Bundle of Joy 🥹

Last year I had to move from the east coast to the west coast in the middle of winter. I spent way too long trying to figure out how to bring my monstera as-is, but she was just too big. There was no safe way to transport her whole.

So I did the most painful thing I did all year….I cut her down completely. Every single leaf. It honestly felt like a gut punch.

But it ended up being one of the best decisions I could’ve made. The cuttings became parting gifts for friends, and now those plants have turned into one of the main ways I stay connected with people back east. A living piece of something we shared, still growing in their homes.

I kept the root ball and the stumps, did my best to keep them warm during the U-Haul drive across the country (this is during winter, so you have to be careful at night because of the freezing temperatures). Since there wasn’t space for everyone in the U-Haul, I hand most of my plants in my towed car, and at the gas station/rest point I would hop back to heat it up. A couple weeks after arriving on the west coast, there was nothing. No new growth, no signs of life. I was terrified of root rot, it’s a huge pot, no leaves to pull water, just sitting there.

Then about a month in, a tiny bud appeared. Then another node. Then another. More growing points than she ever had before, which honestly blew my mind.

Now heading into spring, we’re multiple leaves in and I can’t wait to watch the fenestrations come back.

This whole experience was deeply emotional in a way I never expected, but also incredibly comforting. Whatever happens, life goes on when there’s care, love, and support behind it.

Keep pushing. There are always better days ahead.