I prefer ample personal space, and I love to travel. When I don’t have these things, I feel claustrophobic.  Last spring, the walls closed in on me. My living situation shifted positively, but in a way that shrunk my personal space. My finances withered due to a lack of muggle's work, which was a boon for rewriting my memoir, but left me with few resources to travel. My summer looked bleak. I didn’t have the funds to pay my editor, so I couldn’t move forward with the next steps with the book. What was I going to do with all of this precious time and energy?  A low-level panic started to creep in. I decided to put myself out on a limb and offer a month-long writing intensive. I had never done anything like it before, but I needed something magnificent to do, and I needed some cash. To my great surprise and delight, eight incredible women signed up for the tarot-infused writing immersion. Out of the muck of a dark, challenging spring, a lotus bloomed. It never would have happened if everything in the spring had gone as “planned”. I never would have put myself out there if it hadn’t been for the exact circumstances necessary to pry me, once again, out of my comfort zone. 

This story has been moved to the Women Who Write to Heal Archives

A well-intentioned woman I barely know hinted that she viewed me as neutral on the issues facing our world. This was a fascinating comment. Not upsetting, but intriguing. Her comment was based on what she knows of me from social media. 

It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, but what if the feet were actually the doorway to the divine? These ideas point to a deeper way of experiencing the world, and so there is usefulness in imagining they both could be true. 

Do you believe anyone is entitled to offer you criticism and/or feedback on your writing? 

It’s been a couple of weeks since I returned from India. I am, for the most part, recovered from international and perhaps interdimensional travel. 

It is day 13 of 35 in Mysore, India. The trip here went fine, except that it was brutally long and uncomfortable. My apartment is centrally situated in the famed Gokulam yoga neighborhood. The small studio is simple, clean, and comfortable, and it's right down the street from the yoga shala where I practice every morning. The neighborhood is upper class, with Indian style stone mini-mansions and gorgeous, loungy, vegetarian cafes. The weather could not be more perfect - warm and breezy. It’s easy to get around, and so far, almost everyone has been polite and helpful. So all of my root chakra basic needs are met. Safe and sound. Check. 

As you may know, I'm an advocate for overcoming fear and speaking the truth about lived experiences to promote healing. I wrote a blog a while back sharing some of my insights on this topic, and here are some more insights based on recent developments. 

I had a flu that lasted for over two weeks. During that time, I scrolled the news at the rate of an IV drip—a temporary fever-induced endorphin addiction.  The surreal images of world leaders flashed in my mind like a dark circus. The wrinkles between my eyes deepened. 

In the darkest moment, there is a reason to hope.  

If I could choose to go to lunch with any celebrity(s), I would choose Jonathon Van Ness, Cheryl Strayed, and Elizabeth Gilbert. I would like to dine with all of them at once. One big brunch. Here is why I choose these three. 

As my life shifts and changes, I desire to become more empowered and conscious about how I use social media and I wanted to share some of what I am going through.  I’ll share three questions I have been asking myself and journaling about, which are leading me in a nice direction.