The Journey Begins

I used to wonder when I’d finally feel like an adult. When would that moment arrive where I felt a deep respect for myself and my decisions? The funny thing is, it eventually did happen—but the realization only hit me well past my fiftieth birthday.

I think part of this came from never being married or having children. My life didn’t have those typical markers—watching children grow into adults or facing the highs and lows of life with a spouse. There was no shared journey through career challenges, home purchases, or planning epic family vacations.

Living on a single income meant I often felt limited, barely managing more than paying my bills, all while chasing an ideal of success that society told me I should be aiming for. I was influenced by the books I read, and the lives I saw—both real and fictional—on television and in movies, convinced that fulfillment was something “out there,” always just beyond reach.

Then one day, it hit me: I had been living a life shaped by someone else’s expectations when in reality, the things that truly marked success for me were already present. Now, at fifty-six, I’ve decided it’s time to create a life where I no longer work for someone else but instead live a life that’s wholly, authentically mine.

That’s what this website is all about. It’s my creative documentation of who I am, the life I’m building, and the journey I’m on to get there.

What does that vision look like? I see a woman with a cozy ranch home on a modest acre of land. She also travels the country in a van—not to live in it, but to explore, with a place to eat, sleep, and dream along the way. I see a storyteller who writes fun, romantic, action-filled novels with a touch of reality and a happily-ever-after. She gardens, tends to chickens and perhaps a few goats, and lives off her land. She fills her days with drawing, painting, sewing, and devouring books. And most importantly, she lives guided by the principles of the Bible, maintaining a strong relationship with her God.

What I can’t yet see is who might share this life with me beyond my family. I don’t know if the life I’m creating will include a future husband, or if I’ll continue this journey solo, enriched by the love of family and friends from my congregation. I haven’t given up hope that love and happiness with a kind-hearted man could still be part of my story, even in this season of my life.

This is who I am and where I’m headed. Let’s see how long it takes to reach the destination.