Writing in the Year of Our Lord Covid

I have always prided myself on being a fast writer. My speed allowed me to begin writing full-time before my debut novel was published, thanks to a series of ghostwriting and work-for-hire gigs. Freelancing is a fast-paced, insecure world. I never knew when or from where my next paycheck will be coming, so I tended […]

The Dirty Secret About Travel

It doesn’t come up often in the perfect Instagram shots, the #livelaughlove tags, the cutesy captions. Even when I’m talking to friends back home in person, recounting my trips, I hardly ever bring it up. It sounds too much like a humblebrag, a lucky person problem. It is. I get that.

But anyone who’s traveled […]

Pandemic Must-Reads

In what feels like 5 years worth of breaking news compressed into a week, Coronavirus has officially been declared a pandemic, the entire NHL got suspended, Europeans can’t fly to the US for 30 days (but Americans living or currently visiting Europe can because, as we all know, our rabid patriotism makes us naturally immune […]

So I Moved to Lisbon

Everyone I’ve talked to lately, whether before, during or after my transcontinental move, keeps asking me why. “Why do you want to live in Lisbon?” I have a few different answers, but mostly I just wind up asking a different question altogether.

Specifically: “why would I want to stay in the United States?”

Wanderlust aside, […]

Spring Events

I’ve got some really exciting book appearances coming up this spring, so if you’re in any of these cities at the right time, please come and say hi:

March 23rd @ 1pm Local Author Signing South Hills Village Barnes & Noble Pittsburgh, PA

April 11th @ 7pm In-Conversation with Tracy Banghart (author of Grace and […]

T-5 Days & Counting!

Holy crap you guys.

So this year has FLOWN by, and somehow (I suspect time portals were involved) it’s already September, which means that as of my writing this, in just 5 days, Rule is going to be on shelves. (Side note: this also means Amazon is offering a pre-order discount for these next few […]

My Favorite Cities Part 3: Asia

Here we go, the finale of my answer to the question “Which city was your favorite?”

In case you’re still catching up, check out Part 1: South America and Part 2: Europe, where I recap pros and cons of each of the cities I lived in last year.

As you can probably tell by how […]

My Favorite Cities Part 2: Europe

As you might have seen in part 1 of this post, I’ve been getting asked one question in particular a lot since my return: Which city was your favorite?

After last year, I think I have as many favorite cities as foodies do favorite bougie restaurants, so I’ve just given up on ranking them and […]

My Favorite Cities Part 1: South America

Ever since finishing Remote Year, I’ve been asked the same question over and over: Which city was your favorite?

This is akin to asking an author what her favorite book is. I can’t answer it without at least 1 hour of your time and a PowerPoint presentation.

So, in lieu of owning a working copy […]

Top 5 Places to Pee Around the World

Scene of the Struggle

Look, we all need to go sometime. If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that a great spot to pee can make or break a vacation. That, and there are many different peeing habits in every country. As you travel, you’ll learn all the tips and tricks. For example, […]