Author. Editor. Entrepreneur.
In June 2018, James and I traveled to Belize with my brother and his family. My sister-in-law crafted an awesome, kid-friendly itinerary for us, and we spent eight relaxing days exploring this amazing country. Check out the blogs below for specific recommendations from the cities we visited, and the video for clips from our adventures!
As many of you know, I’m an avid traveller, and have been trying to blog about my travels to help inform and inspire fellow travellers. I’ve been slacking on posting travel blogs, but am finally starting to catch up. Happy to report that the seven blogs/articles I’ve written on my Costa Rica trip have finally been posted! Check them out!
I’ve been on Team Obama for almost ten years, well before he won his first primary. I’ve read his books and followed his campaign and career very closely. I consider myself to be a pretty good judge of character, and I’ve never understood it when people professed that they “hated Obama.” I mean, seriously, how can anyone hate Obama? I’ve seen him speak in person several times, and Barack Obama is one of the most charismatic and likeable people I’ve ever encountered in real life. He is a good man. The embodiment of class, intelligence and integrity. And during his historic campaign, he was our idealism personified. His election as the 44th President of the United States was a defining moment for me and my generation.
Whether one agrees with his policies or not, you can’t deny the positive impact he has had on this nation. He loves this country and battled against unprecedented resistance to make it better. He took an economy that was on the verge of collapse and stabilized it. I remember what the economic landscape looked like before he took office — the large numbers of people getting laid off and unable to find work, people losing their homes or finding themselves underwater. This was happening all over America, to us or people we knew. Obama pulled this country back from the proverbial cliff, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that particular accomplishment. He stabilized the economy, created jobs, and reduced the unemployment rate. Gas prices came down. Shoot, he even got Bin Laden. And on top of that, he created a system that provides health care for millions of Americans. He didn’t do all this for himself–he and his family have jobs and health care. He did it for the American people.
Not to mention the fact that a cooler dude has never inhabited the Oval Office. Have you seen him slow jam the news?!?!
And don’t even get me started on Michelle Obama. That woman is #Goals. Seriously, as awesome as Barack is, the man married waaaaay up.
I feel incredibly thankful to have had eight years of Barack Obama as my President, and I admit, I’ve been all in my feelings about the end of this monumental era in American History. Barack and Michelle have been stellar role models for our youth, governing with grace and humor. In so many ways they were so relatable, so human, and they changed our perception of what was possible. And that is a legacy that no one will ever be able to touch.
Thank you, Barack. Thank you, Michelle. And God Bless the United States of America.
PS: After I posted this, I saw on Twitter that Barack and Michelle plan on continuing their good work. Join them at https://www.obama.org
Being abroad for almost a month was a healing experience. When I set off for my trip on December 18th, I was still processing the results of the U.S. election. I was anxious, mildly depressed, and legitimately fearful about the fate of our country and the world. As a woman of color, I find the racial climate in the U.S. terrifying. Some people don’t understand the emotional and psychic fatigue that comes from sustaining a level of fear for an extended period of time. People eventually start to crack. Getting far away from America proved to be just what the doctor ordered for my mental health. The distance put a lot of things in perspective.
On the other side of the world, in the Philippines, I unplugged from media chatter and commentary about current events. With limited access to wifi, I wasn’t online enough to be able to watch my friends fight about politics on facebook, much less participate. I turned on a television maybe three times in three weeks (each time I was attempting to watch NBA basketball), and detoxed from the hysteria. Eventually my blood pressure regulated and some of the anger and fear subsided. I could breathe. I was able to find joy in things, and reclaim shreds of optimism. I was falling in love—with the Philippines, my family there, life. I was remembering all the things to be thankful for, and that it wasn’t all gloom and doom. Continue reading “How Leaving the Country Saved my Sanity”
On January 5th, I celebrated a milestone birthday — the big 4-0. If I’m blessed to live to eighty, half my life is officially behind me… which is deep when you sit down and think about it. So naturally I’ve been doing a lot of meditating about what it means to enter this new decade of life…
I didn’t feel different when I turned thirty, but I’m not gonna lie, forty feels different. You have finally reached that age that your ten-year old self considered “old.” You are undeniably an adult, and if you’re not doing adult stuff, folks are gonna look at you sideways, lol. As they should. 😉 By forty, one is officially grown, and should start acting like it.
