Let’s start things off by going behind the curtains here in the Land of Newsletters - a distant cousin to the Land of Oz. Both involve a journey. The Land of Oz, as you know, was all about Dorothy’s journey home. Lucky gal - she had a good witch to clue her in on the heel clicking/no place like home routine needed to get back to Kansas. In the Land of Newsletters, my goal is also to “get back to Kansas” which means publishing What I’d Rather Be Talking About - every Thursday, and two days later, the Saturday Sidebar. Most weeks, the topics come pretty easily, and almost always in an odd ..read more

Buenos Dias, A quick note to you before I head to my 9:30 Hot Yoga Class, a non-negotiable on my weekly calendar. I do it to sweat out the toxins of the week, slow my mind down, and get in a weekend frame of mind. I’ve actually been doing hot yoga for years and have had my fair share of classes and teachers. Most give my body just what it needs and slow down traffic in the super highway I call my brain. If I’m lucky, some classes lead to divine inspiration or, at the very least, give me the mental space to work out a problem. Photo by Ginny Rose Stewart on Unsplash However, some classes s ..read more

Okay, so the headline was sort of a lie. My 21 y/o self didn’t really email me. (Shocker) But it sure did feel like it when I received an email from a senior attending my alma mater. She explained she’d found me through the MU Career Network and that she had a major similar to mine. She told me she wasn’t sure how to proceed with her job search. I pictured myself in her shoes. I totally remember how I felt at that age. I had similar questions but wasn’t as clever as she was - reaching out to an alum. This very impressive and resourceful go-getter also told me she was interested in my career ..read more

Hello Saturday Crew! If you follow golf, you know that it’s Masters Weekend. Personally, I’m Team Rory, with Jon Rahm a close second. I’m intrigued by Rory’s strategy to prepare for the Masters. In the week leading up to the tournament, he tried to eliminate distractions and focused on staying relaxed and in the right frame of mind. It’ll be interesting to see how that works out. I say it’s a solid strategy - on and off the course. Maybe you’re reading this and are thinking, “Who’s Rory?” or “I’ll watch the Masters only if I need help taking an afternoon nap.” that’s okay, too; the info I ..read more

Welcome back to the Saturday Sidebar, the little sister of What I’d Rather Be Talking About. Today’s newsletter is for paid subscribers. If you’d like to see what’s found below the paywall?, you can dip your toes in the water and sign up for a 7-day trial and see today’s features: * Eclipse facts, safety tips, & travel advice * An 80s Eclipse Flashback * Wine & food pairing advice, new streaming, and more weekend goods * Best of all, an audio version. You don’t even have to read this one! And there is no need to commit - it’s just a trial! Either way, I appreciate you taking the tim ..read more

Good Morning! Today's newsletter is sponsored by the most important meal of the day. Breakfast. (At least that’s what they told us in grade school.) You may be wondering, “Why is an entire newsletter dedicated to breakfast?” That’s a great question, and the answer is a strange one. I came up with today’s topic after a trip to Costco last Friday when I joined six hundred or so other shoppers who were also looking to get a head start on weekend errands. After almost an hour of dodging carts and trying to avoid screaming children (like two-year-old Avery, who somehow appeared in every aisle ..read more

144 Times. One hundred and forty- four. According to PC Mag, that’s the average number of times Americans check their phones per day. Personally, I think that’s kind of low. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging; I’m thinking about my own phone addiction. And I suspect you or someone you know is also tethered to their device. But whatever. I’m not here to tell you how much to use your phone. That would be annoying. And hypocritical. The phone bit was to get your attention. ? Whether it’s a phone or one of the other gazillion distractions in our world… (I bet you know what I’m about to say) We ..read more

Buenos Dias, If you’re a regular reader, you know how much I love time travel. So, today, I’m taking you back a year.? This time last year, I was headed to Zamora, Spain, to experience and write about Holy Week or Semana Santa. The cool part about my flight to Spain was that I’d be flying with my friends from Spain, Rocio and Rodrigo. In a crazy worlds-colliding way, their US trip would end just as my Spain trip was beginning, meaning we could fly to Madrid together. Their trip had been planned months before my Zamora trip was even a thing - they were coming to visit my husband and me an ..read more

Welcome to The Saturday Sidebar - the little sister of my weekly newsletter, What I’d Rather Be Talking About. Both newsletters blend wellness, travel, career, trends, and personal development with a little bit of inspiration. The Saturday Sidebar offers exclusive interviews, content, and special features. To read the entire Saturday Sidebar, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Subscribe now I’m starting things out today with a housekeeping item: Other than the device you’re reading this on, you won’t need your phone or computer to take action. If you’re looking for clickables, check the ..read more

Hey, Happy Thursday. I’m starting today with a little time travel, back to the spring of 1999. At the time, I was wrapping up student teaching and just starting to interview. My goal was to teach middle or high school Spanish.??‍? I was as qualified as the next person, but I felt I was behind the ? ball because I was entering the teaching profession after working in TV for five years. Basically, me sentí como un impostor. I felt like an imposter. I thought my Spanish wasn’t up to par.?️ I thought I was too old to start something new.?? I thought my career experience would hurt versus ..read more