The first delight of our trip came when we boarded the airplane from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow.  As we’re walking through the first-class cabin, it’s hard not to look over the cubicle and wish we had tickets for one.  Oh, to be able to lie flat in an airplane seat on an international flight.  It would be such a treat.  But we were prepared to shimmy down the aisle to basic economy.  We passed the next cabin, with wide seats and generous legroom.  I thought, “I would take that in a heartbeat.”  As I’m looking at our seat assignment and the numbers on the rows, I slowly realized we were sitting in that section!  I thought they had bumped us up, but after reviewing my tickets again, I had booked World Traveler Plus on this leg of our trip.  I’m really not sure how I did that since the

Before my last two trips to Europe (in 2018 and 2019), I made a shopping list of things I wanted to look for.  I thought it would help me focus when I felt like buying everything!  It also gave us specific destinations to visit, which is always a great way to get off the touristy trails and experience a city.  It becomes like a treasure hunt.  And yes, when you travel with me, I will look at my map and say it’s just a short walk, and then we’ll proceed to go on a two-hour meandering trek to the Louvre.  My mom sent me a meme last week that pointed this out. On our first visit to Paris, we went to E. Dehillerin, Julia Child’s favorite cooking supply store, so that I could purchase a copper pot.  (You can read about that experience HERE.)  I also wanted to find an

It started on whim in 2022 when my mom and I noticed the differences in our preference for the type of shells we collect.  Most of her shells were dainty, intact, and there was a wider variety of colors represented.  My shells tended to be larger, mostly shades of gray, and had more “character.”  (Meaning they were broken and looked like they had been rolling around in the surf for several years.)  We joked about my “antique shells” compared to her more traditionally beautiful shells and my ever-competitive mom suggested we put the collections to a vote.  Which collection did my Instagram followers prefer?  My mom’s collection won pretty handily and since that spur-of-the-moment Instagram vote, she has been borderline intolerable to be around any time the shell collection competition is mentioned.  Last year, she ever started telling strangers on the beach about her victories. After all of her unsportsmanlike

It started with an email in April 2017. Carolyn, the creative force behind Prone to Wander Retreats invited me to teach at one of her retreats in Italy.  Our potential move was just starting to take shape and it seemed unwise to commit to an international trip.  I was interested but kept pushing the possibility down the road.  As providence would have it, Carolyn and I were brought together by Jeanne Oliver for a Mastermind Group in the fall of 2021.  We have been meeting together monthly since then and I’ve gotten to know her as a friend and fellow creative business owner.  When she invited me to teach at her flagship retreat, La Dolce Vita in Tuscany, in the fall of 2025, the timing was finally right. Carolyn invited me and now I am inviting you! The La Dolce Vita Creative Lifestyle Retreat is October 4 – 11, 2025,