Yeah, it was definitely hard to roleplay a childish, fun halfling when just minutes away one of the worst fires in American history was being sifted through. I tried, but I mostly just felt like I was being annoying. It felt inappropriate.
Ziona did a fantastic job. Some VERY SMALL beginners' mistakes here and there, but overall she took right to it and showed better instincts than most DMs. Congrats, Ziona, on a great first DM'ing.