Today marks day EIGHTY of my Next Chapter Best Chapter road trip. For those of you who are new to this blog, I am a recently divorced empty-nester and on March 5, 2022, I loaded up my car and my dog a
POV: A Pug on a Road Trip
Hi there. It’s me Mowgli. You can’t ride shotgun. That’s my seat. If you have been following along, you know I have been riding shotgun with my hooman on her 4-month road trip across the United States
Next Chapter Best Chapter Road Trip: Day 50 What I Wish 23-Year-Old Susan Knew
Holy Guacamole! I’ve been on the road for FIFTY DAYS!!! For those of you who are new to this blog, I am a recently divorced empty-nester and on March 5, 2022, I loaded up my car and my dog and started
Next Chapter Best Chapter Road Trip: Day 30 – What I wish 18-year-old Susie knew
I’ve been “on the road” in my Next Chapter Best, Chapter road trip for 30 days! For those of you who are new to this blog, I am a recently divorced empty-nester and on March 5, 2022, I loaded up my ca
In the beginning…
Week 1 of my Next Chapter Best Chapter Road Trip is almost complete, and here are some fun statistics: 35 hours in my car2,110 miles driven8 states traveled through (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Ten
Come on down! You’re the next contestant!
My family loves to play games. I grew up playing canasta and poker over school vacations. I had my own stash of money in a mason jar chock full of pennies and nickles just for our family poker nights.
The day I woke up mad
It was last Friday morning. I’m a morning person. I love the mornings and rarely hit the snooze button, or want to lay around in bed. But on Friday, I woke up MAD. I don’t know why I was mad, I don’t
Empty Nester Rockstar – Arleen
I know you are going to love my next Empty Nester Rock Star! Meet Arleen, wife to Bill, mom to two grown kids, Jeremy and Emily, friend to me AND super talented singer, actress, and artist! Four years
Susan’s Next Big Adventure
Today is my birthday! It’s been 35 years since I was a senior in high school. I’ll let you do the math on that one! THIRTY.FIVE.YEARS! How on earth did that happen and where did the time go? Oh yeah,
100 Days: Little Wins That Turn into Something Bigger
My name is Susan, and I’m a recovering Diet Coke addict. It’s been 100 days since my last sip of that delicious nectar of the Gods. I started drinking Diet Coke right after it launched in 1982 and I never stopped. At my worst, right before I quit, I was drinking 4-6 cans a day, and if I happened by a QuikTrip, I’d get a Big Q fountain DC as well. I would easily go through two twelve-packs a week. Y’all, I estimate I spent at least $400 a year in Diet Coke. I’m not stupid, I know how bad DC is for you…chock full of nasty stuff. But I couldn’t resist the feel of an ice cold fountain Diet Coke sliding down my throat. Heaven. I’ve quit Diet Coke too many times to count, never lasting more than two weeks, probably caved we went out for Mexican food. I had to have a Diet Coke with Mexican food. It would be un-American not to. It’s refreshing deliciousness called me back time and again. Then, I started Rachel Hollis’s #Last90Days Challenge in October. She challenged us to do 5 small daily things, what she called 5 to Thrive:










