A Week In Boise, ID On A $48,000 Salary

Occupation: Foreclosure processor
Industry: Loan servicing
Age: 29
Location: Boise, Idaho
Salary: $48,000
Assets: checking: $3,500; savings: $1,736.41; HYSA: $16,851; Charles Schwab IRA and Roth IRA (combined from old employers): $35,056.68; Fidelity HSA: $504.14 (cash) and $4,605.64 (invested); Empower IRA (current employer): $1,310.13. According to Kelley Blue Book, my car is worth $23,000. I paid for it in cash after my first car was totaled.
Debt: $0
Paycheck amount (biweekly): $1,367 (I’m hourly so this very slightly varies per paycheck and whether I get any overtime).
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: $972.50. I live in a two-bedroom, two-bath house with the loveliest roommate in my favorite neighborhood in downtown Boise. Total rent is $1,945 per month, split equally.
Loan payments: $0
Health insurance: $72 (deducted from gross paycheck).
Retirement: 2% per paycheck, which is all my employer matches. I know, I know, this is pennies.
Car insurance: $70.84 (I pay for the six-month premium but set this amount aside per month).
Wi-fi: $45.46 (my half).
Renter’s insurance: $7.60 (my half).
Gas: $120 (I normally spend nowhere near this much but like to give myself wiggle room).
Groceries/toiletries/house stuff: $340
Cat: $80 (most of this goes towards a savings fund for unexpected vet bills).
Spotify: $12
Hulu: $0.99 (this was a Black Friday deal).
ClassPass: $30.74 (I use this for one hot yoga class per week).
YMCA gym membership: $37
Savings: $200
Phone: $27 (I’m on a family plan and venmo my dad the money every month. I own my phone outright).

Local ski pass: $550
Amazon Prime: $147

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
There was, but I loved school with my entire being and always did very well academically so there was no question in my mind that I’d go to college. Both of my parents are college-educated: My dad received an undergrad and master’s degree in petroleum engineering, and my mom received an undergrad degree in chemical engineering, although she became a stay-at-home mom once she had her first kid (me). They were extremely supportive of me going to college, although they would have been supportive no matter what career path I took as long as I was happy and able to provide for myself. I went to an out-of-state private liberal arts university and spent a full year abroad, and graduated with an English lit and philosophy degree. I am so, so extremely privileged and lucky because my parents covered my full tuition and housing and I didn’t have to take out any loans or work during the school year (I worked full-time retail jobs during the summer to cover daily living expenses). I did work my tail off to graduate a full semester early in order to save my parents some money because I knew they were also paying full tuition and housing for my three younger siblings. It was explicitly stated that any additional schooling would be on my dime, although my dad has told me that he will loan me the money so that I won’t have to take out any student loans with interest. Again, I recognize how much of a privilege this is, and to this day I thank my parents profusely for such a gift. They have told me they expect me to do the same for my children.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My dad was and still is my go-to for any advice on managing my finances and investments. As early as I can remember, both of my parents stressed the importance of living well below your means. I was encouraged never to carry credit card debt or take high interest loans if I could help it, to save most of the money I made, and to take good care of everything I own and invest in repairs rather than buying something new.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was babysitting for a neighbor at 13, and I very quickly became the go-to neighborhood babysitter for five or six different families. I did this all the way up until I left for college. I actually made bank; I think at one point I had something ridiculous like $3,000 in cash sitting under my bed, until my mom made me open a bank account. I used this money for fun spending on clothes, makeup, books, music, movie theater tickets, snacks my parents wouldn't buy, etc.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Not at all. Growing up I figured we were solidly middle class but because of how comfortable we were, I didn’t really think about it. Both of my parents grew up lower-middle class, and to this day, even while extremely comfortably retired, you would think they still are in the way they treat money. Looking back now, I realize that my dad built up quite a bit of wealth during his working years, and that we were closer to upper-middle class. We lived in a giant, seven-bedroom house that my dad very quickly and aggressively paid off the mortgage on, my parents paid for my siblings and I to go to private high school (and later on, for three of us to go to private university and one to a trade school), and we all did expensive extracurriculars like piano lessons/soccer/horseback riding/downhill skiing/swim lessons/summer camp. On the flip side, because they invested so much in our education and hobbies, we went on one vacation a year to visit grandparents, it was a very special treat to go out to eat or get new toys or clothes, my parents drove their cars into the ground (and my dad did most of the mechanical work on them), any home renovations were done by my dad, my mom utilized extreme couponing when grocery shopping and my parents never bought any luxury items (or anything nice for themselves, really). I feel so extremely privileged that my parents worked so hard and managed their money so smartly to give us that kind of upbringing. I am eternally grateful.