Turning forty may trigger a mid-life crisis for some, but I’m pretty proud of where I’m standing at this moment in time. I have a great job. I found the perfect partner to share my life with, and I married him. My life is filled with family I want as friends, and friends who feel like family. I own a home in one of the most beautiful cities in California, and besides my mortgage, I am debt-free. I’ve written and published two books. I have the means and ability to travel often, and I do. For the most part, I no longer care what people think, and have cultivated a healthy sense of self-worth. My girlish figure is long gone, but I’m at peace with my womanly curves, even if they take a bit more effort to maintain, lol. And thankfully, I still have my health and mobility. All in all, life has been good to me thus far, and I’m excited to see what the next decade brings.
My best friend, Kelly, turned 40 a week after me, so in mid-January we headed to Jamaica (with our husbands) to celebrate. Cause that’s the kinda stuff you do when you’re grown and have your ish together. 😉 For eight, bliss-filled days we were in paradise. Pristine beaches. Warm, clear water. Beautiful people. Fueled by jerk chicken, Red Stripes, and fruity rum drinks, we explored the island at our own pace during an epic vacation that was equal parts relaxation and adventure. Hands down, one of my best birthdays ever.
Pro travel tip: Heading to a tropical island in the middle of winter is always a good idea. While folks in California were braving El Nino, and folks on the east coast were being buried in snow, we were enjoying 80 degree weather in shorts and tank tops, swimming in the ocean every day, fully immersed in island life. Yeah, mon. Our timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
I wrote a series of travel blogs about our trip, in case anyone wants to read more about our adventures or plan their own trip to the islands. Enjoy!
BOOK UPDATE: The Space Between is now available for purchase and download on amazon.com! Thank you for your patience, and I can’t hear wait to hear what ya’ll think of the new book!
In June 2014, James and I celebrated our foray into married life by taking an epic honeymoon. For three weeks we traveled all over Italy (after a few days in Amsterdam), immersed in all things Italian. This was a dream vacation for me, as I’ve always been a bit obsessed with Italy. I love everything about Italy: the food, the language, the pace of life, the people. I am eternally grateful to everyone who donated to our Honeyfund – because of their generosity, we were able to do Italy in style.
I’ve finally completed a series of blogs about our travels (complete with videos), for anyone with aspirations of traveling there, or who just wants to live vicariously. Enjoy! And feel free to hit me up if you need help planning your own Italian itinerary!
The Amalfi Coast (Positano), Italy & The Isle of Capri (off the coast of Italy)
This past weekend, I gathered with family in Maryland to say goodbye to my dear mother-in-law, Phyllis Estelle Garrard Lewis. It’s been a difficult couple of months for my husband and his family, as we braced ourselves for her passing, gathering to say our final goodbyes. I will always cherish the memory of my last visit with her… Our last hug was a beautiful moment. She held on long, and tight… both of us knowing… without needing to speak it… that this was goodbye. She whispered “I love you” into my ear. I loved her, too. So much. Mom raised three boys, and welcomed me with open arms and an open heart when James brought me home for the first time. She treated me like her daughter, and I loved her like she was my mom. She was such an inspiration to me, and taught me so much about strength, determination, and how to face adversity with grace, dignity, and a positive attitude. I’m going to miss her so much.
Pasted below is the beautiful obituary James wrote for his mom.
Phyllis Estelle Garrard Lewis passed away peacefully at Seasons Hospice in Baltimore, Maryland on March 5th, 2015. She fought a courageous thirteen-year battle with breast cancer. She attended Freedom City Ministries Church until her illness took away her mobility, but never her faith.
