[Following is a sample of my newsletter, which I send out about twice a month. I’d love for you to join me — to receive these updates, sign up here. See you there!]

Hey there,

I’m so glad to connect with you here.

A little update: The pandemic has upended everything for all of us, of course, and that’s true of my work, too. I continue to edit at Your Teen (and even do kinda scary things like videos, which I never I thought I’d do!), but I’ve also been gratified to dig back more into my writing life. I’m developing a few things – new articles, hopefully, as well as a nonfiction book proposal. Eek! More to come on that as I dig further in.

For now, I’m rediscovering the joy of sinking into the flow of research and writing. Yes, there’s a lot to worry about right now. Are my kids okay? Should I have kept them virtual or sent them back to school? When will I see my family again?

But work right now? Work makes me happy, and that’s no small thing these days. What’s making you happy? I’d love to hear.

The Latest: Virtual Travel

One year ago, my family and I were about to leave for Italy to celebrate Scott’s and my 20th anniversary. How things change. The airfare was dirt cheap because (1) the weather is iffy in Italy in November (in fact, Venice was inundated with catastrophic flooding just two weeks before we arrived) and(2) because we traveled over Thanksgiving week, a time when few Americans want to be anywhere other than gathering with family in the U.S.
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This year, we get neither the gatherings nor the travel (though we still have the iffy weather, ha). In place of gatherings (please don’t gather!), we have making-the-best-of-it family Zooms. In place of travel, here are some options for a little virtual trip:

• ​Cheap Nordic Houses. The houses are cheap, and the daydreams are free. Somehow it’s soothing to browse these charming Scandinavian homes. How is every single one so picturesque?
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• ​Window Swap. Flip through 10-minute videos taken from the windows of homes around the world – everything from Asian high-rise views to quiet Scottish backyards. My kids want to upload one from our house. Let me know if you do!
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• TV and Movies. I confess, I love me some subtitles – truth be told, even when the show is in English.
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  • Scott and I are currently obsessed with the Deutschland TV series on Hulu. “Deutschland 83,” the first season, is smart spy-thriller historical fiction set in East and West Germany in 1983. We’re now on the second season, “Deutschland 86,” which also travels to Africa and might be even better.
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  • For the whole family, check out “Queen of Katwe” on Disney+. It’s an excellent movie about a Ugandan girl who discovers a talent for chess. Nuanced, heartfelt, and respectful of Ugandan culture, it avoids oversimplified tropes about escaping from poverty.
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  • Don’t forget – “The Crown” is back, hooray!

​The Latest: Nature

I’ve lived near this lake for 8 years and always liked it, but it’s only in 2020 that I’ve truly fallen in love with it. Watching the wildlife, foliage, and water change over the seasons is a life-giving balm in an otherwise soul-sucking year. Even in November, isn’t it gorgeous?

What’s giving you life these days? I’d love to hear from you. And please feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend. If they’d like to subscribe, they can hop over to sharonholbrook.com/newsletter/.

Warmly,

Sharon