Do you worry about money now?
Ohhh yes I do. During COVID-19 I was working in the mortgage industry as a loan processor and making anywhere between $70,000 and $85,000 per year. I aggressively saved most of this income to pay off my first car and a lot of credit card debt (which I’d racked up in my early 20s due to very poor decisions), build a solid savings account, and cover the very expensive move from my home state to Boise. My HYSA account is the remnants of this income. Once the interest rates skyrocketed, I was laid off not once but twice in 2023, and was unemployed for a total of four months. I couldn’t find a single job that would pay me anything close to what I’d been making as a loan processor, and was finally forced to take my current, entry-level job despite trying to negotiate a higher salary, which has been extremely humbling. I am far overqualified for the work I do (essentially admin work) and bored out of my mind; it’s a double blow because a few weeks before I was laid off from my first job, I was told I’d be receiving a promotion to operations manager of my branch. I’m still applying for jobs but this job market — and particularly my industry — is insanely rough. I budget extremely well and have no stress over paying my day-to-day living expenses but I’d like to be contributing about 20% more (at least) to my retirement and investment accounts, and pad up my savings account again. I also would like to be able to travel more frequently and can’t even begin to dream about buying a house. I do want to go back to school — I even started studying for the LSAT last summer — but am unwilling to take on school debt unless I have a solid plan for the future, which at this point I don’t. I also suffer a lot of guilt and anxiety because of how much my parents have given me in terms of a leg-up with no debt. I feel like I should be much further along financially and career-wise than I actually am (to be clear, they in no way put this pressure on me, it’s guilt I generate myself).

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I would say 25. I moved back in with my parents after graduating college and lived with them rent-free until I was 25 due to my inability to find a job that paid a liveable wage (English lit degrees are really the way to go). Once I moved out, I also got off my parents’ insurance plan and onto my own.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Oh for sure — as mentioned earlier, my entire undergrad was paid for by my parents, and I lived with them rent-free until I was 25. My dad has mentioned that my siblings and I will likely receive a sizeable inheritance from his estate, but I also know that most of his wealth is tied up in the stock market, and I have no idea what a “sizeable inheritance” looks like. I don’t even want to think about it as I hope my parents are around for decades to come.

5:30 a.m. — I’m awoken by the soft bird chirping sound of my alarm and groan internally as I’m yanked out of my deep dream. I pull myself up like the slug I am, snuggle my cat for a few minutes, then straight to the bathroom to perform my sacred skincare ritual of Naturium Vitamin C, snail mucin (this stuff has saved my skin in the dry Boise air) and CeraVe moisturizer, topped off with La Roche-Posay tinted sunscreen. I go back upstairs to the kitchen and start boiling some water for my French press coffee, pack my lunch of meal-prepped soup and an apple, along with an avocado and toast for breakfast once I get to the office. Once my skincare has set in, I do my five-minute makeup routine, which consists of a light powder to blot my shiny spots, Rare Beauty blush and highlighter, mascara and a little brow tint. I throw on a black Banana Republic jumpsuit that I found at Plato’s Closet, a pair of six-year-old tan block heels from Target, and run out the door.

6:30 a.m. — Clock in to work and inhale my brekky of avo toast while browsing the NYT news, then dive headfirst into Excel spreadsheets and documents. We’re working on an audit this week, which means sifting through hundreds of documents and printing what’s needed. I audibly cringe at the waste of paper. I pop in my AirPods and start listening to an audiobook of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The New York Times recently released its list of the 100 best books of the 21st century and as an avid reader and English major, I immediately set a goal to work my way through as many as possible.

10:30 a.m. — Take a quick break and call my insurance to clarify a billing issue with my therapist. This is no charge to me, since my work covers eight sessions per year for free.

12:30 p.m. — Break for lunch to heat up my soup and make some green tea. I’m addicted to coffee and have been trying to cut back significantly on my intake, mostly due to my extreme anxiety and insomnia issues. I take a little walk around my building to wake myself up. It’s the dead-heat of summer and today measures in at 105 degrees. We’ve been having really bad forest fires and Boise is cloaked in smog and the air smells smoky. It makes me so mad because these fires are usually started by irresponsible campers or people messing around with fireworks, and could easily be avoided. Don’t mess with fire in summer, people!

