Christmas Down Under

As I write this I’m perched on a balcony looking out over the roofs and treetops towards a shining blue lake – Lake Jindabyne in Australia. I decided to return to Australia for “Hot Christmas” after initially visiting in October as part of an extended post-40th-birthday trip, and the weather has not disappointed — it’s […]

That Home Feeling

When you’ve been around the world and back time and again “home” becomes more of a feeling than a place. So I’ve learned to treasure places that help me find my way back to that feeling of “home.”

Off Duty Peach

What if Princess Peach just went on to live her own life? What if, after all the drama of escaping the baddies and pressure of saving the kingdom and all that, she got to put her feet up and drink a peach mojito (or espresso martini) or whatever? I suppose it wouldn’t make a very […]

My “This Is 40”

I turned 40 recently. And I was worried about it for a while… until I wasn’t. Because I realized, part of the way there, around 39-and-a-half (yes I still count my age in parts) that everyone’s #thisis40 is different, and that the measures of success, or “making it,” are different for everyone. At just-turned-39 I […]

The First Pancake

The beginning of the year often brings a sense of a fresh start. While I don’t usually make new year’s resolutions, I do try to lean into that feeling of new year energy, often activated by a healthy jump in the frigid ocean. (I’m talking about the polar bear swim of course, a Canadian New […]

All Things Considered

2023 is the first year in a long time (since the pre-pandemic days at least) that I haven’t felt that “get me the heck out of here” feeling by the end. Not that it’s a roaring celebration. It’s more of an “I made it this far so keep carrying on” feeling. I suppose that means […]

Darkest Night

Tonight is Winter Solstice, the longest and darkest night of the year. And it couldn’t have come sooner. I’ve really been feeling the weight of darkness recently, as the days get shorter, and the end of the year draws near. It’s been a really good year in some ways, but there have also been some […]

Wrapped

If you’re a Spotify person, or even if you’re not, you’ve probably seen the “Spotify Wrapped” posts popping up around social media today. I don’t usually like companies/programs to know a whole lot about my life, but with Spotify… the relationship is almost intimate. Like, Spotify knows me, and sometimes it’s almost eerie how spot […]

Threads

Tonight I was invited to share a bit of my life story with a group of friends. I’ve shared parts of my story many times before, including all around this blog. However, it was the first time in a long time where, in the course of telling my story, I didn’t feel compelled to talk […]

New Traditions

Today I went to the Christmas market with my brother and sis-in-law. It’s the third year we’ve done it so I think that makes it a tradition? The holiday traditions I grew up with don’t exist so much now. For one thing, my grandparents would always host big Christmas meals for the extended family, and […]