News Incoming

I want to announce that I have an announcement.

This time a year ago I was preparing to go on the journey of my dreams (well, one of them).

Three years ago, in 2021, my sister had picked up and high-tailed it from the US to Finland, just barely getting in during a brief window of time when foreigners were being allowed entry while most covid restrictions were still in full swing. I was so happy for her, but we missed each other terribly. It's hard to live across the world from your best friend.

Now let us hop back to last year:

One fine day in January 2023, when I was actually traveling to Mexico with my parents (crazy story), she called me while we were at the airport to tell me she was tired of not seeing my face in person, and that she'd bought me a ticket to fly out to her in May. I was shocked. My parents and husband were tickled, having been in on the secret. After we ended the video call I went back to our gate and cried and cried... and my mom only had one Kleenex with her. Geez louise, Mom.

In the weeks that followed there was much planning, booking, deliberating, and packing. As departure day neared, I was pretty nervous. I've traveled by plane plenty of times, but never by myself.

Maybe you don't know this about me, but even on the ground I am a very directionally-challenged person. I will always be happy to operate the vehicle for a trip, as long as someone else is telling me exactly where to turn and when, but I easily miss signs and exits, and I CONSTANTLY misapply East and West, as well as left and right, when I’m trying to navigate for someone else. It's like I have to hear the word come out of my mouth before I can know if that's what I really meant. It's pretty bad, and my husband takes great joy in making fun of me for it. HOWEVER. I did make it all the way to Finland without a problem. I even thoroughly enjoyed the journey itself, except for one case of being utterly confused by a deceptive clock on a disconcerting train during my homebound journey, which I was certain was going to make me late for my plane. Terrifying.

But Patience and I had THEE MOST fantastic time, as you can observe here:

A year later here I am, again preparing for a journey, but of a very different kind.

This is a journey that also involves dreams coming true, not just for me, but hopefully for a lot of other people, too. I'm really nervous, actually... but I'm more excited, and I can't wait to share it with you.

"Departure" date is May 5th. Want to come along?

Of course this is something I would say. “On the Road” by Story People, you can order it here.