For twenty years I was a school nurse. Though I've been retired from that position for over five years, I still find myself following the rhythm of the school year. By this time, with the holiday stretch from Thanksgiving through the MLK Holiday weekend, the reality of winter and the long road to Spring break … Continue reading Planning Your Next Pilgrimage
Solo journeys
Opening the Door to a New Beginning
Last Thursday I took another step to move toward the next chapter of my life: I closed on a townhouse. I've never bought a home by myself. Unlocking the door for the first time, felt like having the golden key to my new kingdom. I was moving out of the muddy river of the in-between-time … Continue reading Opening the Door to a New Beginning
Seasons: Online Dating
I left in summer for Scotland and returned in fall--with the trees in the beginning of their autumnal hues and displays of pumpkins and mums in stores and on porches. How quickly life moves forward from day to day and season to season. It catches me by surprise--no matter how much I orient myself with … Continue reading Seasons: Online Dating
One Fun Night in Dublin
On September 8th, when Kim and I were waiting for our flight to Scotland at the Raleigh-Durham Airport, news came of Queen Elizabeth II's passing. The next days, as we walked through the historic cobblestone streets of Edinburgh, preparations had started for the arrival of her procession from Balmoral. What pageantry followed as Great Britain's … Continue reading One Fun Night in Dublin
“Will You Forgive Me?” : Online Dating
We'd met through an online dating site at the end of December. It was easy to talk with him from the very first message. We shared a love of music, activities including dancing, family, faith-- and surprisingly, words--me, primarily with writing and for him-- public speaking. We laughed easily and had a similar energy. The … Continue reading “Will You Forgive Me?” : Online Dating
Taking a Risk in Kentucky
Lately I've been remembering my solo journey in 2016 that was the longest I've ever taken. That year I traveled to Kentucky, to a rural area that was an hour, northeast of Lexington. There I attended an artist's residency at Artcroft, a program that provided living quarters and studios for artists-- including writers. I'd learned … Continue reading Taking a Risk in Kentucky
A New Thing Springing Up
Last week, I talked with a friend and she noted that she'd been in a "blah mood"--but couldn't figure out why. There were no new challenges, no worries at present about medical tests results for family or friends, nothing bad had happened. She could list things she was grateful for--but still felt her spirit was … Continue reading A New Thing Springing Up
People in Our Path: Online Dating
When I first realized that I would be out on the 'dating scene,' going through a divorce at sixty-five years old, I had no idea that would occur during a pandemic. When I thought about dating, I remembered back to when I last went out at twenty-two, before I was engaged to my future husband. … Continue reading People in Our Path: Online Dating
Like No One’s Watching
This time of year, I remember back to those days of working as a middle school nurse. The long weekend for the Martin Luther King Holiday was followed by the dreaded stretch through gray winter to spring break. I often found myself daydreaming about summer when I'd go on my solo journey. I started taking … Continue reading Like No One’s Watching
Saturday Morning in Paris
The chilly breeze yesterday morning, walking in my neighborhood with the tree limbs moving about with leaves edging into fall, reminded me of three years ago in Paris. My husband and I'd flown into Charles de Gaulle Airport early on Thursday morning for a trip that would celebrate my retirement from school nursing. Photo by … Continue reading Saturday Morning in Paris
Connie Rosser Riddle 