Destinations
-
Things I Wished I Had Said
An Idea Becomes Reality My late husband Eric was never one to have anyone to make a fuss over him. His birthdays were never a big deal. I am absolutely positive he wouldn’t want his death to be a big deal either. But yet I felt I had to do something for the community he Continue reading
-
A Horseback Ride in Colorado
Horseback Ride? Heck YES! While on my second visit to this wildly adventurous state, I took a horseback ride through the mountains. It’s been a minute since I took this trip to Colorado but I’ve been wanting to tell you about it. I’ll begin by saying I had no idea what I was in for Continue reading
-
Feeding My California Love
How My California Love Started My love for California started six years ago. I flew in to Ontario airport for the Nocturnal Wonderland Festival in the hills outside San Bernardino. The drive to the hotel was almost an hour. I remember thinking the landscape looked similar to Las Vegas but then it didn’t. That weekend Continue reading
-
Tattoo Convention in Pamona, CA
Arriving for the Tattoo Convention I had the good fortune of traveling to California recently. The Body Art Expo in Pamona, California was in June and I attended with my good friend and tattoo artist Rich Shires of Tattoo 42 in Beaverton, Oregon. Flying into LAX on Saturday evening was an experience in itself. I’ve Continue reading
-
Going Home, A Midwest Story
Going Up North The drive didn’t take long. The usual four and a half hours. This trip was different though. This time I was going to do something that was long overdue. My husband is going home. I’m taking his ashes back to his home state of Indiana. I decided to spread part of his Continue reading
-
About My Leg- The Other Tattoo Story
St. James Here is the other tattoo story I told you I would get to. It’s about my leg. Well my leg is where it landed, the tattoo was happening regardless. This tattoo idea actually started way back in the early 2000’s. If you are a Louisville native then you probably have heard of the Continue reading
-
New Tattoos And More Adventure
A different direction I got new tattoos. It’s a subject I haven’t talked about much. The whole process of thinking and doing was all very emotional because as we all know, my old artist (my husband Eric) is no longer with us. This left me with a lot of unfinished work. After owning a tattoo Continue reading
-
Pendleton Oregon
Portland to Pendleton Oregon I passed through Pendleton Oregon as I drove Interstate 84 out of The Dulles and the Columbia River Gorge traveling from Portland to Boise. I have driven this stretch of highway twice now and both times was in awe by this mountain that rises up in a distance. The climb is Continue reading
-
Four Wheeling In Colorado
Labor Day in Colorado I want to start off by saying I’ve never been four wheeling in the mountains. I don’t have any experience with four wheeling in general. It’s just not something I do however, who am I to say no to adventure? This day was just extra to an already incredible trip as Continue reading
-
My Personal Tour of Chicago Lakefront Parks
Let’s Begin My Personal Tour I’m so excited to give you my personal tour. Chicago has been a favorite destination of mine for a long time. The city offers so much to do, see, and experience. Besides housing great works of art, these parks also host a variety of events throughout the year. The reason Continue reading
#acrosstheusa, #adventure, #agora, #art, #blueskies, #bluewidow, #buckinghamfountain, #buildings, #chicago, #chicagoillinois, #city, #cloudgate, #downtown, #findingpeace, #flower, #fountain, #grantpark, #grass, #illinois, #journey, #lakefront, #lakemichigan, #lilies, #lily, #metal, #midwest, #milleniumpark, #park, #peace, #roadtrip, #sculpture, #statue, #thebean, #tour, #travel, #walk, #wanderlust, #widow, #widowchronicles, thewidow -
A Castle in Colorado, Visiting Bishop Castle
First Impressions First off, I want to say when I decided to visit a castle in Colorado, this was not what I was expecting. I knew nothing about this place beforehand. After driving more than hour, what I encountered was easily something out of fairytales and days gone by. Parking was on the road and Continue reading
-
Three Bridges in California
About Three Bridges This past February, I was fortunate enough to get back out to Redding, California. I spent a couple of weeks with my good friends Sam and Kristian. One day Kristian wanted to show me a few of her favorite spots in Shasta-Trinity National Forest north of Redding, especially this one particular place Continue reading
#abandoned, #abandonedbridges, #abandonedplaces, #acrosstheusa, #adventure, #blueskies, #bluewidow, #bridges, #california, #findingpeace, #forest, #graffiti, #grief, #peace, #redding, #reddingcalifornia, #roadtrip, #shastatrinitynationalforest, #stream, #travel, #trees, #wanderlust, #widow, #widowchronicles
About Me and My Grief Journey
My grief journey began in the Summer of 2020. I became a widow overnight. Without warning, my entire life was turned upside down, broken into pieces I didn’t know how to put back together. Writing became my anchor—my way to breathe, process, and heal, even in small, fractured moments.
After losing Eric, I was diagnosed with PTSD, complicated grief, and an anxiety disorder. For a long time, I was paralyzed by my own emotions. I traveled across the U.S. for over two years, mostly alone, learning how to carry myself through the aftermath of sudden loss.
Along the way, I found love again. Greg became an important part of my life, bringing companionship, laughter, and even new challenges. Losing him to suicide has been another unimaginable heartbreak that shapes much of what I write here. Through it all, my emotional support animals —Odin (dog) and Freija (cat)— keep me grounded and remind me there is still love, life, and care to give.
I moved and now reside in Chicago, Illinois. This city, this home, is my space to rebuild, to grieve, and to explore who I am beyond loss.
What you will find here
This blog started as a place to house my writing. Over time, it’s become much more. Here, I reflect on grief, healing, and the messy, beautiful, often difficult journey of life after sudden loss. I write about my day-to-day experiences, the struggles and triumphs with my diagnoses, and anything else that captures my heart and attention.
My journey on podcasts
Many of my articles are available in podcast form on Spotify and Amazon Music. I welcome your comments—I love feedback. Let’s share this journey together, and maybe find adventure along the way.