Author Archives: Nicole

Single Lady Living

      No Comments on Single Lady Living

This weird-ass Covid summer is simultaneously dragging ass and flying by. I couldn’t believe that the last post I wrote was back in May. So much has happened since then that it seems almost a lifetime ago. Granted, 2020 seems to have created a bizarre warp in the fabric of spacetime, but still! Covid stay-at-home orders, the punch-drunk economy, and… Read more »

Dobby is Free

      No Comments on Dobby is Free

Ok, I will immediately know if my readers are Harry Potter fans with that headline. My divorce was finalized a few days ago. The weeks of me doing the work of an attorney and listening to my ex-husband complain about every damn detail of the process are finally over. Even though it was sad to realize that after fifteen years… Read more »

Coping

      No Comments on Coping

Between dealing with my impending divorce, work, the chores needed to untangle my life from my soon-to-be-ex’s, getting the condo ready to put on the market, a busy work load, and the stay-at-home order I’ve been living under for the past month and a half – let’s just say I’ve got a lot going on. The burden of the divorce… Read more »

Numb

      No Comments on Numb

With the implosion of my marriage and the ongoing pandemic ravaging the world right now, I think I can be forgiven for feeling rage, sadness, fear, and anxiety. But right now while I’m trying to deal with an impending divorce, concern for the health of my friends and family, the significant fear of the unknown of what my life is… Read more »

Catharsis Under Self-Quarantine

      No Comments on Catharsis Under Self-Quarantine

These are very strange times we’re living in. The Covid-19 virus is burning through the globe, prompting governments to declare that their citizens must self-quarantine, shelter in place, or otherwise restrict their movements to prevent the spread of the contagion. I have been working from home for over a year now. Open plan offices are not conducive for me to… Read more »

2020 – The Year of the Great Social Upheaval

This year is not turning out the way any of us wanted. The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down. There is the very human loss of life, which is agonizing for the families and friends of the thousands who died. There is the loss of personal freedom of movement as millions are under strict restrictions that prohibit gathering… Read more »

Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Rome to Home

      1 Comment on Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Rome to Home

After our way-too-early drop off at the Leonardo DiVinci Airport in Rome, we flew from Rome to Brussels on Brussels Airways. Despite the plane being a quarter-full, our row ended up with me, my husband, and some rando dude all squished into one row, and somehow I ended up in the middle seat. I politely asked the flight attendant if… Read more »

Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Rome

      2 Comments on Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Rome

After we dropped off our rental car at the Leonardo DiVinci Airport, we hopped on a train to reach our lodging in Rome. Because my hubby was the one booking the accommodation, I wasn’t the one responsible for getting us from the train station to the front door. So naturally, we ended up walking in a massive circle dragging our… Read more »

Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Val D’Orcia

      1 Comment on Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Val D’Orcia

After spending an afternoon checking out Siena, we hopped into the rental car and headed south on SR2. The road cuts through the increasingly rugged terrain. Whereas northern Tuscany is gently rolling hills, southern Tuscany gets more wild. After about 45 minutes on SR2, we took a few roundabout exits underneath the hilltop town of Montalcino, eventually ending up on… Read more »

Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Northern Tuscany

      2 Comments on Thanksgiving Abroad 2019 – Northern Tuscany

After our stay in Florence, it was time to check out some more bucolic Italian environs. We slogged our way through driving rain back to the tram and rode to the Florence airport to pick up our rental car. As usual, we finally got into our car only to discover that although we paid for “in-car WiFi”, the car rental… Read more »