Fulfilling my dog, going to Mars, etc: December recap!
What Scout's given up for van life, "anti human pro dog", 2024 book roundups, lots more of the usual (emotional) thoughts
Hi again, friends near and far! 👋🏼 Haley (and Scout) here with December’s monthly summary plus a hearty helping of “how is it 2025, it was just 2019…?!”
As a reminder, this is the only email I send each month. The goal is to avoid overwhelming your inbox on a regular basis and instead provide an easy-to-scan recap. This way you can choose for yourself what you’re most interested in reading! (You can also always see new posts as soon as I publish them on pawsandreflect.blog or in the Substack app.)
Thank you thank you thank you for being here. 💛
✏️ What I’ve written lately
Published on Paws and Reflect
Would you go to Mars? 🐺
A short poem-thing about my love for creatures.My favorite fiction reads of 2024 📚
Total fiction books read: 56. Five-star earners: 5.My favorite nonfiction reads of 2024 📚
Total nonfiction books read: 42. Five-star earners: 7.Why are van lifers so insufferable? 🚐
A response to Outside Magazine’s May 25th Almanac of Ethical Answers column.How my timid dog has come to love the outdoors 🐺
On Scout’s transformation from homebody clinger to feral maniac.Lil’ Christmassy things we did this year 🎄
I was once the kid obsessed with Christmas. Short reflections about finding holiday spirit far from family.November/December Q&A 👩🏼💻
How has my relationship with Sean changed after moving into a van? Why Florida for the winter? And more questions you asked on Instagram!“Anti human, pro dog” 🐺
You can’t be anti human and pro dog because domestic dogs evolved specifically to live with people.What my dog’s given up for full-time van life 🚐
We all made sacrifices when we hit the road almost two years ago.Things that aren’t a cure-all 👩🏼💻
But are a cure-some. (This was the first piece I narrated with a voiceover! Then I retroactively recorded myself reading a few earlier posts because it was fun.)All in favor of permanent standard time 💡
A lengthy article explaining my passion for early sunrises.What it takes to fulfill Scout on days with lots of alone time 🐺
Perspective on her exercise, enrichment, and social needs compared to other dogs and depending on the environment.Reflecting on my laser eye surgery anniversary 👩🏼💻
Thoughts on optimization and happiness and and guilt.Is this me being a weakling? Or is this me being a woman? 🚐
Stream-of-consciousness reflections on a brief period of “solo van life”.Ways Scout’s patio behavior has gotten worse 🐺
And why I’m actually thrilled!The first time I made this drive 👩🏼💻
Losing myself in memories when we drove from the midwest to Florida earlier this month.Nostalgia down social media memory lane 👩🏼💻
On revisiting some of the first accounts I ever followed online.
Featured elsewhere
Are you taking the right care of your pet’s teeth? for Juniper
An accessible intro to dog dental care with a focus on doing what’s right for you, based on individual goals and resources.
Expedition Ola: Two Humans, a Truck Camper, and a Mission to Save Street Dogs for Wilderdog’s Weekly Woof
I got to interview Alli Jaeger—whose enthusiasm is contagious!—for this profile. (It’s no wonder a half-hour meeting turned into nearly two hours on a video call!)
🐺 Scout’s December highlights
She had another seizure. I am both thrilled and dismayed by how “not a big deal” each individual episode feels as time goes on? I still hate watching her seize, but we’re prepared to handle it—and her history supports the belief that she’ll continue recovering quickly. (Thankfully that was the case here.)
Other than epilepsy, Scout’s life continues in a comfortable status quo. Our cattle gal shows her age more than ever but is still almost always ready for a round of tug. The game makes both our hearts sing.
🚐 This month’s travel and van life stuff
December dawned on us at Sean’s parents’ house celebrating early Christmas. From there we briefly visited his brother in Nashville before booking it to Florida as quickly as possible. We’ve since been hanging out on the Space Coast, largely sleeping on the street (not my favorite overnight arrangement) but spending days at the beach (worth it).
Florida van life is equal parts challenging and lovely. Humidity is rough inside Hermes (but great for my hair 🤪). Ocean swims mean we can stretch our fresh tank longer… but also track sand everywhere. Mild weather makes it easier to enjoy the outdoors, but there isn’t much public land where we can spread our stuff out.
Thankfully we’re used to constant trade offs. The coast makes me feel so alive!
📚 What I’ve read lately
Nonfiction
Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral by Ben Smith ★3
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Essays on Desire and Consumption by Katy Kelleher ★4
Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares about Words by Anne Curzan ★5
Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist by Frans de Waal ★4
The Modern Bestiary by Joanna Bagniewska ★4
Fiction
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ★4
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall ★4
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware ★4
😁 What I’m most excited about!
Just waiting on final go-live for my first piece for Kinship (formerly known as The Wildest).
After partaking in a pelican rescue the day before Christmas Eve, I reached out to a local wildlife organization on Florida’s space coast. I’m hoping I can volunteer in some way even though we’re no longer permanent locals!
The second season of The Juniper Podcast, which my client/friend Allison convinced me to cohost with her last spring, starts airing next month!
I’ve gotten to interview some amazing guests so far: Rethinking Rescue author Carol Mithers, Praline’s Backyard Foundation founder Orazie Cook, and my longtime dogstagram friend (and newly published author!) Taylor Finton.
I finished the rough draft of my Paws and Reflect memoir-esque book proposal. Memoirs are often sold on full manuscripts rather than proposals alone—and both my manuscript and proposal need lots of further work—but it feels like a step in the right, “real” direction.