I racked up 80+ litmag rejections in 2019. But something funny happened in 2020, and I just received three essay publication acceptances in one week. Here’s the first one. They say never write about dead…
#literarythingsmykidssay
I’ve been posting these on my Instagram feed, but wanted to make a home for the whole collection of #literarythingsmykidssay on seekingsol.com too…
Door Closed, Door Open: Notes on Literary Friendship & Residency — A Guest Blog Post on LightHouseWriters.org
Had a good deal of fun working with Courtney Zenner on this guest blog post for LightHouseWriters.org on the topic of our shared writing residency experience. Head on over to read it! Door Closed, Door…
tips for mamas at writing residency
It’s my last day of seven spent in the bliss of writing residency at the Wellstone Center. I’m not ready to fold my sweaters into my bag quite yet, but I do want to wrap up a short list of tips for mamas at writing residency (or any parent about to to downshift via writing retreat)…
Published!
It took me three years to write this personal essay. And I’m still in shock seeing my name in print in the table of contents of a literary journal. But mostly I’m feeling overwhelmed with…
Tips for Packing/Travelling/Living Abroad with Kids
Hey folks! Good news. #1. My first essay is being published. In print. In a literary journal. It took me two years of writing workshops to get this essay to publication, so I’m allowing myself…
Tips for Camping with Kids
My daughter is two and right as she’s being tucked into bed, she often ends the day with a hopeful: “Can we go camping tomorrow?” Chuckle-worthy for sure, but my husband and I did the…
An Introvert’s Step-by-Step Guide to Her 40th Birthday Party
An Introvert’s Step-by-Step Guide to Her 40-th Birthday Party Step 1: Get it Straight. By birthday party, an introvert means being alone. That is the only way she authentically parties. By introvert, a girl could…
mahalo Hawaii
(Can’t believe I forgot to post this 9-months ago. I guess that’s the way life goes these days. But without further ado, these gratitudes are still deserved and owed…) ********** Sitting on my little porch…
The gene of being.
(Thank you @Susie for the prompt.) Riva, dear Riva, Sweet, fierce, gorgeous heart and girl of 20-months of life. Can you feel our faces following yours? Your mama-moon and father-sun faces orbiting your every step,…
a shimmering sand canvas
Sister wives, Yep, I’m going to steal that apt title right hear and now. As what we have in common seems, pound for pound, more than a man, and at least as strong as a…
cheat sheet to the best child-friendly beaches on the Big Island
The lady in the jeep next to ours took one look at our littles crawling out of the car and said, “Will you please tell me the other best beaches for kids around here?” Easy….
Why Hawaii is ripe for travels with littles…
We all know why Hawaii is adult-friendly. But as we discovered with serious delight, the Big Island is also considerably keiki (Hawaiian for “little one”) friendly. Game-changer. Here’s the how and why: The island culture is relaxed….
ten reasons to do a family gap year “trial lap”
(In case you needed any?) For those that don’t know, I’m currently on work sabbatical on the big island of Hawaii dong what I have coined our family gap year trial lap. The idea was…
tips for travelling internationally with a baby
This post for all the former-free-bird mommas out there. The ones that prided themselves on traveling on a shoestring and day-bag. Mommas who sang in the silence of their own, simple, presence. Mommas who marveled the…
mama vs. the ocean
We had to pick a few family goals when designing our family gap year trial run. And one of the primary reasons we landed on the big island of Hawaii was to offer our kids…
reads: books that make me feel human (and more)
Category: Makes You Feel Human The Sun Magazine. If you consider yourself any kind of reader or writer – you MUST, must, must order The Sun Magazine. A monthly edition of advertisement-free and DELICIOUS photography,…
*updated* packing list: minimal, high-quality, active, techie, and mom-friendly.
: : : Packing List, for 1 Single Traveler Wondering how to pack everything you need into one carry-on? Some people find this process stressful, but I rather enjoy the challenge and simplicity of sorting…
travel disclaimer: read this before you travel
Should one decide to drop ones current life, in pursuit of something unknown, and specifically in foreign lands for variable amounts of time — it should be warned than any of the following may result,…
what’s happening here; a quick Fall 2017 update
You might have noticed some plumes of odd activity around this site. My Instagram feed is being fed a regular diet of photos from albums previously buried by outdated technology. Tiny urls are pointing to…
Birdlife
MY Jonathan still loves to fly, still more than anything else in the world. But there are 365 bedtimes in a year. So when I’m feeling political, which is often, my Jonathan protects the undefended, fights the ugly balding seagull bully, and is an up-stander in the face of seagull gangs. When I’m feeling romantic, Jonathon traverses oceans on wobbly wings to reach far away islands where he’ll swoop under waterfalls and over sunrises. When I’m feeling introverted my Jonathan loves more than anything else to be alone, breezing by jagged cliff sides and crashing waves in games of self-amusement.