Phew! This year sure flew by… I completed my Graduate Certificate through the University of Missouri (Mizzou), thinking for sure the last course on public budgeting and taxation would be a snooze fest but I actually learned a lot! Also, SO much has happened since my last post. We bought a home in Citrus Heights, CA basically the same week the Golden State Killer was captured nearby (talk about ssdgm), visited the UK, Scotland by way of London more specifically. Our flight was cancelled thanks to the Beast from the East; an apocalyptic winter storm that pushed our travel plans a week and nearly shut down an entire country.
All appears to have come full circle as the enchantingly brisk weather once again approaches, bringing with it my favorite time of year and another turn completed on this crazy ride called Earth. What better way to mark the seasonal transition than with a savory low-carb chili recipe. I chose to top it off with Trader Joe’s shredded mild cheddar and the deliciously rich and creamy Organic Valley sour cream. I also decided to pair this meaty dish with my new fave ‘bargain’ wine, BV Costal Merlot.
I used:
1 lb free-range organic beef
1 lb foster farms locally raised ground turkey
6 minced cloves of organic garlic
5 chopped organic radishes
3 medium carrots
2 bell peppers (I used red and yellow)
1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies
1 can of diced tomatoes (no chilies)
Steps:
Sauté meat and garlic until brown
Drain the excess oil
Add carrots, peppers, and tomatoes
Cook covered until the carrots at soft, about 30-45 minutes on low heat
As I headed into the last leg of the nanowrimo process, I needed to take a breather from writing, so I came to my blog 😉 **then I waited several months before I came back** This has been such a harrowing experience; attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in just 31 days. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but trying to breeze through this novel-sans edititing every step of the way-has forced me to ease up on the reigns a bit, in writing and thankfully in holding myself accountable for trudging through the days, only now hitting the 2k/day mark, not to mention the much appreciated distraction from the ensuing events of the world.
I unfortunately became rather detoured with a recent celebration in Reno, NV; my 30th birthday (Nov. 19th)! Until now, I had never enjoyed the opportunity to hang out in this adult playground. The hubby and I enjoyed seeing Adam Corolla live and a steak and seafood dinner. The restaurant served New Zealand Red Deer, which I was totally unaware is quite the delicacy in the land of the great white cloud. We danced the night away to a live band and retro 90s dj. There even served us a flaming bowl of alcohol! However, I recall very little beyond that. This trip did allow me to remain secure in the fact that, when the chips are down (cheeky casino ref.) my husband will always be there for me 💙
In keeping up with the Steampunk Stroll happening that same night in Reno, I got this epic gears necklace.
Fast Forward>> to the most awe inspiring, nerd-fest honeymoon of all time 😍
We flew out for Auckland New Zealand in late December. Landing at the airport, the weather was cloudy with a little humidity, it truly felt like we were in a topical oasis. The husband and I spent 14 days driving a Britz camper van from Auckland on the North Island all the way down to Queenstown on the South Island, where we would fly out of and back to Auckland for another 13 hour flight back to San Francisco Intl.
We did some touristy stuff like visiting the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Winter Garden Pavilion, and went to the top of the Sky Tower. Highly recommend Giapo for gourmet ice cream. I had my first exposure to a New Zealand favorite; Hokey Pokey and officially became obsessed. A coupe days later we went to the fascinating Waitomo glow worm caves and learned that back in the 1800s our 30 dollar admission fee was a mere 8 cents! (Side note, the money in NZ is SO colorful). Driving through the lush country sides we noticed two different deer farms, which I though was strange because on any given day if you are around the rivers near our home of Sacramento, CA you can almost always spot deer, prancing out in the open, unenclosed. Only later did we realize these adorable creatures would likely demolish the lush environment if allowed to roam as they do here in Cali., and I recalled that expensive NZ deer steak we saw on the menu back in Reno.
Hobbiton-Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit filming location. Matamata, New Zealand
We stayed in some wonderful Holiday Parks, the most memorable being at Himatangi Beach on Christmas. There were so many local families that loved to stay in these parks. They are perfect for hooking up your camper or motorhome if you need water/electricity, or if you only had a car and tent, most offer non hook-up sites and you can even find free car parks too. People were so friendly and helpful. I loved how everyone was comfortable talking to strangers and sharing stories and travel tips. We took a picture at Mordor on Christmas Day, which was pretty much as epic as it gets. We’ll go back someday to experience the multi day trails that can be found on the Alpine Crossing. Then again… just walking uphill for 20 feet proved challenging for our bettered knees and backs. The one downside we discovered was on Christmas, when NO liquor stores were allowed to sell alcohol. It proved very convenient on every other day though, having plenty of Four Squares and PAK’nSAVE stores when we were in need of food and supplies.
