About

Here are a few nuggets about me, my lifestyle, and what’s at the root of my stories…

My Age is Debatable

I’m in my sixth decade of roaming this planet.

The age I act depends on the day.

I Live an Unconventional Lifestyle

I've been a full-time lady nomad since October 2015… a week after my 52nd birthday.

My job of 30 years was eliminated, my daughter was leaving the nest, and my plan to retire early and go nomad was still 3 years out… but I took the hint, moved into my half-done-self-converted Ford Transit cargo van, and hit the road earlier than planned… unprepared but ready for adventure.

In December 2025, I added extended-stay hotels to the mix. I felt a change was needed but wasn’t ready to settle down permanently (yet).

I live a blend of nomad life, van life, and hotel life… which I call Portable Living.

I'm a Single Mom gone Empty Nester

My daughter Nikki was 2 years old when I became a single parent… so we kind of figured life out together. My simple goal was to raise her to make her own choices and to know I love her no matter what.

Little did I know, she would teach me just as much as I taught her 💕

When I hit the road in 2015, Nikki traveled with me for several months before leaving the nest… a few days shy of her 20th birthday. She moved from northwest Illinois to southeast Florida, where she lives with her partner, Misael.

Nikki's departure began my empty nester phase of life.

Home is Where I Park It

Wherever I'm parked is the place I call Home - whether it's a campground, hotel, or somewhere else.

During the summer months, I’m usually in northwest Illinois (my hometown area) catching up with family and friends, sorting out doctor visits and such, and enjoying the slow pace of rural-small-town life.

In the winter months, you’ll often find me navigating the chaos of big city life in southeast Florida… visiting Nikki and my Florida peeps, relaxing at my favorite hang-outs, and exploring new places.

The time in-between is spent wandering willy-nilly.

I Co-exist with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

MCS is complicated but the short version is: Everyday products and pollutants (things most people don’t think twice about) can cause mild to severe allergic-type reactions in my body.

It's not a true allergy - it's just the simplest way to describe how my body reacts.

MCS is not who I am - it's simply the road map I use to navigate a world that wasn't built for me. It may set the route I take but I’m the one behind the wheel. I just need to do it differently than most.

Normally Abnormal Sums It Up

I've always felt like I was on the outside looking in or the proverbial odd-one out… thinking, acting, and living differently than most.

Over the years, I've learned to embrace my true self - quirks and all.

I’m not normal… so not normal is my norm 🙃