On Hollywood’s biggest night, as one of the creators of the Oscar-winning movie Everything Everywhere All At Once accepted his golden statue, he mentioned that his “imposter syndrome was at an all-time high.” Seriously, this guy is part of the team that swept seven awards that night—and he still didn’t feel like he fully deserved to be there. If this doesn’t say how strong our thoughts are and how much weight we give them, I don’t know what does. 

I accept all forms of sitting back and relaxing to read for pleasure! But wait, if you read right now, I'll throw in a curious person in the other room who wanders in to ask you what you are laughing at. And that's not all! Along with the health benefits of sitting back, relaxing, laughing, and piquing a bystander's curiosity, you will get access to my other articles for free with a money-back guarantee! 

Connection happens in all sorts of ways.

There is connection to family.

There are friends, well known and loved ones, ones seen only in passing or known long ago, but yet connected still, and part of life.

There is connection to community built around all sorts of things, among them faith, sport, food, occupation...

When my husband and I decided to do this six months of travel before settling in Arizona, there were many things we didn't consider. 

For instance, we didn't consider not doing it. You see, we are very good at deciding and fairly good at planning, but not strong at considering. Considering often comes before (and continues during) planning. Considering requires some degree of hesitancy. 

These days we can’t go more than four minutes on any social media platform without noticing someone sharing about doing life their own way. Any number of hashtags, from vanlife to roadschooling and living off the grid, pop up to intrigue viewers to follow the journey of those choosing to do their own thing. Perhaps we’re moving into a time of life where the non-traditional is becoming traditional, or perhaps, if that’s not the case, it’s the bubble in which my brain wants to live. 

News of natural disasters comes from Turkey and Syria and New Zealand. There’s the ongoing war in Ukraine and strife in Myanmar and Ethiopia. There are shootings, arguments, food insecurity, racism, political division around the globe, the ongoing effects of climate change, anger in public and private life...

All of which can make for a rather bleak scenario. Musicians live through these things, too. Often, there are threads of hope and resilience to be found in what they create.

This summer, my husband and I undertook a move. A relocation from Massachusetts to Arizona has been undertaken by others, no doubt. We decided to make things a little more interesting than a direct route. We headed north. Our circuitous route is winding us through Newfoundland, Portugal, and North Carolina. When one would think to take the southerly route from the Carolina’s to Arizona in the winter months, we will make Bugs Bunny’s famous right turn at Albuquerque to get to Bozeman, Montana. Then, we’ll drive to Arizona.

Life is messy. If only we knew that as teenagers, perhaps we wouldn’t have been so hard on ourselves about not knowing so many things—like what major we want, what path we wish to take, where we want to live, how we can best help make the world better, what we want to be when we get older, how much money we ‘should’ have, and all of the zillion other questions that rattle around our minds once we begin to think about how we might ‘fit’ in the world at large. 

Color, beauty, art...what more can we ask for in our homes—and lives? One more thing: 

Make it big! 

I recently discovered Big Wall Décor, a fantastic company focused on bringing affordable large-scale art to everyone. Read our interview with founder Nick Ford to get inspired!

It is winter in the northern hemisphere now, January.

I have always found this time of year time for reflection, for creativity, for seeking peace, and of course, for wondering and considering about what the new year will bring.