Lately, I've been struck by the amount of marriages on the brink of divorce. I know the percentage is at least 50%, but when a couple that I know is having problems, it gets more personal than mere statistics. Couples that have been married since I was a child, that I looked up to, are throwing t...  read more

No, it wasn’t an acid trip or a high gone wrong.  It was our second weeklong trip with friends.  Sounds like fun, right?  A little sun, relaxation, good cheer and good company.  What could be better?  A lot of those wonderful things went on.  But there was al...  read more

March 14

A few months before my husband (then fiancé) and I were to be married, I got myself into some serious trouble.  I had started a new job, and totally loved it.  But I’d had a cold for a little while, and began to notice how cold the air conditioning seemed.  I thought n...  read more

After Day 1 and Day 2 of camping alone, I got a great night’s sleep because I had the tent to myself. I was already seeing a benefit of camping alone. Over the next week, more benefits would become apparent.  I didn’t know what it would like to camp alone for an entire week, bu...  read more

This story follows An Unexpected Turn of Events, in which I found myself unexpectedly on vacation alone instead of with my husband. Although I awoke early, I continued to luxuriate in sleep for a few more hours.  Upon rising, I noticed that my lone female neighbor had packed up to leave. ...  read more

There is a skeleton in my Italian ancestors’ closet. A child was born out of wedlock in Italy while the mother’s husband was in the U.S.  When the woman and her children immigrated to the States, the child was brought along, and given to the father’s family.Having found ent...  read more

After a quick shower in the morning, I left the hostel to meet Brian (Flattery Might Actually Get You Somewhere) for breakfast. The restaurant was only a half a block away.  I noticed him chatting up a young lady down the street.  I entered the restaurant, which was a rundown greasy spo...  read more

After being together for over two years, we really should have known that we would not have a completely "normal" wedding. It just wasn't going to happen.To set the stage, we were both graduates of the US Air Force Academy. As such, we decided to get married in the Cadet Chapel. Oh, ...  read more

It was under a weeping willow tree, by a lake.  The guest list was short; only a small set of beloved family and friends.  I was there.  I didn’t really understand what was going on.  I was in the room as my parents dressed.  I had already lived for a month with m...  read more