. Looking at my little tree helps me remember the many happy Christmases I had with her. And how proud she would be if she could see me now. 💛

My winter break begins on Dec. 18, but Christmas is going to come a little late for me this year. While I’ll be spending the actual holiday alone, in January I’m visiting Sierra, Becca, and Theodore in Ohio for a belated chosen-family celebration! Let me get a bit sentimental for a second and explain why this means so much to me.

Chosen family is a lifeline, especially as a queer person. They see you fully, celebrate your authenticity, and stand close through joys and challenges. They’re the people who see you for exactly who you are, who love you not despite your truth but because of it. They hold you through life’s quakes, celebrate your victories as if they’re their own, and remind you every day that you are enough.

In a world that can sometimes feel isolating, chosen family reminds us that love transcends biology and that we have the power to create spaces where we are truly seen and valued. Love isn’t just something we’re born into—it’s something we can build, nurture, and cherish. Love is creating a home where our hearts can belong. And whenever I am with Sierra, Becca, and Theodore, I know that I am home.

I sure cannot wait to see them and squeeze them, and I hope that one day we will spend each and every holiday together. I want to remain an active presence in Theodore’s life, as well as in the lives of my best friends. I have been many people in the years I’ve known Becca and Sierra, and they have loved and supported each one. I hope that I can be a similar support throughout Theo’s life.

I’m going to close this post by saying that I am so deeply thankful.

I am thankful to work at a university that supports me, in a position that fulfills me. I’m thankful for the beauty of California and the energetic embrace I’ve felt living here. I’m thankful for my chosen family, who surround me with love, support and laughter. I’m thankful to be my mother’s daughter. For my education, for books, and for cinema.

My heart is full of gratitude for the life I get to live and the people who make it so meaningful. If you’ve taken the time to read this, I’m (probably) grateful for you too. ❤️