First of all, apologies for the click bait-y title. I know, I know. It would annoy me too. But I got your attention, didn’t I? When I went off social media on October 2—the day after turning thirty-five—I told myself I’d be back on in thirty days. I just needed a reset. A break. Some […]
7 last-minute holidays gifts for writers
I just love the holidays, don’t you? Family time, delicious food, time away from school and work . . . it’s the happiest time of the year! But as the weather turns a crisp 60 degrees Fahrenheit here in Portugal, and I gear up for some time off with my family, there’s one thing I’m […]
How discretionary time can transform your life and work
In college, I didn’t have the luxury of time. While many of my peers would languish over their papers for weeks and study half-heartedly for exams over hours, I had small pockets of time to get my work done. Since I worked full time, and sometimes also part time, to support myself during school—and took […]
What free public healthcare is like in Portugal
Back in 2014, my daughter was sick. She was just about a year old, and I don’t remember the exact circumstances that prompted the trip to the ER, but I do know there was a high fever, and she couldn’t stop vomiting. I remember the 7-minute drive to the ER from our home in Eagle, […]
Portugal update: Exploring the Algarve (we are in love!)
Pro tip: if you have to endure a global pandemic, move somewhere cool a few months beforehand. Because I’ll be real with you: I can’t imagine being anywhere but Portugal right now. We moved to Portugal in August of 2019 and spent the first three weeks exploring the country. Armed with a spreadsheet detailing potential […]
I’m going off the grid (again)—join me?
TL/DR: I’m participating in Off the Grid October (#OTGO2020) and going off social media for 30 days. If you want to join in, be sure to join my list and let me know. To get the free social icons, hit reply to your welcome email and tell me “I want the OTGO icons!” — Every […]
Growing Influence Bookiversary: Q&A with the Authors
Today is the two-year “bookiversary” of Growing Influence! I remember receiving my first copy while living in Thailand. I had just moved there with my family about a month prior, and it was the first international package I’d received at our new address. As I opened the box and held my copy, I felt overwhelming […]
My breaking point—and thinking beyond better
In 2007, I was broken. I had finally left a long, horrible relationship. At just 22, I was starting my life over. I spent several months in a deep depression. Broken, physically and emotionally. Every night after work or school, I would come home to my empty, three-bedroom new build in the suburbs and lay […]
Let me tell you a story about sticking with your dreams . . .
(A quick note before we dive in: registration for Nonfiction Book School closes August 5! Let’s write your book together: https://nonfictionbookschool.com/. OK, with that note, let’s get to the story!) Back in February of 2017, I sent my friend and colleague, Kelly, a 64-page document with the content plan and curriculum for what I called […]
My love story with writing
At eight years old, I was sitting in my second grade classroom when I got the news. “Congratulations, Stacy!” my teacher said, handing back the poem I’d submitted to a statewide poetry contest weeks prior. “You got second place!” It didn’t matter that I hadn’t gotten first, or that my best friend at the […]