Aug 13, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
Once again, the world has lost one of its brightest lights. And once again, amid the reactions of shock and sadness, are the voices of idiots. Like many others, I was deeply saddened when I heard of Robin Williams’ untimely death. I was even sadder when I...
Aug 6, 2014 | The Writing Life
When I was a teenager, I knew everything about writing. Didn’t we all? Isn’t it amazing how brilliant everyone is at that age?I’d made it all the way to the last year of high school without anyone criticizing anything I wrote. Thrilled that I could...
Aug 4, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
Once I care about someone, I tend to care about them forever. It doesn’t matter what changes in our lives–marriages, divorces, cross-country moves…how I feel stays the same. We may have met when I was a nineteen-year-old popcorn slinger at the local...
Jul 30, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
1) There’s no need to worry. No matter what happens and how bad things get–cocaine and alcohol addiction, kleptomania, losing all your money to con artists, getting burned in a fire…it will be pleasantly resolved within a couple of weeks and never...
Jul 28, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
I have a confession to make. I can’t ride a bike. I’ve never ridden a bike. And yet, my upcoming trip to China includes a full-day bike tour through the countryside. Why would I put myself in such a crazy situation? I was actually okay with being the...
Jul 23, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary, The Writing Life
For an entire week, the story had been making me miserable. False starts, terrible phrasing, weak transitions…they were all present and accounted for. I knew I had a powerful story to tell; I just didn’t know how to tell it. “You need to figure out...
Jul 21, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
If the most frequent question I’m asked about moving is “Where?”, the second one is, “What are you going to do with your cats?” There is only one answer. Take them with us, of course! That said, moving with three cats is not going to be...
Jul 16, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
As a journalist, I learn plenty of interesting things. Some stick with me, some don’t, and some have the potential to change my life. This year has been a strange one for me. Even though nothing bad has happened, save for a few unexpected problems with the...
Jul 9, 2014 | The Writing Life
About a month ago, a publisher asked for a full. I was very excited. I sent the novel to them, brimming with optimism. I knew it might result in a rejection, or worse–a terrible contract. But I hoped for the best. Last Wednesday, I received a response. To my...
Jul 7, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
Microlight flight in Africa…did I mention I’m scared of heights? I fail more than the average person. There’s a part of my personality that insists on pushing myself out of comfort zones–that keeps reaching for the stars when I’d rather...
