“The land of plenty”“The land of the free”“The land of opportunity” As a citizen elsewhere in the world, I wondered “Can the United States be THAT incredible?” Living in Canada watching high taxes eating away at our income, I thought moving to the USA and becoming an American would be a sound …
Real Life Stories & Reflections
Stories from the road and the heart. In Real Life, I share reflections on travel, personal growth, and the everyday experiences that remind us what truly feels like home. These moments aren’t always picture-perfect—but they’re real, and they shape who we become.
The Ghosts of San Antonio
“I have no doubt of the time being close at hand when I will be rewarded for letting my tongue speak what my heart thinks.” Davy Crockett, August 11, 1835 I knew Davy Crockett as the King of the Wild Frontier, but didn’t know he was in the Battle of the Alamo. Growing up in …
Shoulders
“Take off your shirt.” I looked at him in disbelief. “You take off yours, I’ll take off mine.” I scrutinized the number of people in the room… I’ve always been a shy person, and even at 20, there was no way I was stripping down in a sports bar full of men, especially since I was the bartender, and …
The Business of Death
"'Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes," The Cobbler of Preston by Christopher Bullock (1716) The first funeral I attended without my family was for a schoolmate during high school. As I walked into the viewing room, I heard the wailing. His mother was hugging every person …
Ghosts of the Past
While standing in your present, you can't possibly know who will impact you in the future or whether you will have an effect on those who have just come into your life. Only when you look backwards can you see the strands that tie you together. In 1992, my husband and I built a house an hour and …
The Places in Between
When I started my full-time journey, I wanted to experience every square mile of this continent. I wanted to travel a bit, stay a month, travel up the road a few hundred miles and stay a month more. My plan hasn't quite worked for a variety of reasons, but I have traversed amazing locations and seen …
