Disneyworld. Disneyworld. Disneyworld!

I’m going to DISNEYWORLD!

Ok, that in and of itself is not all that exciting; I’ve been to Disneyworld a million times.

So, let’s try again:

I’M TAKING MY NIECE TO DISNEYWORLD!

Mia is turning 5 in a couple of weeks, and I’ve always always wanted to take her and my other nieces and nephews. I had a very important consultation with an insider (my little sister in my sorority works for Disney) and she told me that 5 is a very good time, that she’ll be old enough to remember and old enough to ride some of the rides, etc. So we thought we’d offer to the parents a trip for each niece and nephew’s 5th birthday (that way, it’s only one kid at a time!)

I cannot wait for this bonding moment. I cannot WAIT.

She is so getting Minnie Mouse ears. And so am I.

Now, the big question is, what do I make her for her birthday that tells her we’re going? We’ll probably go in the fall/winter since the girl is starting Kindergarten soon (where does the time go??)

Have a bucket list. Check it off. Life is short.

I was hanging out with Mom and Dad last week in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Dad had a rather awkward trip down the resort’s water slide. I felt badly that I’d convinced him to give it a try and he’d clearly not had a good time, but at the bottom, he turned to me and said, [...]

Sometimes, adventure is loss

When I was 15, I went on my first adventure. It wasn’t by choice. I grew up in Fort Mill, SC, a small town where everyone knew each other. My friends were mostly friends I’d had since childhood, and there was a certain security about knowing that my closest allies were always just a phone [...]

It’s not about me. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

It’s not about me. It’s not about me. It’s not about me. I keep telling myself that, but it doesn’t make this any easier. Things are changing too fast. In the past four weeks My grandmother died. My parents who live with my grandmother now have to decide what to do. And what to do [...]

A moment of time in travel

Some moments in my travels, thus far over the past few weeks … I edited all these photos using the Best Camera app, which I talk about a little more here if you want to see some “before” photos. I love that I don’t have to keep up with anything but my iPhone!

Item of the day: Scaring teenage cashiers (a Mia story)

So, you probably know that I recently lost my grandmother, Mia. I was just thinking about the last time I hung out with her, a few days before she died, and I wanted to share this story. I took Mia to run some errands. The first place we went was Lowe’s Home Improvement. Mia hobbled with [...]

What if my friends hate each other? Hey, what if they don’t?

So, I blogged recently about running a race in Atlanta and how much fun and motivating that was. What I didn’t really tell you was that it was such a fun weekend that I had a hard time choosing which parts to share with you. The background: It really wasn’t my trip to plan. Scott [...]

So close I could taste it (literally)

Kevin reminded me this was not the first time I’d seen this. He says that when we were kids driving out west, we saw a dust storm that actually formed a funnel cloud. How did I forget that? No clue. But, there I was on Tuesday night, hanging out with Anil at his place in [...]

Something is missing

This time was not supposed to be any different. I’ve run a million races by now, and there was nothing to indicate that a short 10K would be too much of a challenge for me. So when Jeff and Scott made a bet  that ended with me getting a free race entry into the a 10K [...]

‘Holy cow, what a ride’

The house feels different to me now. The huge white pitched ceiling with its wooden beams is closer to my head, even when I am sitting in my grandfather’s old recliner. I pause to reflect on the hugeness of the living room I remember as a child. Today the ceiling, the walls, the furniture are [...]