On being a human on the internets

What I want to tell you about how I intend to show up

In my “About” page, I tell you that this is my writing home to explore life in the liminal spaces as a 40-something, married, childfree business-owner seeking a slow travel, mindful living adventure in corners of the world both near and far.

After keeping our plans a bit closer to the chest for the past few months, I’m ready to start sharing more details here on the internets.

I think it’s important to talk a little bit about how I intend to do that, and to share that I’ll be keeping some boundaries when it comes to the personal details of my stories. This is the ebb and flow of being a person in the world is these days, isn’t it?

From social media to selfies to the constant “on” of technology that surrounds us, we’re encouraged to be footloose and boundary-free, a circumstance that serves capitalism, algorithms, and AI much more, I suspect, than it serves any of us.

Some of the people I most admire are writing and speaking frankly on the internet about things like work, finances, personal goals, and lifestyle choices. The ones that do this best, in my opinion, do it with an honest and constant awareness of the push and pull of privacy, connection, and protection of themselves as human beings who need to maintain a bit of a barrier between their life on the screen and on the earth. (A great example? Nic Antoinette archives her entire Instagram feed periodically, which always impresses me while prompting me with a small sense of panic. I rely on the visual history of my feed for my own archival purposes and enjoyment, even though I know it could disappear at a moment’s notice, in a space where I have no power or control.)

One way I’m creating an internet boundary is by adding a paywall to all of my posts a week after they’re published. Essentially, this allows those who are interested to access my writing and keep up with what I’m up to; but it keeps my writing from being entirely accessible, all the time, to anyone on the internet. I realize a few dollars a month isn’t much of a barrier for some, but for others I know that’s not a small expense, and I appreciate how this small boundary helps reinforce the value of my time and my stories, while not making it impossible to connect and follow along.

Occasionally, I may share a post that is paywalled at time of publication.

Another writer I admire says this about paywalling certain posts that feel more personal: “I want [these posts] to be read by people who honour their own boundaries and can hold space for others. So, I am going to honour myself and put a digital boundary around those posts.”

This approach feels entirely right, so I may share periodic posts only with my paid subscribers. And, some posts will remain un-paywalled indefinitely.

I’m excited about sharing our next steps with you here in this space and taking you along on the next phase of our journey! Remember, you can always subscribe to make sure every new post lands right in your inbox, or if you’d like to support my writing financially, you can do that right here: