I need to tell you about a crazy thing the youngest did last week. She cycled 500km to Wagga Wagga for the Gear and Beers festival, where she participated in the Dirty 130. As the name suggests, the event involves cycling 130km on dirt roads and drinking craft beer at the end. I freaked out... Continue Reading →

I am feeling very blissed out and fortunate to be cruising to Indonesia with DD. It’s another no-solo-supplement special aboard Ponant, which means we have two cabins for the price of one. The partition has been removed between our balconies, providing a spacious outdoor area to lounge on together, and separate bedrooms to ensure a... Continue Reading →

I feel a little embarrassed to tell you this ... but … I'm on another cruise ... I know, I know, it has been a year filled with holidays. I think it’s a midlife crisis, but I’m buying cruises rather than a red sports car. I promise this is my last cruise for a very... Continue Reading →

How's this for irony? You know how the bad stuff is always easier to believe? Well, a senior manager praised me during my department’s monthly Teams meeting … and I accidentally disconnected myself from the call, midway through his shout-out. I knocked a button on my headphones and was suddenly staring at a blank screen.... Continue Reading →

Is it a generational thing to feel constant guilt and inadequacy? Are women my age victims of our Gen X-ness? A friend described me as a "rare gem" this week and all I felt was shame. There is nothing rare or gem-like about me. I am far too flawed. I worry constantly about these flaws... Continue Reading →

I wonder how it feels to live in the United States and be leaning to the left? I am conscious that I have contorted my social media algorithm so I get all of the bad news and none of the good. As a result, I am too well versed in the bad and feel a... Continue Reading →

My arrival in Melbourne didn't get off to the smoothest of starts. (In case you missed last week’s blog posts, I flew down to celebrate settlement day for the eldest’s new apartment.) The cab driver had a fit when I gave him the address of my hotel. He said it wasn't a big enough fare... Continue Reading →

I did a crazy thing yesterday - I popped a bottle of bubbles with my eldest child to celebrate buying them an apartment. That sounds very luxe. It’s a tiny studio and the mortgage is $60 a week less than rent. So it feels sensible rather than lavish. The eldest started uni earlier this year... Continue Reading →

Have you heard of The Real Review's annual Wine Classification of Australia? The Real Review is regarded as one of Australia’s leading wine authorities and each year its international expert tasting team award wines one, two or three Merits based on their performance over time. I was familiar with The Real Review, but my awareness... Continue Reading →

I've been blogging for 14 years, which also means I haven't worked in weekly magazines for 14 years. And it shows. DD asked me yesterday who Pedro Pascal was and my knowledge was limited to him being an actor that women swoon over. I couldn’t tell him anything Pedro had starred in or anyone he’d... Continue Reading →