October Highlights: Top Events, Tips, and Seasonal Must-Dos

To continue the highlights series I began last month, here are my October blog and life highlights.

Blog

The blog turned two on October 22. It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for two years, and at the same time it feels like it has always been part of my life.

In October I published several posts, including an easy Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes recipe, a roundup of seven older favorites, a simple one-pan chicken sausage and roasted vegetable meal, and peanut butter cookie Laraballs. I also spent a few hours reorganizing the recipe page so it’s now sorted by categories rather than a single long list, which makes recipes much easier to find.

Another highlight was writing a freelance recipe post for another site, which should publish in the next few days. Blogging has opened the door to some freelance opportunities, which is great as a college student looking to earn a little extra income.

Life

October flew by and was a really positive month. One of my favorite things was the cooler weather. While we still had 80-degree afternoons a few times, many mornings were in the 40s and 50s — perfect running weather. Waking up to crisp air makes it so much easier to get out the door for a run.

D.C. & Baltimore

I flew to D.C. for a public policy conference one weekend. After the conference ended Saturday night, I took a short train ride to visit my sister in Baltimore. She’s living there this year while completing her master’s in public health at Johns Hopkins, so she’s only about 45 minutes away by train. I hadn’t seen her since August and had never been to Baltimore, so it was fun to explore the city, see where she lives, and meet some of her friends. We went for a run together Sunday morning, which I especially enjoyed since I’ve missed running with her in person this semester. After church we cooked lunch at her apartment — the one-pan chicken sausage and veggie meal — then hung out until my flight home Sunday night. It was a quick 24-hour visit but definitely a highlight.

Fall Break

We had two days off for fall break and I went home for a few days. It was wonderful to spend time with family, take my brother ice skating for his birthday, sleep in my own bed, and cook in my kitchen again. I made several batches of chocolate coconut brownie energy bites, peanut butter cookie Laraballs, and a pan of lasagna. I also got to see my dog recovering from a minor surgery, which was a relief.

Halloween

Halloween is a huge event at my school, drawing thousands of people to the main street beside campus. It’s a fun scene for people-watching, and I even scored $3 Chipotle for wearing my cheetah costume. I stayed out with friends until about 11 p.m. before returning to the dorm for an RA duty shift. The dorms were quiet that night, and I was finally in bed around 1:30 a.m. — not the early night I hope for, but worth it for the fun.

Voting

I voted in my first presidential election. It felt like a meaningful moment even if it wasn’t a loud highlight. My polling place had a selfie station with signs and selfie sticks, which added a lighthearted touch to the experience.

Decades Skate Night

A group of us went to a nearby rink for a decades-themed skate night. I went with an ’80s look — high side ponytail, scrunchie, big hoop earrings, off-the-shoulder sweater, and leg warmers. Costume events always challenge my outfit creativity, so I stuck to something simple.

The semester is already more than halfway over — it’s wild how fast time moves.

So tell me…
Did you dress up for Halloween this year? Do you have any creative costume ideas?
I’m not very creative with costumes; I once dressed as a cowgirl for at least three years in a row.
If you’re a blogger, what updates are you working on lately?
Do you live close to family? Do you have any traditions when you visit?