Category Archives: life

Hitting the Pause Button…on Blogging. Thanks, Blissdom.

balance, life, writing

Happening around here this week…

  • My son has been driving me around, from Target to Costco and beyond, practicing with his permit.
  • My other son is away at a sleepover camp, and I heard he’s already downed 7 blue slushies.
  • My littlest boy tried out for a soccer team for the first time ever. Even though he made a team, I tryouts at this age make me shudder.
  • My great-grandma in-law is turning 90 and dealing with dementia.
  • My mother had surgery. (She’s doing fine, thanks.)

Post-worthy topics, all of these.

There’s so much to say. So much to share with and learn from all of you.

But I’m not going to post about any of these things.

This past February, I attended Blissdom, an information-packed, fun-filled, swag-fantastic blogging conference. I’d been taking an online writing class from Meagan Francis and several of my classmates at Blissdom, too. I met Danielle and Sarah and Doña and our fearless leader Meagan; I met my editor at Babble; I listened to the wise words of Jon Acuff and Jeff Goins and Michael Hyatt.

And by the way…Michael Hyatt? He’s a rock star. If I turn out half as solid as that guy, I’m golden.

The speakers challenged me in so many ways, but most of all they challenged me to go deeper. To write what I love. To be who I am. It sounds wishy-washy and woo-woo-y and obvious, I know, but I promise you it’s not.

It’s about using this one short life intentionally. It’s thinking about the end of my life and what I want my family and friends to remember. It’s thinking about if that happened, right now, what they really would remember—and making changes while I still can.

It’s thinking about what matters most.

I’ve been blogging for several years about kids and life, reading, learning, travel, and more. So much more. I’ve found friends and a community I never realized existed. I treasure all of that.

But today I’m hitting the pause button. I’ve ramped up my freelance writing for magazines and businesses, which is fantastically fun. It also means I have deadlines in addition to a family and friends. And yoga. And playing basketball. And travelling. You get the picture.

I’m taking a few months off from blogging, but I’ll be writing more than ever. You can still find old content by clicking the words in the cloud on the left—it’s not going anywhere.

And in the meantime, if you need a writer or speaker, by all means, holla.

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Can Travel Change the World?

life, perspective, travel, Uncategorized, Wise Words, , ,

When I think about where to travel next, I think of this quote by Susan Sontag:

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

I’m smiling now, just reading her words.

Here are a few protests I hear against travel:

  • It’s too expensive.
  • It’s too difficult to plan.
  • I don’t have anyone to watch my kids.
  • There’s plenty to see here.

To which my responses are:

  • Travel doesn’t have to be super expensive. Yes, it costs money. But if you can afford to hit the amusement park and go out to dinner, it’s do-able.
  • It’s not difficult. It can, however, be time consuming.
  • Take your kids with you!
  • Have you seen all of it?

I have a dear friend who has no interest in international travel, and I simply can’t get my mind around that idea. But even if you’re with her, travel doesn’t have to mean cafés in Europe or safaris in South Africa. It doesn’t even have to mean flying on a plane. Some of the most beautiful places in the world are right here in our country. If you’re willing to drive, you can find them.

I’ve written (too much?) about my perceived benefits of travel: travel with kids, without kids, travel as a kid.  And I didn’t even mention the obvious: to relax and enjoy ourselves without the weight of our usual day-to-day responsibilities. And although relaxing is important, my experience is that it’s rarely the sole benefit of time in a new place.

There are so many different cultures and landscapes right here in our country, within each region, even, that I’m not sure we can ever experience all of them. But my biggest argument for trying is this: Compassion. Understanding. Grace.  It’s a big world, filled with millions of people’s lives and thoughts and experiences. Imagine what it would be like if we all learned from each other.

I’m not sure if travel can change the world. But I know it can change your life.

Agree? Disagree? Why do you travel?

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How Travel Affects Whether We Wear Lipstick to the Bus Stop

life, perspective, relationships, travel, Wise Words, ,

You read the “Why I’m Not A Dirty Mom” blog post, right? If some way, somehow, you missed it, well, there’s the link. In it, the writer explains why she prefers to look her best, whether she’s headed out for dinner or driving to the pre-school drop off line.

I watched the ensuing uproar with a touch of amusement. Must we always argue, ladies? If a girl likes to wear lipstick to the grocery store, I say let her wear lipstick. If another prefers yoga pants and a baseball cap, more power to her. One doesn’t diminish the other.

If you see me out and about I’ll be wearing high heels, flip flops, tennis shoes, leather boots, dark jeans, khaki capris, dresses (holla, Athleta), yoga pants, black pants, and who knows what else depending on the day. I have kids. I work. I like yoga. I play basketball. I have girlfriends I MUST meet for lunch. I don’t make the same effort every day. And this doesn’t bother me one bit.

My hair and clothes don’t define me.

And what does all of this have to do with travel, the theme I’m writing about this month? I’m glad you asked!

Here’s the quote for this week:

“When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat-Moon (pen name of William Lewis Trogdon)

Stop and let that sink in.

“You are what you are right there and then.”

Fantastic. And I love this part:

“No yesterdays on the road.”

When we’re in a new place, with new people, they have no idea what we wore last week. They don’t know if we’re kind or cruel or a little loopy, either. There’s a weird kind of beauty in the not knowing, I think. Travel gives us space, a freedom to be our truest self.

I would argue, though, that the purpose of finding this self when we travel is to bring her home with us, to continue to pursue, and fully define, our own sense of self. Our values. Our important things. Instead of worrying about whether we “should” wear lipstick to the bus stop, we need to figure out if we want to wear lipstick to the bus stop. That, my friends, is the key. And it’s harder than it sounds.

But when we answer to our truest self, we’ll be one step closer to making decisions that are right for us. And one big step away from worrying about what anyone else thinks. Maybe it’s time to book a flight.

Have you experienced this kind of freedom when you’ve traveled? Leave your thoughts in the comments, or link up if you’d like to write your own post on these Wise Words.

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