Thankfully this year I didn’t have a full day of classes on my birthday. My day’s schedule was quite different than most years. The morning was spent in anticipation of a mystery delivery, a delicious cookie cake from Tiffany’s Bakery in Philadelphia! This cake is honestly going to last me until the end of spring break as there is just too much to eat. A rushed breakfast fueled me for the quick trip to PetsMart where I purchased my final piece need to complete my birthday gift.

This gift hinges on the thing I miss most about home. A physical thing, not family and friends which are only natural to miss, but an atmosphere a landscape trait: water. Water is everywhere in Florida. Where there is water amazing life and scenery exist. I miss trips to the beach where a quick dive underwater revealed a variety of fish, crabs, jellyfish, and shells. The birds that linger along the shore and in front yards picking for food after a calming thunderstorm. The canoeing and kayaking trips between mangroves looking for birds and gators. Even in the most developed areas there are ponds, little streams, bridges over rivers, pools, and the small floods quick to disappear after a storm.

As I have lived inland for a few years now I have kept water close by in the form of a fish tank. This year for my birthday I decided to purchase another tank with a new fish I have never raised before and to change up the contents of my old tank for my old gold fish. I am new to betta fish but understand they are relatively hardy fish. My goldfish is once again joined by a companion algea eater. Sadly his old friend passed away last semester. Both tanks are now also designed with live plants and some ‘rock/mangrove’ ornaments.

Thus far the two tanks have managed well. The fish have been acclimated to their tanks and company for three weeks now. The plants have been in for a few days and appear to be doing well. Here’s to keeping up the fish tanks and future tank exploration!

While the two tanks did take a while to set up I still managed to coffee shop hop for free Dunkin and Starbucks! I spent most of my late afternoon and evening tucked away in the Starbucks studying for an exam, writing cover letters, editing my resume, and researching jobs. The next day greeted me with a lovely desk surprise and plenty of friendly “happy birthdays!” making studio a happy environment to return to. Though this year did not include a studio birthday the environment created by friends and colleagues certainly made me hopeful for the next year’s studio birthday.