I was a podcast guest!

Hello friends.

I am popping out of hibernation to share a wonderful experience I had recently. 

I was blessed to be featured on the She Hit Refresh podcast to share my own career refresh and my ideas on the wonderful opportunity that midlife brings. 

According to co-founder, Cepee, "She Hit Refresh is the only online community dedicated to helping women 30 years and older go from daydreaming about breaking free and starting a life of travel… to actually doing it!"

If you're over 30 and looking for your tribe, She Hit Refresh is a wonderful community to call home. 

I hope this holiday season finds you all happy and well. I'm excited to see what this new decade brings. 

What might your life look different in 10 years? What big dreams are simmering in your heart?

Consider giving this podcast a listen and see how you can turn up the burner on those dreams and make them happen. 

Happy holidays, friends! Much love to you in your corner of the world. 

Start Today...Joy Jar 2018

Happy New Year, friends. 

This is not my idea, but it's a good idea. Thanks, Liz Gilbert. 

Cheers to joy in 2018. 

Are you starting a new tradition in 2018? 

All about Me, from A-Z

Every time I see someone posting the latest installment in an A-Z blogging challenge which floats around the blogosphere every few months, I wonder to myself whether I have the endurance and creativity to make through the challenge myself. 

Perhaps in the next round I will explore my alphabet through a theme, but until then, here's a peek with snippets and links into what makes me who I am, with a bit of an A-Z trivia about me. 

A--Apples. Johnny Appleseed was born in my hometown. And I'm an Apple devotee. I like to eat them and drink the warm, spiced cider. And I love Apple technology. I'm an Apple girl with pear shaped body. 

B--Bachata, merengue and salsa. I love to dance. And for a couple of years, I took Latin dance lessons and danced salsa out and about at least once a week. 

C--Concert...Jimmy Buffett at Meeting of the Minds '04 in Key West Florida

D--Favorite Day
Saturdays...so much possibility for seemingly endless fun. 

E--E-Reader or Book
E-Reader when I travel; book when I'm home. 

F--Finch...Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird...my favorite fictional character. 

G--Goals. I am a goal driven person. I love making lists and vision boards and then doing what it takes to make it happen. 

H--Happiest when I am traveling and exploring new places. No surprises here. 

I--Ice Cream
I met my husband while getting ice cream. Seriously. Here. 

J--Journey I want to take
My husband and I are planning the Great American Road Trip, which will take us through the United States and Canada, and later, around South America. We're in the early planning stages, but it's something we have wanted to do for a long time. Any tips? We would also like to walk the French route of the Camino de Santiago. Blame it on The Way. 

K--Kiley. Part of what makes me who I am is being Auntie to this one here. 

L--Llamas. I once went on a llama hike here. They're a small farm and they love their animals. Hikes are available in the fall and in the spring, before it gets too hot. 

M--Midwifery. I studied midwifery with a licensed professional midwife (LPM) part time for almost two years. I realized quickly that I never wanted to be the one in charge. I did, however, certify as a doula, but I never went beyond a couple of births.  

N--Never will I be excited about... winter coming. I struggle with the reduced sunlight, the barren trees, and the cold, damp weather. Sorry snow enthusiasts...winter is just not me. It's pretty, but for me, it's better in pictures and in movies. 

O--Outfits. I wish I could say I had even an ounce of fashion sense, but I just don't get it. I look at the mannequin, match it up, and hope for the best. 

Well, maybe three days a week...

P--Petty Pet Peeve
If I order a coffee and it is "for here," don't give me a paper cup. Please. Give me a mug. 

Q--Quirkiest attraction you have visited
Lucy the Elephant in Margate, New Jersey. 

R--Romance. For me, it's all about the little things. I couldn't have an A-Z without a mention of my love. It's in the little things...sharing bites of ice cream, Sunday coffee dates, holding hands, date nights, quiet days at home, dinner after our work day. But it's in the big things too... shared passions, common interests, moving along toward the same goals, supporting each other, being friends, as well as lovers. It's all of it and so much more. 

S--Shaking my head and saying "No, thank you!" to green beans. Yuck! I even pick them out of canned soup. Other "No, thank you" foods include olives, anchovies, sardines, octopus, and organ meat. Not for me. 

T--Teaching. This year closed out my sixteenth year as a teacher. What a ride this has been! Most of my teaching career has been in middle school English Language Arts, minus a couple of years teaching high school English. This past year I taught ESL to kindergarten and second graders. What a gift! Students climb right into your heart. My philosophy? Love them first. Then, together, you can make great progress.

My kinders, after a bit of shaving cream fun. 

U--Underwater hockey. Yes, I tried this once, for a YMCA fundraiser. It was fun and sparked my interest in becoming SCUBA certified...that and Jaws. 

V--Vermouth
In Spain, we drink vermouth on a Sunday afternoon before lunch to open the palette. My favorite? Martini and Rossi on ice, that's nice...with a twist of lemon. 

