FNE 2022

Hi everyone. I can’t believe 2022 is here. In some ways, it feels like it’s 20 years from 2019 and in other ways, it feels 20 minutes. Can I get an amen or a yep or an ugh?!

I wanted to give you an update on what these next few months will look like for me and what you can expect. This week I start teaching a new class at a new university in a new town with new coffee (well, just kidding. I am a creature of habit and use the same coffee every day). For those of you that missed it, we recently moved and you can read about that here. With all of the newness that this semester brings (after reflecting on this the past two weeks), I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be able to consistently write on here like I used to. And like I want to with the always-changing-pandemic! But I’m taking my own advice to avoid burnout and proactively pulling back to settle in the new normalish of this semester and my family. So, I’m taking a bit of a break this semester. I will still write here sporadically. But, definitely not that much this semester, especially these first few months.

If you’re an email subscriber (free or paid), you’ll still get emails updates when I do write.

For you monthly-paid subscribers, I know you are paying for consistency and answering comments. So, I have paused all paid subscriptions for now. That means you will not be charged and do not have to do anything. For those of you who are yearly-paid subscribers, I’m more than happy to give you a refund if you want. Just send me an email or comment and I’ll process that for you. I have really appreciated all the support (financially and community).

At this point in the pandemic, I know many of you are looking for daily consistent updates. Me too! Let me recommend some great people to follow for consistent, trusted pandemic updates (the first two are my gal-pals who are rockstars!):

Your Local Epidemiologist

Dear Pandemic

Eric Topol

Thanks for understanding! I know I’ve said it numerous times but I’m just so deeply thankful for this FNE community. What a journey we have had and are still on! I consider it a huge honor to have walked this road with you. Truly. I have so much to say to that about the community, who I’ve become, who we’ve become, and where we are going. That will be another time. For now, gracious, thank you.

Now off to teaching and researching! By the way, I’m teaching a global health course at Duke and am so excited about it. This next generation of students is hungry for change and love-of-neighbors in ways that are really inspiring. There’s always hope. Epidemic curves come down. Vaccines work. Students inspire. We cry and grow and hurt and pivot and walk and hold space for us and others.

We dream again. Different dreams and not naive expectations. We will never be the same as pre-pandemic. And, that’s ok. Hold on, friends. There’s always hope.

All the best,

Emily

Photo cred: the amazing Mary Kang from the TIME article