Over the past three years, I’ve been on a path of healing and self-discovery. I think many of us are. At the beginning of my journey, I consciously avoided talking too much about widowhood. I didn’t want to make other people uncomfortable. But I’ve come to realize...
At the end of the year, I love to look back and savor the WOW! Moments I've had over the past 12 months. I recently looked through my photos and discovered that 2025 was chock-full. Here's a quick rundown of some highlights. I went to see Rascal Flatts with my...
When I was little, I was terrified of the Grinch. Specifically, the part in the animated special where they show this totally realistic, wildly unnecessary X-ray proving his heart was two sizes too small. What were you thinking, Seuss??!! We were just kids. Not...
It felt like I’d been training for that night my entire life. Some might suggest it was a complete and total embodiment of my spirit (and spirit animal). Perhaps. But it definitely was the most absurd Saturday evening I’ve had in a long while. What was this...
When my family and I took the train from Chicago to Seattle recently, we thought the biggest WOW! moment would be the journey itself. I mean, rolling through open plains and mountainsides while sipping coffee in a sleeper car sounds like the beginning of a...
Lately, I’ve been sharing WOW! Moments from fancy schmancy places like Paris and the Amalfi Coast. (Croissants in Paris? No-brainer WOW! right there!) But here’s the thing: you don’t need a passport, a plane ticket, or a “vacation savings fund” to feel WOWed....
It’s been a minute since I’ve done a deep dive into one of my WOW! Moments, but I'm ready to talk about croissants. Specifically, the class I took in Paris, where flour, butter, and the secret to being unforgettable all collided on a lovely Spring afternoon. I was...
One of the lessons that my dad taught me is to not be afraid to try anything. “How hard can it be?” he would ask. He would also encourage me to “Do something a little crazy. You’ll stand out.” This was almost always great advice. Almost, because it derailed my...
When I was growing up, summer vacations were usually spent visiting family in Panama City, Florida. To mix things up, we’d often stop at a fun tourist site along the way. The year I remember most vividly happened when I was about seven and we went to Weeki Wachee...
As a kid, I was a very picky eater. If someone put pepper on my food, I would insist that it was dirty. My diet consisted of a limited menu: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti with butter, PBJ, raisins, and saltine crackers. My pickiness was tested one Halloween when...
When's the last time you saw something and thought, "That looks like fun!" What did you do next? If you're like me (actually, the old me), probably nothing. You likely just moved along with your life. But what if you did something? Leaned into that inkling? Sought...