W--Writing. I may not publish often, but the wheels are always turning. Writing makes me happy. If I could find a way to make a living doing it, I would. I need a plan. And an agent. 

X--eXcited about thunderstorms, shark sightings on the Cape, and Sex and the City marathons. 

Y--You might not know...

More on my story here. It's been a lifelong journey. 

Z--Zealous fan of personal development. Decide. Commit. Succeed. 

Anxiety and my 2015 word of the year

January 1st is my favorite holiday. I love fresh starts. It's probably why I love the idea of back to school...new notebooks, new pens and pencils, new crayons...what's not to love? There is so much possibility. 

And this year is no different. I have so much excitement and eagerness for all good things in 2015; but for the first time, or at least the first time that I notice, there's an energy field that is pushing in against my bubble. 

Anxiety.

I never would have labeled myself as someone with anxiety. I can recognize joy, fear, sadness, anger...whatever life throws; but over the last six months or so, I have noticed anxiety, manifested through shallow breaths, unexpected gasps for air, edginess, insomnia and a heightened sense of restlessness. 

I find myself unable to make decisions, overwhelmed with choices, and projects left unfinished. My husband attributes my indecisiveness to my Gemini personality, but it feels like more. 

I will be 44 this year, and perhaps, realizing my mortality for the first time. I am noticing that I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do. I don't feel like what I once thought my 40s would be like, but alas, I am almost 44. I am happier and more at peace than I have ever been, so this confounds me. 

And this brings me to my word to 2015. 

In past years, my word has come to me with relative ease. It served as a foundation for my resolutions and shaped my thinking and my choices for the year. 

But this year? Too many choices. 

So, in honoring where I am in this moment, I don't have one word, but more of a manifesto for my year. 

In 2015, I will create. 
I will create art in words and pictures. 
I will create opportunities to learn, through travel, classes, books, and conversation. 
I will create a strong, healthy body through my work at the gym and in my own kitchen. 
I will create meals that nourish, using real food and the time it takes to prepare it.
I will create loving, deep, meaningful, stronger relationships with others and myself, protected from the sham of busyness. The greatest gift is time. 

In 2015, I will push through challenges...with fitness, with work, in my thinking, with difficult people, with ideas that no longer work, and with excuses. 

In 2015, I will finish what I start. I will apply my lesson planning process to my own projects. By the end of X, what will I be able to do/see, and how I will get there?

In 2015, I will trust the process. I will put plans into action and trust that it will work out the way it is supposed to, and if it doesn't, the plan needs to be revised. And if it still doesn't, I have to trust that things happen for a reason; that it may take a different path or the result may look different that how I originally intended it to look.

In 2015, I will breathe when I feel my anxiety rising. It will pass. Maybe it's time to seek out a yoga class.

In 2015, I will let it be. I will not let negative energy contaminate my life. 

By honoring where my head is today, I acknowledge that I cannot narrow it down to one specific word. 

As the year progresses, my thinking could sharpen and I can revise. 

Every day is a new opportunity for a do-over. But for now, this is where I am. 

And that's okay.

My best life...November

Another great feature in O Magazine every month is My Best Life, when the editors question a celebrity on some of the best things in their life. 

This month, the editors interviewed Amy Poehler, fresh off the launch of her first book, Yes, Please. 

Source

Here is how I answered the same questions. 

Best collection...
My best collection is my Christmas ornament collection. Our tree becomes a representation of the places we have been, who we are, and what we love. It's fun to pick out ornaments and it's fun to put them on the tree and recognize the lovely life that we have. 

 Just a sample of our many ornaments. 

Best indulgence...
Travel. I will never be sorry for the places I have seen. Perhaps it is an indulgence; but for me, it feeds by heart and soul. 

Source

Best hobby...
Writing and photography. 
Regardless of the domain, writing and photography have become treasured hobbies that allow me to experiment, reflect, and share pieces of me. 

Best escape...
The beach. It makes me happy. 

Or a walk in the woods. Another happy place. I guess I'm more of an "outdoor girl" than I once thought. 

Best mistake
Trusting. I always try to assume positive intent, and occasionally that leaves me disappointed. But, I prefer my rose-colored glasses; my bubble is a warm and happy place. The jaded life is not for me. 


How would you answer the same questions? 

Coffee Catch Up

Good morning! Happy Thursday! I have my morning coffee. 
Let's catch up.

It's been a while, but not for lack of effort. 

Last Friday, I was called for an interview. Let me back up. 

Over the last year and a half, I have been working toward adding ESL (English as a Second Language) to my teaching license. I am already certified to teach English, from grades 5-12, but I wanted this additional license in the hopes of securing an ESL position for this upcoming school year. 

And so in November, I took and passed my state licensing exam and this spring, completed an internship that would complete my license. 

Okay, so last Friday, I was interviewed and later that day, offered an elementary ESL position in a nearby district. I am so excited...my heart could burst. 