Wellington was by far our favorite city. We stayed here for two days, had a wonderful time drinking craft beer and ale, eating at open air restaurants, and I even got my nails done (#ladyluxury). We booked a tour at the Weta Workshop, where I came face to face with an actual fully functioning Warthog from Halo. We saw and held props from District 9, The Chronicles of Narnia, and of course, Lord of the Rings. This is a must do weather you are a movie buff or not, it is a priceless and inspiring experience. For those of you familiar with the jaw-dropping show Westworld, we saw a life size silicone mold of none other than Matt Damon being created with that fast pace needle work you see in the opening credits. It was truly surreal.
Hanmer Springs located on the South Island, was the coolest water park. Instead of boasting chlorine water, every pool was filled with natural sulfur springs. They even had slides! The most amazingly large portion of fish and chips were served at a small food shack just outside of the park, much more fresh and less expensive than in the states. Not to mention, something about the coffee was amazing (even though when you ordered regular coffee, to kiwis this automatically meant it included milk) and the eggs were the most brilliant orange we’ve ever seen!
Lake Te Anau was a really nice little town surrounding the most beautiful lake, after staying here for a night, we headed down to the Christchurch ruins, Dunedin, and finally Queenstown, where we found the second most amazing ice cream at Patagonia.
Queenstown was an obvious hot spot. Busier than Wellington but smaller so the crowds made it seem like we were in a much large city. There were no shortage of extreme activities to sign up for; bungee jumping, jet boat rides, the coolest looking chair lift you could see from most areas of the town, leading to to what I was told was a café and restaurant that rarely had reservations available, so we skipped it. Opting to instead, to drive up the mountain for about 40 minutes to the town of Glenorchy. This was a rather quaint country town and yet boasts so many fimiling locations! From Isengard in LOTR, to several forest shoots seen in the Hobbit movies, even a scene from Wolverine was filmed on one of the gravel roads we traveled on.
After our luxurious stays at Holiday Parks, having access to showers and laundry service, we chose to spend New Years at a DOC campground near Lake Sylvan. We later ate at the same spot where the cast and crew from LOTR use to hang out at during filming, on the walls hung typical American nostalgia, including James Dean and Spaghetti Western memorabilia. There was even an old western map of Reno, NV hanging near the bar 🙂
TIP: Be sure to purchase local bug repellent to rid yourself of the nasty little sand flies that swarm this location. Our weak and useless Off spray did zilch to keep away this tiny little guys, and I was unfortunate enough to get so many bites on my feet it lead to temporary but very unpleasant skin issues.
Dart River boat rides, a thrilling adventure we highly recommend, was not cheap but totally worth it to see the surrounding landscape from the river, and explore tucked away groves and World Heritage sites. The driver was absolutely crazy! Water sprayed us everywhere (luckily they loan you oversized ponchos to wear under the life jackets). He would signal when we were heading into 180 turns, and there were two boats zipping around each other at the same time.
Me and my smiling hubby in the back row 🙂
And finally, now that we’re all up to speed (pfew). It was a lovely first Valentine’s as newlyweds. My super amazing husband sent a special delivery marking the previous day as our six month wedding anniversary! I felt incredibly loved as I carried the large and awkwardly shaped bright green box up the stairs to my office. Then, later that evening, I spent a few hours watching my new roller derby team mates participate in our first scrimmage of the season, #GalentinesDay. Lastly, the following day I completed my public service entry level probation, and began the first course towards earning my MPA certification online at the University of Missouri. So many great things have already occurred, and even more are inevitably on the way… 👶
“For my amazing wife. You are wonderfully beautiful, brilliant, and bona-fide awesome. But you know that already!!! So here’s to another year of adventure and discovery my copilot. All the loves! Your HUBBY! Muah xoxo”
Michelle RichmondNew York Times bestselling author of The Year of Fog, Golden State
I’m an introvert who loves entertaining a crowd.
I’ve always had a hard time “going out.” Don’t get me wrong, my love of travel has taken me all over the world, from Ushuaia to Beijing to Budapest, Reykjavik to Oslo, and I certainly enjoy a rousing party every now and then. But most of the time, I prefer to be alone or with my small family, in nature or at home, writing, reading, or reviewing submissions to the small press that is my literary labor of love.
As a kid, I spent hours alone in my room, contently writing and reading, and my mom would always ask, “Why don’t you go out and play?” But I didn’t want to go out and play. What a lot of well-intentioned people have trouble understanding is that introverts are happier being alone. But this doesn’t mean that we don’t value friendships and relationships; it only means that we thrive with a smaller social circle, and that we take our social interactions in smaller doses.
In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain delves into the science of introversion. Introverts are simply wired differently, on a neural level. Too much surface-level interaction (think playground chatter, cocktail parties) leaves us feeling depleted. We need time alone, and we need quiet ― not because we’re “anti-social,” but because we find long bouts of social interaction deeply exhausting. We do like people, but after spending time with them, we need more time to recharge.