Phyllis’s unbreakable spirit left an indelible mark on the lives she touched. Her infectious smile and radiant vitality shined no matter the circumstance, demonstrating a stubborn resilience in the face of opposition. Phyllis displayed a strong sense of independence; yet, she still had an uncanny ability of upholding fierce loyalty to family and friends, becoming a shoulder or ear for anyone who needed her. The people in her circle knew they had an ally for life.
Phyllis, age 63, was born in Newark, New Jersey to the late Mr. William Foy Garrard and Mrs. Theresa Henderson Garrard on September 19, 1951. Besides being preceded by her parents, Phyllis was also preceded by her sisters Muriel Williams, Anna Mae Garrard Dugger, and Michelle Gordon.
Cherishing her memory are her stepmother, Gertraude Garrard of Hopewell, VA; three loving sons whom she adored: Kenneth Daryl Garrard Lewis of Hamburg, Germany, James William Lewis (Stephanie) of Santa Cruz, California, and Quen Durrell Davis of Bowie, Maryland; two grandchildren: Miguel Lewis (Cassie) of Ann Arbor, Michigan and Tyrone Ewing of Hutschenhausen, Germany; one great-granddaughter Caleesi; three brothers: William Garrard (Elaine) of Baltimore, MD, Malcolm Garrard of Richmond, VA, and Jason Garrard (Wanda) of Richmond, VA; and two sisters: Theresa Garrard of San Antonio, Texas and Alfrieda Williams (Freddie) of Newport News, Virginia. She is also survived by a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, and best girlfriends.
Phyllis’s ready smile and bursts of laughter were her personal hallmarks. She valued moments with all “her boys” while watching them become fine young men from afar. She also enjoyed the little things in life, such as watching a crime thriller on her favorite tablet, perusing the Home Shopping Network, and sampling a healthy scoop of pistachio ice cream. Her greatest joy came from holding her beautiful first great-grandchild Caleesi.
Phyllis was unselfish, warm, generous, and extremely loving. A memorial for Phyllis will be held in Laurel, Maryland, where family and friends can celebrate her life and rekindle their devotion to family, which is what Phyllis held in high regard. Her final wish was to have her boys scatter her ashes in the waters of Seaside, California.
So we’ve hit a snag in the cover design process… and I need everyone’s help.
We’ve been working on the design for The Space Between cover for the past few months. This has been a really challenging process for me, because I’m not really visual, so I didn’t have a “concept” in mind for the cover. At all. So I wasn’t able to give my designer precise direction, and instead asked him to “throw something together.”
It took a while, and a lot of tweaking, but we finally settled on something I liked (see below). I was so relieved to be done with this, as it was a stressful process. After my editor finished reading the book, I sent her the sample cover to see what she thought. Her response:
“Your book is a character driven, internal struggle and growth book that has a literary tone. This cover is commercial. Covers set expectations. I’m afraid you’ll get hammered in reviews if people are expecting one thing and get another.”
I respect this individual. She also has a long, successful career in the book business, and I consider her to be an industry professional who knows what she’s talking about. And while part of me genuinely loves this cover, another part of me isn’t fully convinced it’s the right cover for the book I’ve written.
So I thought I’d ask what you all think… What are your feelings/thoughts/impressions about this cover? Does it look like a “Stephanie Casher” novel? I know most of you haven’t read The Space Between (though you can if you want), but if you picked up or downloaded this book, what would some of your expectations be? As a reader in general, how do you feel if a cover misleads you about the content of a book? If the cover doesn’t sit right with you, why? How could it be improved?
I’m really not sure how to proceed, and would really love to hear people’s thoughts to help me think through my little dilemma. Once we finalize some kind of cover, we’ll be that much closer to a release date!
We’re getting close to release time folks and fans! I know many of you have been patiently waiting for news of the release date. Though the book has been completed (yay!), it still has to make its way through the publishing pipeline before it will be ready for public consumption. Here’s an overview of what’s next:
As you can see, we still have a way to go, but we are very, very close! I’ll keep everyone posted as we move through the final stages. I can’t wait to share the final product with you all!