3 p.m. — Clock out and head home. I spend a few minutes greeting the kitty, then tidy up the kitchen, put the dishes away and make some homemade dry shampoo. The recipe is really simple: equal parts corn starch, baking soda, add a dash of cinnamon and cocoa powder for a nice light scent and scalp health, and voilà! No need to spend outrageous sums of money on dry shampoo. I change into a bikini, then grab a swim cap, goggles, swim buoy and my wetsuit. I’m training for my first Olympic distance triathlon next month and need to get a few open-water swims under my belt. I’ve done six sprint triathlons in the past couple of years so open water isn’t completely foreign to me, but it’s a completely different beast than swimming laps in a pool.

4:30 p.m. — Arrive at the lake and swim for only 15 minutes before the sheriff pulls up and starts warning everyone that a huge storm is headed our way. Well, okay then. I sigh as I head home — at least I was able to get up in the mountains and clear my head of midweek office fog for a little while. It’s a good thing I left when I did, because I see lightning off in the distance. I guess we might as well light ourselves on fire at this point, everything is so dry. I pray to the rain gods.

6 p.m. — Home, take an everything shower, then drench my face in snail mucin, tretinoin and CeraVe moisturizer. I sit for a moment and have some pretty extreme existential and intrusive thoughts. I’ve suffered with some severe mental health issues for most of my life and was diagnosed with a personality disorder earlier this year (or rather, diagnosed with similar symptoms of this type of mental disorder — my therapist is very much against slapping condemning labels on patients). This has been such a huge relief and turning point for me as I’ve begun to map my patterns and emotions and make sense of them in this context. I’ve been working extremely hard in therapy and also making some lifestyle changes which have me in a much better place mentally than I was even four months ago. Call my little sister to break myself out of my reverie and we have a great catchup.

7 p.m. — Pop a gummy (or “garden” as the TikTok girlies are calling it) and get to cooking. For dinner I chop up some juicy red grape tomatoes, thick slices of yellow onion, and brussels sprouts; coat them with olive oil, pepper, red chili flakes, salt and garlic powder; then pop them in the oven. Heat up some quinoa and ground turkey, throw in the baked veggies, then drizzle with hot sauce. I eat an iteration of this almost every day for lunch and/or dinner. Pour a Poppi into a wine glass because I will do anything to elevate my dining experience, then sit down to eat and catch up on my Hinge messages.

8 p.m. — Settle on the couch and read Kingdom of Ash. Like everyone else and their mom, I started the Sarah J. Maas universe with the ACOTAR series, but I think I like Throne of Glass even more. I do think she needs to crack open a thesaurus more often and employs deus ex machina too frequently, but the world-building is phenomenal and I’ve had so much fun getting back into the fantasy genre. After a while, all roads lead to me scrolling TikTok. I’ve been much better about limiting my screen time recently but I still let myself have my vices. I get the munchies and snack on some peanut butter and graham crackers.

10 p.m. — Into bed and lights out. I’m feeling very relaxed from my gummy and read for a bit longer on my Kindle until I fall asleep.

5:30 a.m. — Same alarm, different day. Snuggle with cat, skincare, pack lunch, quick makeup and get dressed in a yellow skirt from Lulus, white T-shirt, and nude sandals from Target.

6:30 a.m. — Arrive at work and remember it’s payday! I update my Excel budget spreadsheet and pay off my credit cards while eating my breakfast of Greek yogurt and blackberries. I take my budget very seriously, especially now I make so much less than I used to. I am definitely someone who likes to track every dollar in and every dollar out as it makes me feel more secure knowing where my money is going. Once that’s done, it's time to dive back into the work audit. Today’s audiobook is The September House — I’m a pretty big horror buff and am thoroughly enjoying this one.

10:30 a.m. — A contractor calls me, saying he can’t get into my house. I sigh and tell him I’ll be over in 10 minutes. Our shower has been leaking into the downstairs unit and my roommate’s bathroom is now a construction site. I shove a handful of almonds in my face, then rush home to let him in. While home, I lock my cat in the basement office to keep him out of the way, making sure his litter box is clean and that he’s set up with food and water and plenty of toys.

12:30 p.m. — Head to a table in the sunny office atrium for lunch. I’m eating the same homemade soup all week, which is chicken broth, unsweetened coconut milk for thickness, hot Italian sausage, potatoes, zucchini, yellow onion and tomatoes, seasoned with pepper, Italian seasoning, salt and garlic powder. Read more Kingdom of Ash and tear up — I only have 100 pages left and it hits me hard in the feels. How am I supposed to leave these characters and their world behind after seven books and thousands of pages?

