I’ve been married twice. The first time I got married, I had no idea how marriage worked. My first husband was Brazilian, living in Brazil, and he moved to the United States to be with me. We had a rocky relationship, and it only got more fraught as time went on. A couple of years in, we threw in the …
My Favorite and Best Winter Coat Brands
For years I have purchased various winter coat brands even though I live in a near-tropical climate. There is something about winter and being outside with a sufficient coat that excites me, so I continue to buy coats. I’ve got anything from leather jackets to serious cold-weather coats hanging in my closet. In fact, I have an entire closet dedicated …
I Am a Work in Progress, Not a Failure
We love tossing the word failure around. It’s so easy to say we are a failure at our job, at a relationship, at parenting. Is it being a failure? Or are we all works in progress? My preference is the latter, because if I truly believed I was a failure because of all the things I “failed” at, my mental …
What to Wear at the European Christmas Markets
People from all over the world flock to the European Christmas markets. You hear many different languages spoken while you’re walking around with stars in your eyes, wondering how you waited so long to go. When I decided to sign up for the group tour headed to Europe for the Christmas markets, I wondered what I was going to pack. …
Why I Loved My Experience with Group Travel
Travel is sacred to me. I’ve been traveling solo or with a partner for years, never having dipped my toes into group travel. With the abundance of social mediums, however, I discovered a person a while ago that I have been following. She seemed (from social) to be down to earth, likable, and I liked her vibe overall. I’d been …
Making Friends as an Adult: The Realities
The evolution of my friendships has been fascinating when I look back on my life with friends. It’s directly correlated to how I have evolved. Because of my personality and how I continue to grow, it’s a challenge to keep friendships with many people from my past. Alas, those versions of me are long gone, although a few pieces have …
Choosing Your Hard
Life is hard. We all know that. While it’s not hard day in and day out for most of us, there are times when it’s hard. Even brutal, unrelenting, absurd, miserable. You get my point with the adjectives. I’m a firm believer in choosing your hard, though. What do I mean by that? Every minute of everyday we are choosing …
The 7 Best Souvenirs to Bring Home
Anytime I travel, I know I’m going to be bringing something home with me. Each place I go has a flair of its own, and I try to capture that in whatever item I choose. Traveling has become such a significant part of my life, and I don’t want to forget anything. It’s impossible to remember it all, but a …
My Favorite Second Hand Stores in New Orleans
New Orleans is filled with all kinds of businesses. One of my favorite things about New Orleans is the support for local anything. Whether it’s food, jewelry, clothing, or second hand stores in New Orleans, we are all about the small fry. It creates a sense of community and kinship that I think other larger cities often lack. When I …
The Color of the Season: Red
What do you associate with the color red? Some first words as I’m writing are: blood, power, sexy, feminine, powerful. Since red is the color of the season this year, I feel like my wardrobe was born ready. Red seems to have taken a back seat to a lot of other colors over the years, and I am absolutely delighted …
