Thanks for the well wishes everyone! Thank you also for the condolences.
Loona- I wish you the best on following your dreams too! I know that when I even sat down and started making a long term plan to get back on track toward my goal I felt so much better. Sometimes, even if you can't do exactly what you want right away, having a plan to get there can really help.
My favorite era is the Albian Cretaceous. I'm hoping to study sharks from the Western Interior Seaway, but right now I am working on a mini-project involving describing a fossil of an extinct ratfish from California. I am so excited. I can't even express it!