3 p.m. — Clock out and head home. Let my cranky cat out of the basement and give him some cuddles, then tidy up the kitchen and wash some dishes. I prep some veggies for a salmon bake I’m making for dinner, and pop those in the fridge. Then change into a pair of Lululemon running shorts and sports bra, and bike over to the gym, which is only a two-minute ride from my house. I could definitely find a cheaper place to rent but the ease of living that my downtown location affords, plus the fact that my roommate and I each have our own bathroom, makes it completely worth it. I would normally be training outside but it’s so dang hot! I do 20 miles on the bike and four miles on the treadmill.

6 p.m. — Home, shower and skincare routine. Throw the veggies and salmon on a sheet pan, and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Drizzle some lemon on the salmon and let it bake for about 20 minutes. My roommate comes home and we bemoan the strong chemical smell that’s emanating from her bathroom. Hopefully the contractor finishes up the job within the week. Chow down on my fish and veggies while scrolling TikTok, then pop a CBD gummy. I do usually take an edible almost every night — I’d rather do that than be on the cocktail of antidepressants, sleeping pills and birth control that my doctors have suggested over the years. Obviously I don’t want to be dependent on a substance for sleeping but I’ve had to pick my battles. Now that my mental health is in a much better place, I’ve been discussing strategies with my therapist for slowly beginning to cut back and fostering better sleep hygiene.

7 p.m. — I am exhausted. Settle into bed with Kingdom of Ash…and end up on TikTok. I’m asleep by 9:30 p.m.

5:30 a.m. — Happy Friday! Per my Garmin watch, I slept exceptionally well. I’m coming off a month and a half of traveling or camping almost every weekend and spending lots of weeknights socializing with my friend group. Coupled with my intense training for my triathlon (in addition to working a full-time job), I was feeling very overwhelmed and averaging five hours of sleep a night. Thank goodness this week has reset my sleep schedule — I’m an introvert at heart so this has been a good reminder that I need to pace myself and carve out larger blocks of alone time. I do the normal morning routine. Today’s fit is a cap-sleeve black bodysuit from Aritzia, high-waisted cream trousers from Old Navy, and the same nude slides I wore yesterday.

6:30 a.m. — Clock in, eat my Greek yogurt and berries, and skim the news. I’m done with my part of the work audit so am currently twiddling my thumbs. No audiobook today, just a playlist of chill tunes.

10:30 a.m. — Break and search for a triathlon suit for my upcoming race. They are pricey, and unfortunately not the piece of gear to skimp on. Even though I’ve budgeted for it, it still stresses me out to think of how much money I’m going to have to drop on one, but remind myself that I will use it for years to come and will be able to use it dually for my road bike training, which I do two or three times a week.

12:30 p.m. — Finish off the last of my soup for lunch and redownload my Instagram as I’d deleted it for the past two weeks. I do this fairly often because I take social media breaks when I notice myself scrolling too much. As I scan my notifications, I see my ex-boyfriend from college messaged me! We dated briefly while I was studying abroad and haven’t spoken to each other since 2019. We parted on good terms the last time we spoke so I shoot him back a message asking how he’s doing, even though I’m dying to know why he’s reaching out. Do I fantasize about being the girl who got away with every single one of my exes? You betcha. Am I delulu? Yup.

3 p.m. — Work was dragggging but I’m finally free! Get home and catch up with my roommate, then head to my room to continue triathlon suit shopping. Finally land on one for a whopping $225, which sadly is still on the lower end of a good suit. But in a sea of ugly tri suits, this one is actually bordering on being cute. And this is not a cute girl sport, for sure. Update my budget spreadsheet and pay off my credit card immediately for peace of mind. $225

4:30 p.m. — Hop in the shower and redo my skincare and makeup. I am heading downtown to meet my friends for a festival and since I’ve been a hermit for the past two weeks since getting back from a college reunion, I’m excited to socialize. Throw on an olive green crop top from Amazon, a pair of loose shorts from Francesca’s, and my cream Tevas.

6 p.m. — Meet my friends downtown and drink way too many vodka sodas. My friend ends up buying most of them for me…and we end up making out. We have some history but long story short, we are not a good match and I don’t see him as a potential long-term partner. $16

1:30 a.m. — Begin the quick bike ride home at this ungodly hour. I notice a younger girl out front of a bar by herself getting sick so I pull over and make sure she’s okay. I wait until her husband comes by to pick her up, then finish making my way home. Chuck a cauliflower pizza in the oven, proceed to destroy half of it, then collapse in bed.

