Small Joys, Quiet Wins

Have you ever agreed to something because it sounded like a good idea at the time, and then the moment comes and you’re sitting there thinking, why did I say yes to this? What am I saying — of course you have, everybody does that. This week started out exactly like that for me, but … Continue reading Small Joys, Quiet Wins →

Two Voices, One Choice: Mine or Not Mine

How Do You Know If You’ve Ended the Day Successfully? This one is dedicated to, well, you know who you are. Thank you. I don’t think you really know if you’ve ended a day successfully until you wake up the next morning. That’s what I realized this week after being thrown into one of those … Continue reading Two Voices, One Choice: Mine or Not Mine →

Back to normal …

Today feels like the real wrap up of summer here, and it’s one of those changes you can actually see and hear. Just a few days ago the town was bursting at the seams, with voices carrying up from the beach starting before 6:30 in the morning and still drifting through the streets at one … Continue reading Back to normal … →

Brené Brown – am I right?

Have you ever heard someone say something that didn’t just sound wise but actually cracked you open and changed how you lived? I’m not talking about a quote you slap on a mug and put on Etsy for “inspiration,” or some obscure line you drop at a party to make yourself sound smarter than you … Continue reading Brené Brown – am I right? →

To Hill and Back

This is the story of how I am winning my weight loss battle. And the truth is, a big part of it comes down to moving to Spain. What matters most about that is that it has happened in spite of everything else going on in my life. I moved to Spain for a lot … Continue reading To Hill and Back →

The Mirror

On my bathroom mirror there is a blue index card, taped up with regular old invisible tape. The card itself hasn’t faded, but you can see the marks where the tape has been peeled off and stuck back down, because I’ve moved it from mirror to mirror, or sometimes pressed it to another card when … Continue reading The Mirror →

Another One of Those Weeks

Lord, what I wouldn’t give for just a few weeks of mundane problems. The kind of “everyday annoyances” that don’t feel like they’re going to change the entire course of your life. I try to keep perspective. I look at the world and see people suffering in ways I can’t even imagine, and compared to … Continue reading Another One of Those Weeks →

Stepped Back to Step Forward

I’ve been quiet for a couple of days, partly because I’ve been healing from my falls, partly because I found out my visa renewal is coming up a lot sooner than I thought. (Cue panic, paperwork, and a little bit of hiding.) I promised myself I’d post every day, but sometimes life decides otherwise. But … Continue reading Stepped Back to Step Forward →

What happens next?

Well, it happened—I missed a day of posting. Some days you have to just turn it all off for your own well-being, and yesterday was that day. I was overwhelmed this weekend. Between email misunderstandings, rent stress, and the isolation that comes with moving to another country alone, it all just caught up with me. … Continue reading What happens next? →

From “Ew, Shrimp” to Paella Night: My Spanish Food Glow-Up

When I first got here, I couldn’t peel a shrimp. Wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Too gross. Little antennae, little eyes, absolutely not. I ordered them, sure, but only if someone else did the dirty work. Fast forward, and now I’m the one in the kitchen elbow-deep in mussels, scrubbing shells like it’s the most normal thing in … Continue reading From “Ew, Shrimp” to Paella Night: My Spanish Food Glow-Up →