BUT, we're leaving today for Spain and this was leaving one week to get everything done. 

So on Monday, I began packing up and moving out of the classroom I have had for the last nine years. This is bittersweet. I am thrilled for this new opportunity, but it's hard to leave the community where I have so many wonderful friends and colleagues.

I had to tell my administrators (who were always incredibly supportive and knew I was actively seeking this new path) and get the administrative pieces completed in the new district...like meeting with Human Resources to sign a contract and other paperwork, finalize my license, get a physical and fingerprints and resign my current position...all before today.

And so I did. 

I spoke with my administrators and moved out on Monday, had my physical on Tuesday, and got fingerprinted and finalized my license yesterday. And amid all of this, resigned and signed my new paperwork.

I need a nap. Seriously.

And now, today is fly day. 

I am mostly packed. 

I am planning to have breakfast with my Mom and Dad before running last minute errands, like picking up my international driver's license and buying Euros. We leave for the airport at 1:00. No worries. Everything in time, my Dad says. He's right.

We don't have wifi at the house, so August is sure to be spotty, as far as updates go. In finishing my summer classes and getting a new job, there's been little time or focus to schedule posts. But, as time and wifi signal allows, I will update, most likely through Instagram, so if you're not following me, you can follow me here. 

So, hasta luego, mis amigos. Have a wonderful rest of your week. 

We will catch up soon. 

Life is Good: Reflections on June and a Linkup

One of my favorite blogs is Found Love, Now What? written by Belinda, an American expat who packed up her life to live with her British love in Wales. In addition to the wanderlust and Starbucks selfies, Belinda is now offering a fun new link-up that focuses on the positive...those small moments that make life grand. This sort of link-up is right up my alley. 

June was a great month. Here are some of the highlights: 

• I celebrated my birthday. 
• And received an iPad, completing the Apple trifecta...thank you, honey!

• School ended! Summer is here!
• I registered for my first travel conference. In September, I will attend TBEX North America to connect with hundreds of other travel writers and brands for a long weekend in Cancun. I am over-the-moon excited for this. 

• We had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with cousins from Spain who arrived to pick up their son and nephew who spent the last school year in the Buffalo area studying English in an American high school exchange program. 
• While in New York, we went to Niagara Falls and experienced Maid of the Mist. So much fun!

• We had photo booth fun at a cousin's wedding...

• I made a great white sangria to accompany my famous red sangria and I made a fabulous summer salad. 
• And thoroughly enjoyed my first late Sunday night and later Monday morning of summer vacation.

What "Life is Good" moments did you experience last month? Link up here. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday and I feel like my life is on fire. 

Maybe it's the wrong analogy, but regardless of the grammar crime, the consequence is the same...and it's all good. 

So many opportunities are presenting themselves, and I feel like I'm on the cusp of everything. It's an exciting time to be 43. 

And my mom's cake still makes me smile. How can you beat that?

There's a lot of special people who share my birthday month. Happy Birthday to us all. Here's to another glorious trip around the sun. 

Cheers!

Life is Good...Reflections on May

One of my favorite blogs is Found Love, Now What? written by Belinda, an American expat who packed up her life to live with her British love in Wales. In addition to the wanderlust and Starbucks selfies, Belinda is now offering a fun new link-up that focuses on the positive...those small moments that make life grand. This sort of link-up is right up my alley. 

In looking back, May was a great month. Here are some of the highlights: 

• I finally caught up on grading papers...for the moment. An English teacher's job is never done....until, maybe, summer. 
• I thought about the amazing teachers in my life and was blessed to receive some lovely letters from my own students as part of a school-wide Teacher Appreciation week. These touched my heart and are keepsakes I will treasure forever. 
• My love and I had some great Sunday coffee dates. 

• I attended my first Murga, a Uruguayan musical theatre performance popular during Carnival. My husband and I were lucky to get tickets to a national touring troupe's local performance.

• I was so lucky to celebrate the two mothers in my life, my own mom and my mother-in-law, as we took a road trip to Maine for Mother's Day.

• And reflect on the amazing legacy of women in my own family.  

Four generations of women, with me as an infant.

• And then, we celebrated our anniversary.

• With planning a trip to Paris this fall, where we were engaged. 

• I finally saw Frozen for the first time and, like many, still find myself humming its signature songs. 
• I was able to reconnect with two friends from high school after 25 years and we talked like it was yesterday. 
• Our local ice cream stands are open, and one night, we witnessed a miracle. A mama cow had just given birth and we were lucky to witness its first steps. 
• And, while saddened to hear of the passing of the great Maya Angelou, I was inspired to take her wisdom to heart. And so were my students. 

• And lastly, I finally finished my ESL practicum, allowing me to add this license to teach English as a Second Language. Fingers crossed that I can accept a position in my district for the next school year.

All in all, it was a great month. And there's so much to be excited about coming in June. 

What "Life is Good" moments did you experience last month?