I just rediscovered this blog, which has been completely inactive since 2017. If you're still following me, I'm so incredibly grateful that you've stuck with it through the long silence. Truthfully, I'd forgotten about my dear Sandi in the rush of life, you know how these things go. But I have so many fond memories from running this blog, at the peak of the daily pokemon hype! I truly hope all the folks from back in the day are doing well.
After losing both the email and password to for this blog, I managed to crack the code to get back in. I don't really know what I'm going to do with it now, but rest assured, I won't be deleting anything.
The last post on this blog was about getting to know me, so I figure it's about time for a life update. Pardon me for getting sentimental for a moment.
Since this blog went on hiatus, I have entered and graduated from my university with a Bachelor's in Marine Biology, with honors, and a minor in Chemistry. I traveled abroad and swam through coral reefs, rescued stranded sea life, and cleaned up beaches. Out of everything, I'm proudest of the time I spent building oyster reefs and restoring our shoreline habitats. I've met so many amazing people, and we've made a real difference in this world. Through working with oysters, I discovered a deep love of the little things, the tiny humble creatures living in crevices, within mud, and on rocks of the seafloor. There are miniature worlds of infinite wonder there, if you take the time to look.
I met the love of my life, nearly got engaged after five truly divine years, and was promptly dumped before I could propose. I still have the ring. At the same time, I moved across the country to an unfamiliar city, where I thought I would be with my love, but instead was completely on my own. Things have been hard. Things have been very, very hard. There are good days and bad days, but I am picking myself up, pulling myself out of the dark. I am building myself a home here, and it is so worth living in. There is so much beauty in this world. There is so much love in the hearts of the people around us.
Art has settled into a pleasant supporter in the background of my life. I don't draw nearly as much as I used to, and my sense of creativity has changed a lot over the years. But I always know that the art will be there for me whenever I decide to pick up pencil and paper again. This blog from years ago taught me the joy of silly little doodles, and I'm so so so grateful for that!
I go by Frankie, these days. They/them or xe/xem pronouns. Currently, I'm in graduate school, preparing to get my PhD in Marine Science. I study little marine worms - how they move, how they affect their environment, and how important they are to the whole ocean. Ask me about my polychaete pictures, I think they're really cute! Honestly, I wish I could go back and tell my 2017-self just how much we've accomplished. Back then, I never thought I'd make it this far. I could never have imagined the breadth of experiences life had waiting for me.
There's still so much more out there to experience. If you followed me in 2017 and you're reading this now - I hope life has treated you well. I hope you've had so many good days since the last time you saw my dear Sandi. And I hope you have so many more good days for years to come!