9 a.m. — Ugh, overwhelming shame and a massive headache hits me. I have struggled with binge-drinking my entire life, and have had periods of my life where I have been sober. I’m thinking I need to get back to that because I experience debilitating shame and anxiety every time I drink, and it’s only getting worse the older I get. I feel so embarrassed about having made out with my friend — even though nothing beyond a little bit of smooching happened — because it’s not how I like to act or present myself in public. Shoutout to enduring Catholic guilt! I hate drunk me. My Garmin scolds me for a wretched night’s sleep.

11:30 a.m. — Finally get out of bed and immediately shower and brush my teeth. I make a homemade electrolyte drink of water, lemon, salt and sugar, and use up my last avocado on some avo toast. Get dressed in a white romper from Hollister and cream Tevas, and head back downtown to watch my friend perform a dance with her dance troupe. I feel better once I’m up and moving. My friends slyly ask how I’m feeling and I give them a death glare. I buy a chorizo sausage, croquetas and a Pepsi to feed the hangover ($14). Bike home and the hangover still demands to be fed so I buy an Oreo milkshake from a local diner ($6.96). $20.96

3:30 p.m. — Park it on the couch, which I don’t leave for the rest of the day. Turn on the Olympics and watch women’s volleyball and men’s timed trials for cycling.

9 p.m. — Dinner is ramen and water, then bedtime!

7 a.m. — Up and still feeling vestiges of a hangover and shame spiral. I think it’s important to be transparent about how awfully it impacts me, and choose to let this be a good reminder about why I shouldn’t drink. Drink some water and chug a Celsius for energy, then set off on a six-mile run which I do in exactly 60 minutes. I’m feeling really strong and will be ecstatic if I can perform at that pace on race day!

9 a.m. — Shove a granola bar in my face, then take a quick body shower and do my skincare/makeup. Dress in a long, sage green and white patterned dress from Amazon and a pair of nude heels from Target, then drive to the downtown cathedral for 10 a.m. mass.

11 a.m. — Feeling much more relaxed after I’ve been able to atone for my sins. Race back home because I’m meeting my friends to float the Boise River. Dress in a green bikini from Billabong, then grab some La Croix and my raft.

5 p.m. — Off the river and we had no incidents so I chalk it up to a very good float. We grab some food at a nearby restaurant. I get a spicy burger with lots of jalapeños, yum. $16

6:30 p.m. — Back home and on the couch. Not only do I have the Sunday scaries, I generally still have the binge-drinking scaries. My thoughts spiral and I feel intense shame again. Go back through and analyze every single social interaction I had with every person I talked to this weekend and convince myself they all hate me and that I made a fool of myself. It’s so great having mental health issues! I recognize that I’m having an episode and sit and do some breath work to calm myself down. I crack open Kingdom of Ash to distract from my ruminating and self-sabotaging thoughts.

8 p.m. — Finish the last page of KOA and don’t quite know what to do with myself. I did tear up a couple of times and feel slightly empty inside. Good thing I still have the Crescent City series to work through. Full shower, then pop a gummy. Eat a little snack of pita chips and pickles and scroll TikTok until I fall asleep. Try not to beat myself up for how much of a garbage person I’ve been this weekend, and recommit to not drinking.

5:30 a.m. — That Monday morning alarm is perhaps the most hated sound in the world. My cat practically leaps into my arms as soon as I open my bedroom door, and we sit on the couch to snuggle for a while. Then skincare, makeup, get the French press fired up and pack my lunch. Get dressed in a green and white striped T-shirt from TJ Maxx, black linen pants from Old Navy, and white Birkenstocks.

11 a.m. — It’s been a full morning of training and my brain is fried. Head to the atrium for a quick break and to eat some almonds. My friend emails me that his work is looking for part-time help in the evening (it’s a small theatre company) so I let him know I’m very interested and shoot him over my resume. I have three out-of-state weddings next year and am planning a trip to Mexico City this fall for my 30th, and legitimately need a second job to afford all the traveling. Crack open my new book, Demon Copperhead, which is also my book club’s pick for this month.

1 p.m. — Well, it’s a Monday. I simply cannot focus and am dragging my heels on everything I need to get done. Break for a sad, sad lunch. I didn’t meal prep so today’s lunch is a tuna packet spread over two rice cakes, some salami slices, and carrots and hummus. Take a 20-minute walk outside my building to wake up and put some pep in my step, although I'm pretty sure I only succeed in giving myself smoke poisoning from the extremely smoky air.

