As most of you know, my philosophy is when the going gets tough, the tough get creative and resilient, and ultimately pull themselves out of the hell they’re in.

And this, my friends, is exactly how I’m approaching the holiday season.

I managed to fly home and spend two weeks with my family over Thanksgiving. It was lovely and life-giving, and it made up for not having spent any time with them for almost a year.

But now … sigh. Hunkering down for Christmas as coronavirus cases spike and doing the holiday season on my own! Staying put and hopefully staying safe and keeping everyone else, safe. too.

Not sure you’re in the same boat, but regardless, some resources I’ve written to provide some support and inspiration:

’Tis the season to miss our friends and loved ones — with a pandemic, many of us are opting to skip travel this year and stay at home rather than spend the holidays with them. This is all well and good if you’ve got a partner or a cool roommate, maybe some kids. But if you live by yourself, you may be worried about how you will make it through what will feel like a more silent night than usual. Read all about it in Flying Solo (and Socially Distanced) on Christmas Eve? I Got You, my latest post on Medium.

It’s that time of year when I get cards featuring photos of my friends and family and their adorable children in the mail. I put all the cards on my fridge and then look down at my cat, Matilda, the closest thing I have to a child. A furry child who tears up my furniture with her tiny claws, lovingly butts her head against my arm, and could care less if I put up my Christmas decorations or not. Feeling the same? Find more sympathy in It’s Okay if You Hate the Holidays a Little Bit.

Finally, I’ve rebooted my life more times than I can count — the death of a parent when I was in high school, unexpected job loss, financial uncertainty, an unfortunate marriage and ugly divorce that included my friend hooking up with my ex. It was horrible when all these things happened. But in a way, I’m thankful for these experiences because they taught me a lot about how resilience is more than being introspective and focusing only on yourself. You have to look outward, be generous and practice gratitude every damn day. Get your resilience and gratitude going in full force by reading Surviving Bad Times is About Thinking Beyond Your Own Life.

No matter how you’re celebrating (or not), grateful for each and every one of you, and determined to make good things happen as we reach the end of this shitty year and head into the next one.

Wishing you your hearts’ truest happiness, always,

Your Bride in Reverse 2020 Holiday Survival Guide 😃 was originally published in Bride in Reverse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Hi!

Or should I say, salut!

My French is a bit rusty, but my hope is it won’t be after this winter, when I plan to study it again so I’m ready to live and work in a Francophone city eventually, like Montreal or Paris.

Or even Marrakesh.

Most people are understandably anxious about this winter, and with good reason. If you live in a place that gets cold weather, limited time outside means less access to friends and family, provided you’ve been following pandemic protocol to meet in small gatherings outdoors (I have).

Instead of freaking out about shorter, darker, colder days, I’ve decided to embrace the next few months as a much-needed time to take on a some new projects. In addition to working on my French, here’s what I’m doing:

• Reading rather than watching more TV. I totally get that winter is primetime for watching movies and Netflix, but getting lost in TV for hours on end makes me feel like crap. I usually eat too much and start to feel subhuman as I sink deeper and deeper into my couch. So I’m enrolling myself in a reading program of books I’ve been meaning to get to, including Designing Your Life, which I’m doing with a friend as we map out what we want our next chapters to look like, and trying to limit my TV time to maybe 2 hours a week.
• Writing a book. Speaking of next chapters, excited to share that starting this winter, I’ll be doing a deep dive into the best essays I’ve written here on Medium for Bride in Reverse readers and turning them into a book! This is a long-time dream of mine. To make this happen, I’d love your input on what essays have resonated the most with you! Stay tuned as I’ll be sending out a survey to get your valuable feedback.
• Buying a rowing machine. I’m almost done paying off my debt (YAY!) and as a reward, I might invest in a good rowing machine to have in my apartment, to make up for those long walks I’m not doing as often outside this winter.
• COOKING! You knew this post had to mention something food-related. I can’t wait to try some new recipes this winter. In fact, I’m so excited about it that I wrote a new piece in Medium’s cooking magazine, HEATED.

What about you? What new projects are you thinking about taking on this winter? I’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you your hearts’ truest happiness, always,

Winter is coming. It’s time to dream big. was originally published in Bride in Reverse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.