For the second time since I was 11 years old, I did not stay awake to see the old year out. My only other missing of the countdown was 7 years ago, when my flu turned to bronchitis turned to pneumonia. I canceled the party and went back to bed. I still remember my first … Continue reading Ringing in a New Year
When I was 19 and at university, 3000 kilometres from where my family lived, I planned to not go home for Christmas. I was living on student loans and money was tight. My mother quietly listened to my logic, then sent me a plane ticket. Of course, I had a wonderful time. But I remember … Continue reading Christmas (not) at Home
I keep seeing pictures of my ex. (Thank you, Facebook and Apple algorithms!) It’s not surprising, when we were together for a dozen years before Facebook was even invented, and when I’d taken ten years of selfies of us after I bought my first smart phone. That’s the peril of a modern breakup. You don’t … Continue reading Pictures of My Ex
For almost six months I didn’t travel. I didn’t leave the Island I live on, and much of the time I was within walking distance of my bed. Yet, I made some incredible journeys. I couldn’t go far, so I went deep. No work, no travel, no projects, no distractions— matters and issues long suppressed … Continue reading Travelling Inside
The first thing I learned during quarantine was not to have expectations. I did not write a book, nor read many of the dozens that were waiting for me. After a month, I took the piles off the coffee table, where their presence was supposed to prompt me to open them, but only succeeded in … Continue reading So What Did You Learn During Quarantine?
The movers bring the furniture that has spent the last 8 month in a storage locker. As the boxes come in I keep an eye out for a special one— the one that says, “Open First.” I can’t find it. The next day, with basic arrangement of furniture done but still so much unpacking to … Continue reading Open This Box First
Saturday, I got a haircut. A year ago, that would not have been worth noting. This year, it is a relief, a celebration! My last haircut was 4 months ago. I was due the week that the public health emergency was declared. I admit it is not a great haircut, but I have had several … Continue reading So That I Remember
I get into in my car in the parking lot and take my face mask off. Breathe, I tell myself. It’s not the mask that has made my chest tight and my breathing uneven. I’ve just been shopping in a big store for the first time after some of the lockdown restrictions have come off. … Continue reading Cautiously Opening Up
Today was a sad day. Nothing new to make it that way, nothing changed. I’d followed my usual morning routine of yoga/energy work between breakfast and sitting down with my coffee to text friends while checking news and my social media. There was bread from my first sourdough starter in decades, rising and waiting to … Continue reading Holding My Sadness, Softly
First, let me admit it— my blog has never really been about travel. Yes, I travelled, but even a post about the row houses of an English town or driving in India turned into an essay on national character. Many of my posts are deeply personal reflections on my heart, my life and the state … Continue reading What’s a Travel Blog without Travel?
Brave Travels 