3 p.m. — Off work and headed to the grocery store to stock up for the week. I usually go to a cheaper grocery store a bit further downtown but can’t be bothered today and opt for the one right around the corner from my house. I buy plain Greek yogurt, ground turkey, eggs, rice cakes, sourdough bread, pretzels, mini potatoes, raspberries, blackberries, apples, avocado, grape tomatoes, hummus, green beans, mini peppers, a yellow onion, two pre-made salad kits, a peach, and four Poppi sodas. My soul leaves my body when I see the price. $94

4:30 p.m. — Prep some veggies and salmon for dinner, then get my gym bag ready. I’m doing a practice sprint triathlon at the gym and mentally prep myself by listening to Kendrick Lamar on full blast. Respond to an email accepting an invitation to interview for a board of directors I’m interested in joining. Of course this is solely a volunteer position; one does not simply get interviews for paying jobs in this job market, lol. But this is a phenomenal networking opportunity and I’m extremely passionate about the cause.

6:30 p.m. — Eight hundred-meter swim, 14-mile bike and three-mile run done! While running on the treadmill I briefly lock eyes with a guy from Hinge I went on a few dates with who half-ghosted me. He told me he’d reach out last week to arrange a hiking date but I never heard from him, and any time HE texts me to initiate a conversation, he takes over 24 hours to respond. Check my phone 30 minutes later and whaddya know, there’s a text from him. Not asking me out, of course, just stringing along a purposeless conversation. I don’t respond. Sit in the sauna for a little while to loosen my muscles, then take a gym shower (yuck).

6:30 p.m. — Home and ravenous! Munch on pita chips while my dinner is baking and catch up with my roommate. We’re both deliriously tired and vent about our respective dating experiences. Me about uncommunicative guys who lack intent and she about self-sabotaging the nicest guy she’s ever dated. Ah, the never-ending joys of dating dynamics and attachment issues in 2024. We convene in the living room and turn on Broad City for a rewatch.

9:30 p.m. — In bed and fall asleep in the blink of an eye.

5:30 a.m. — Awake from the deepest night of sleep I’ve had in a long while. Even though I chose to work this early, I question it every single morning. Same routine as always — I am a severe creature of habit, what can I say. Cat snuggling, skincare, coffee making, makeup, then dress in a pair of skinny jeans from Topshop circa 2017, brown tank top from Target, white linen shirt from H&M, and light brown mules from Nordstrom Rack.

6:30 a.m. — At my desk and inhaling my Greek yogurt and raspberries while catching up on news. Realize I forgot my AirPods — guess I’ll be rawdogging today without any music or podcasts.

12:30 p.m. — Lunch today is a pre-made salad kit with some salami shredded on top for protein. Read some more of Demon Copperhead and defeatedly head back to work. While I’m grateful to have a steady job and benefits, particularly after being laid off twice, it has been humbling to go back to entry-level, administrative work. I can only keep praying, manifesting, hoping etc. that something better is going to pop up soon.

3 p.m. — Home and greeted by an extremely enthusiastic kitty. I do the dishes, tidy up the kitchen and reply to a Hinge message where we get a date set up. I eat a large red apple, rub some rosemary oil into my scalp, then braid my hair in preparation for my long bike ride this evening.

6:30 p.m. — Twenty five-mile bike ride knocked out. My legs feel slightly rubbery and I got stung by a hornet but at least the temperature was bearable today. Hop in the shower, skincare and moisturize, and put on some sweats and an oversized T-shirt. I have zero energy to cook so dinner is a sandwich with sourdough bread, salami, Dijon mustard, tomatoes, purple onion slices, sprouts and spinach leaves. I eat some pickles and pretzels on the side, and crack open an ice-cold Poppi.

8:30 p.m. — My best friend from high school calls me and we talk about our existential dread, the ethos of endurance sports, parental and Catholic trauma, and the meaning — or lack thereof — in our lives. This is what happens when you introduce kids to philosophy too early on in life (I’m mostly kidding). I’m extremely grateful for these conversations because we had extremely similar upbringings and he relates to a lot of my spiritual and mental struggles. At some point we swerve to a slightly more uplifting topic: planning my birthday trip to Mexico City! We really want to go over the week of Halloween but I’ve read conflicting things about being in the city for Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) so we both agree to do some more research and get back to each other before booking flights.

10 p.m. — Pop a gummy and as much as I intend to read — I even have my book open in my lap — I open TikTok and get lost in the rabbit hole. Asleep by 10:30 p.m. Good night!