I read through a jumbled, all-over-the-place list of the life lessons I've learned recently and topics I've been pondering, as well as the simpler things I've been really enjoying, like dried fruit and Parks & Rec.

Also covered: intuition vs anxiety, needing a night time routine, socializing, going for a run, social energy, Parks & Rec vs The Office, environmental activist Julia "Butterfly" Hill and tree-sits, speaking Spanish in Costa Rica, the joys of my trip there, working with kids, travel photo & video concerns, and my desire to make positive change!

How does migration work? Which animals stay active in the winter and which ones hibernate? How can we help contribute to wildlife conservation? Listen in for a chat with my mom, Erin, who works as an environmental educator as she fascinates us with facts and information about wildlife native to the wonderful midwest.

I had an episode recently. Decided to make it into an actual episode. Have you ever had a bought of indecision? Had to choose between job offers? Had to face change? Thought that if only you could learn to manage stress better, maybe stress would go away entirely? Me too. In this episode, I tell you about what I've been learning recently from a moment of indecision regarding a job change.

Today I introduce you to my mom, who works as a Park Naturalist. She tells us about what the position is like, its challenges and rewards, what she has learned from it, and what she'd like you to know about the position and her journey. And because I love to ask about the deeper questions, we talk about the larger implications of this kind of work and the importance of positive experiences with nature.

So... I guess now being offline and unplugged is trendy. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT! Let's talk about where this is coming from and why it's more than a trend... it's a lifestyle! It's a philosophy! How can we practice it?

This episode is loosely inspired by ideas covered in the book I'm currently reading... Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport, which provides details on this philosophy and approach to technology. I highly recommend reading this book! You can listen to the audiobook in less than one full work day!

Spotify Wrapped 2025 came out on Dec 3! Listen in to hear my stats and stories behind my top songs & artists.

We're talking about indecision today! Maybe you're like me and recently graduated college and still don't know what you want to do with your life. Maybe you're 53 and are wanting to change careers. It is very normal to not know what to do. The good and terrifying news is... it is completely up to you! This episode aims to bring you comfort in knowing you're not alone, as well as to provide you some advice and things to think about that might easy some of the pressure. Spoiler alert: let your moral compass guide you. What are your values? What are you curious about pursuing right now?

We are all just explorers in the woods of life 🌲🌊

THE VALUES ASSESSMENT I HAVE USED:

Values Clarification Exercise (Google Doc)

In this episode, you'll hear a healthy conversation between me and one of my high school choir teachers, Matt. We talk about what his job is like, his musical influences, and the way he encourages curiosity in students/choir members. He lets us in on a secret... choir is really about community!

My favorite part of high school was easily my time in band & choir. To this day, music has an incredibly emotional impact on me, and I feel part of that is due to how I was taught to think about music... thanks to Matt. So I thought it would be interesting to hear about his experiences and how he has come to approach teaching music.

Pieces & Artists We Mentioned:

John Williams!

Poem by Robert Frost: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Sleep - Eric Whitacre

Four Spirits concerto - Abel Selaocoe

Tshole Tshole - Abel Selaocoe

Jacob Collier

Jump - Van Halen

1812 Overture - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

George Gershwin!

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

Toto

John Mayer

The Carpenters

The Beatles

Led Zeppelin

Chanticleer

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Candlelight Concert

A Jubilant Song - Norman Dello-Joio

The Road Home - Stephen Paulus, Craig Hella Johnson

I chat with my coworker Nina about all things sustainability, including attempting to define it, how it relates to climate change, and the critique it offers of our current framework for society, the environment, and the economy. The purpose of this episode is mainly to help a general audience understand these terms (sustainability & climate change) on a deeper level, to generate some perspective on and exposure to these complex concepts!

In this shorter episode, I list some very serious ideas for things you could do to bring some forgotten, child-like joy and silliness into your life. Life can be tough. It's best to learn to embrace the complexities and to not take it so seriously that you forget how to have some old-fashioned, wholesome fun. Might do another episode like this later!