All posts by Kirsetin

Hitting the Pause Button…on Blogging. Thanks, Blissdom.

balance, life, writing

Happening around here this week…

  • My son has been driving me around, from Target to Costco and beyond, practicing with his permit.
  • My other son is away at a sleepover camp, and I heard he’s already downed 7 blue slushies.
  • My littlest boy tried out for a soccer team for the first time ever. Even though he made a team, I tryouts at this age make me shudder.
  • My great-grandma in-law is turning 90 and dealing with dementia.
  • My mother had surgery. (She’s doing fine, thanks.)

Post-worthy topics, all of these.

There’s so much to say. So much to share with and learn from all of you.

But I’m not going to post about any of these things.

This past February, I attended Blissdom, an information-packed, fun-filled, swag-fantastic blogging conference. I’d been taking an online writing class from Meagan Francis and several of my classmates at Blissdom, too. I met Danielle and Sarah and Doña and our fearless leader Meagan; I met my editor at Babble; I listened to the wise words of Jon Acuff and Jeff Goins and Michael Hyatt.

And by the way…Michael Hyatt? He’s a rock star. If I turn out half as solid as that guy, I’m golden.

The speakers challenged me in so many ways, but most of all they challenged me to go deeper. To write what I love. To be who I am. It sounds wishy-washy and woo-woo-y and obvious, I know, but I promise you it’s not.

It’s about using this one short life intentionally. It’s thinking about the end of my life and what I want my family and friends to remember. It’s thinking about if that happened, right now, what they really would remember—and making changes while I still can.

It’s thinking about what matters most.

I’ve been blogging for several years about kids and life, reading, learning, travel, and more. So much more. I’ve found friends and a community I never realized existed. I treasure all of that.

But today I’m hitting the pause button. I’ve ramped up my freelance writing for magazines and businesses, which is fantastically fun. It also means I have deadlines in addition to a family and friends. And yoga. And playing basketball. And travelling. You get the picture.

I’m taking a few months off from blogging, but I’ll be writing more than ever. You can still find old content by clicking the words in the cloud on the left—it’s not going anywhere.

And in the meantime, if you need a writer or speaker, by all means, holla.

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Tired of Intolerance? How Giving a Book Can Help:

books, perspective, travel, Wise Words

“A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance.”

– Lyndon Baines Johnson

Some of my favorite things: laughing with good friends; a thought-provoking book; travelling with my family; a cold glass of dark beer; the sound of waves crashing on the shore; peace, quiet, and a fireplace; a glass of red wine; rain at the beach; raucous laughter; a guy with a guitar; body surfing all day; a challenging morning of yoga.

As I thought about two of my perennial favorites, travel and reading, I wondered this: isn’t reading a form of travel, in its own way?

Think about it.

When we open one of those books that invite us in, that still make us think long after we turn the last page, we look outward. Our self-centered focus falls away as we immerse ourselves in the lives of the characters. The same thing happens when we wander the alleys of a new place or explore ancient ruins—all at once we come face to face with our very small place in this very big world.

How about Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle? Or Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth? Have you read them? (If not, what are you waiting for?!) Powerful books like these transport us to places we’ve never been; they connect us to people whose life experiences are fundamentally different from ours. When we read them, a schism forms between our pre-conceptions and reality. What we thought we knew to be true begins to shake. And shift.

Whether we’re transported by pages or vehicles we forget, for awhile, the problems and issues that loom large in our everyday lives. Our minds are free to see things anew.

Do you have a book you’d recommend that opened your eyes or changed your mind?

(Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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Can Travel Change the World?

life, perspective, travel, Uncategorized, Wise Words, , ,

When I think about where to travel next, I think of this quote by Susan Sontag:

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

I’m smiling now, just reading her words.

Here are a few protests I hear against travel:

  • It’s too expensive.
  • It’s too difficult to plan.
  • I don’t have anyone to watch my kids.
  • There’s plenty to see here.

To which my responses are:

  • Travel doesn’t have to be super expensive. Yes, it costs money. But if you can afford to hit the amusement park and go out to dinner, it’s do-able.
  • It’s not difficult. It can, however, be time consuming.
  • Take your kids with you!
  • Have you seen all of it?

I have a dear friend who has no interest in international travel, and I simply can’t get my mind around that idea. But even if you’re with her, travel doesn’t have to mean cafés in Europe or safaris in South Africa. It doesn’t even have to mean flying on a plane. Some of the most beautiful places in the world are right here in our country. If you’re willing to drive, you can find them.

I’ve written (too much?) about my perceived benefits of travel: travel with kids, without kids, travel as a kid.  And I didn’t even mention the obvious: to relax and enjoy ourselves without the weight of our usual day-to-day responsibilities. And although relaxing is important, my experience is that it’s rarely the sole benefit of time in a new place.

There are so many different cultures and landscapes right here in our country, within each region, even, that I’m not sure we can ever experience all of them. But my biggest argument for trying is this: Compassion. Understanding. Grace.  It’s a big world, filled with millions of people’s lives and thoughts and experiences. Imagine what it would be like if we all learned from each other.

I’m not sure if travel can change the world. But I know it can change your life.

Agree? Disagree? Why do you travel?

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