How I’m Healing My Chronic Fatigue
I have a disease with no cure. Well, no medically-approved cure. As many people with chronic health issues will tell you: that doesn’t mean you can’t get better. Or at least feel better. I developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome about three years ago, and I’ve spent countless hours trying to get well. Here, I’d like to share what’s helped me, and…
Why I Only Have One Child
When my son was about six months old, the comments began. Time for another one, they said. He needs a sibling. At first I laughed it off. I blamed lack of sleep and fresh memories of childbirth. But with each of my son’s milestones, my excuses started to get weaker and weaker. Because the truth felt shameful: my body and mind…
Raising Bébé in France
When my son was four months old, we moved to a tiny village in the South of France. It was the most idyllic place I’d ever lived, with 18th century stone façades, vineyards, and a quiet river running through. The perfect setting to raise a child. Like most women, I’d imagined my parenting style would look something like my own mother…
A City Girl’s Guide To Composting
I always thought of myself as a true Midwestern girl—descended from farmers, with grit and dirt in my blood. Then I went to work on an organic farm. According to the real farmers, I was a city girl who didn’t know the first thing about dirt. These people grew food in the desert, made their own worm tea (a natural fertilizer…
How to Eat Cheese Like the French
I thought I knew a little something about cheese…and then I moved to France. Not only are there delicious cheeses in abundance, but there are also RULES about cheese: how it will be served, how you will cut it, how you will taste it. No more eating sub-par cheese straight from the block à la Liz Lemon. It’s time to…
Why I Pay More For Ethical Clothes
I grew up in central Illinois with strong German-Lutheran roots. We made jello salads, sat in the same pew every Sunday, and more than anything loved to brag about a good deal. To this day, if I get a good price on something, I will feel compelled to tell you about it the moment you mention the item. Like my…
My Chronic Fatigue Story
Three years ago, I had a new baby, a new job, and a one-way ticket to France. This seemed surprisingly normal to me. I’d been in the habit of clustering major life changes. Within a few months of graduating college, I was engaged and traveling in Turkey. Three weeks after Sam and I got married, we moved to Kosovo and…
Building a Slow, Ethical, and Healing Lifestyle
