(Photo Credit: Gabrielle Henderson @gabriellefaithhenderson)

Another Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone. This year it was a bit different. Celebrations were much smaller with people choosing not to get together because of COVID. I know many people were sad for various reasons. They missed their families and having large, happy Thanksgiving dinners, and they know the Holidays this year will be different. There is something we can focus on however to help bring us out of the slump of an abnormal Holiday Season, and that is to remain Grateful and to remember this is only temporary.

(Photo Credit: Aaron Burden @aaronburden)

Being productive feels great! Working hard and accomplishing things every day allows you to feel like you are moving right along with life. During incredibly difficult times like these, however, when it seems no matter how productive you are you can’t seem to make any progress, it’s not productivity that’s the key, it’s patience.

Photo Credit - Anthony Fomin

Over this entire weekend as we remember the horrific attacks on our country 19 years ago, may we also remember that while we are incredibly divided during these challenging times, we are still one Nation under God. Although divided, we must stand together not to fight and argue and accuse each other, but to remember that life is short and that we have no idea how much longer we have on this earth. Love will always prevail over Evil.

Photo Credit - @davemonte

This blog post is an honor to the renowned spiritual leader Don Miguel Ruiz and all of the Toltec people from southern Mexico. I hope it helps make your day better, but really, I hope it helps make your life better.

Stay Strong - We will get through this

(Photo Credit - @craftedbygc )

There are many people who need to read this post because they are feeling lost and alone. There are many people who have found their lives suddenly turned upside down and they have no way of knowing which direction to go in next. There are many people who feel sad, angry, lonely, scared, old and too afraid to start over in life. These are the people who need to be reminded that they are not finished, they have simply entered a new chapter. A chapter where they can rewrite everything and choose to be exactly who they always wanted to be.

Photo Credit - @jorisbeugels

Like so many people, due to COVID-19 my life has suddenly taken an unexpected turn. I had a good job with a great company I respect, colleagues I loved, a boss that was great to work for and suddenly all of that has changed and I find myself starting over. Life can often change course without us even realizing or having any control over it, and when this happens, the most important thing is to keep the faith.

Photo Credit - @calepinaud

There are times when I get into the bad habit of comparing myself and my life with others. Usually when I do this, things are especially challenging in my life. Everyone’s path is different. Everyone’s life is different. I cannot compare, and the only way to stop this negative thinking is to force my brain to focus once again on gratitude, and all the blessings I have in my life.

(Photo Credit - Denys Nevozhal @dnevozhal)

10 weeks ago we were all pushed into Quarantine due to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. We had no idea what to expect and we certainly still have no idea what the outcome will be, but I’ve noticed there are so many things I have learned about myself during this time, things that I will carry with me into the Post Coronavirus stages of my life.

(Photo Credit - @sdoy1995)

I have tried to stay positive throughout this COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve done my best to keep things in perspective that my family and I are safe and healthy, and thats the most important thing, but there is one thing that has made me very sad. Broadway has gone dark in New York City for the longest time in the history of the theater, and we are not certain when they will resume. With health precautions being put in place, Broadway theaters may not be able to afford to operate at 30% occupancy which could mean a longer than planned closure. I never imagined in the 15 years I have lived in New York, that I would see Broadway dark for so long, and it has definitely made me face a reality that this rebound may be harder than first imagined.

The current global pandemic, and our time in quarantine has given many New Yorkers a different perspective on the way we live our lives. For many of us, while we love this city, and living here, we have little desire to return to the complete craziness Manhattan can sometimes cause. COVID-19 may change our perspective for now, but as time passes as it certainly will, New York will return to the crazy hustle and bustle it has become famous for. Here are my tips on how to live a peaceful life while enjoying the energy of this amazing city.

(Photo Credit - David T - @david113)

Every year of my childhood I was pulled out of school by my parents to attend church on Good Friday, but not the Good Friday everyone else in my class observed. I knew being Greek meant having a different Easter from all of my classmates, but I didn’t quite know at that age exactly why. Here is a clear and concise explanation of why that Greek friend of yours celebrates Easter on a different day than you.

In every tough situation we have two choices. We can choose to fall prey to despair, become addicted to negative thoughts, and live our lives full of anxiety and sorrow, or we can chose hope, focus on the positives and let go of the things we cannot control. During the current global pandemic we are all experiencing at the moment, I choose hope, and this is why.

Every year as my birthday approaches I look back on my life and think about where I have come and where I still have yet to go. I’m always shocked to realize how fast another year came around, it almost feels like it isn’t real. Surely 10 years hasn’t passed by so quickly has it? As I approach the end of another decade in my life I realize, once again, I am not exactly where I thought I would be at this age, but I have learned valuable lessons along the way.

In just 9 days COVID-19 has changed everything in America, and especially New York City. Our lives will never be the same after this is all over, and I'’m trying to stay hopeful that the change it will bring the world will be for the better. It’s hard to see the good that could come from this when at the moment we are living with so much anxiety and fear, but I have faith that this will all pass and when it does, the world will be stronger because of it.

Last November i flew to Athens, Greece to fulfill a lifelong dream, to run the original marathon. It was my first marathon and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I had trained for months, putting strain on my body, my relationships and my job, but when I ran into the Olympic Stadium in Athens and crossed the finish line I felt I had accomplished something truly amazing. This is my marathon story.

I was 30 when I decided I was ready for a new direction in life, but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do next. I knew I needed to start somewhere and jump at the opportunities that presented themselves to me, and so it began, my career in the bustling New York City hotel industry.

Finding my way through NYC was no easy feat. I had come to New York with very little in the bank which was gone in a matter of weeks. I had to hustle to find a job and a life for myself in the Big Apple, and with each passing day it became easier and I was able to find a groove and a community that would become my New York City home for the next 15 years.

When I stepped off the plane in New York City with two suitcases and a cello all the way from Alaska, I knew I had arrived. I had come 4,000 miles across the country from my tiny town of Eagle River to one of the most amazing cities in the world. I was a small town girl with a big city heart and I was ready to realize my Broadway Dreams