I wish someone had told me when I was a kid that it’s okay to want to be alone.
Introversion isn’t about shyness, either. It doesn’t necessarily translate into social fear or awkwardness. I feel supremely comfortable on stage, entertaining an audience, and I consider this to be an important part of my job as a writer and storyteller. At parties where I don’t know anyone, I may not walk up and say, “Hi! My name is Michelle! I’m a writer!” But I’m likely to walk up, smile, listen and ask you questions about the things I find interesting about you.
For all the bad rap introverts get, extroverts often like talking to us, because we tend to be interested in other people’s histories. During my dating years, I found meeting men to be the easiest thing in the world. I could hardly round a corner without meeting a guy and ending up on a date (I once ended up in a relationship with a guy I met in a car crash in Atlanta). My ease with the opposite sex had everything do with the fact that asking questions comes naturally to me. A lot of people like to talk about themselves, and introverts like to listen. Who doesn’t want to be heard?
I wish someone had told me when I was a kid that it’s okay to want to be alone. I wish the studies on happiness as it relates to extroversion and introversion took into account the great contentment we introverts feel when we are engaged in a meaningful intellectual task. Writing makes me happy. My books then take me out into the world and engender true connection with strangers. Because readers tend to feel a kind of intimacy with a book they respond strongly to—and by extension with its author—we are often able to immediately cut through the surface and talk about things that matter. Readers will often contact me through email or approach me at events to talk about their own losses, their histories, significant details of their lives. This connection is meaningful to me and brings me joy. I am able fully engage in these moments because I have plenty of time alone to write my books.
Like many introverts, I find it really easy to be in front of a crowd. Put me on a stage, and I get energized. In a group, though, all that energy drains away. If it looks like I’ve zoned out, it’s because I’m on sensory overload, and I need a minute to refocus.
For introverts, balance is key. We may like you, but a large “girls’ night out” isn’t our first choice. We’re more likely to enjoy going out to coffee with you or a very small group of friends every now and then, hearing what you have to say, understanding what’s really going on in your life. If I see a group of moms gathered on the playground at school pickup, I tend to stay away. Not because I’m shy, and not because I don’t like them — but because small talk depletes me. But if I see one of those women standing alone, it’s a different story. It is in smaller groups that the walls come down and we are better able to get past chatter and learn something real about another person ― that the exuberant mother-of-four dreams of starting a business, that the lady you’ve only ever seen in yoga pants was, until recently, an intensive care nurse.
Introverts need time to think through things, to connect with our own thoughts and dreams.
People are so much more interesting when you know where they come from, what they hope for, why they do the things they do. This information is hard to come by when everything is noisy and high-octane. The quiet moments allow for connection, and connection is important to introverts.
But in addition to connecting on an intimate level with others, introverts need time to think through things, to connect with our own thoughts and dreams. Yes, we are dreamers. As a kid, I had friends. I got along with my teachers. I made jokes (and was even voted funniest girl in my graduating class of a large public high school, although I have a feeling the yearbook teacher might have skewed the results in my favor). But an entire school day of constant interaction was never easy, so I used class lectures as a time to get away, inside my own head. While I loved English, I got through the boredom and anxiety of math and science by using the class time to secretly write. Writing and daydreaming gave me an out — it was my quiet space in a world of chaos. It was my escape. I know now that I did this because a day of school is exhausting for an introvert.
I see this exhaustion in my son every day after school, and because I know what that’s like, I try to not over schedule him. He has a lot of friends, and his friends are extremely important to him. But I understand that, after a long day at school, he is happiest if he spends some time at home, alone or with just one or two friends. At the end of a rowdy party or play date or team sports event, he needs the time and space to wind down.
If you happen to be an extrovert parent with an introverted child, don’t be alarmed by your child’s occasional need for solitude. It’s just his or her natural, healthy response to sensory and social overload. Remember, it’s not a personality flaw or a sign of unhappiness. It’s simply the way your child responds to the world on a neural level.
If you are an introvert, don’t let anyone make you feel bad for not wanting to “get out more.” And if you are an extrovert who is always trying to draw the introvert out of his shell: just know, the introvert may be happy just the way he is. Don’t assume that the introverts in your life don’t like you or find you interesting. If they don’t go to your party, it’s not because they’re shy, and it’s not because they’re snobby. Introverts are just like you, only quieter. We need our time alone, and sometimes, we need time alone with you — just the two of us, to really connect.
Michelle Richmond is the author of four novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Year of Fog, and two award-winning story collections. Her new novel will be published in 2017, with foreign editions forthcoming in 23 languages and film rights optioned to Twentieth Century Fox. Sign up to receive a monthly digest of Michelle’s most popular blog posts, reading recommendations, and notes on the writing life.
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