This story reflects on how turning 50 at the start of the year demanded more honesty, patience, and alignment than I expected.

This story shares how a Chinese foot bath led to a discovery that bridged centuries and cultures. Proof that connection is found in the simplest moments.

This story shares how Hainan Fen (海南粉), a thousand-year-old rice noodle dish, reflects survival, tradition, and life on China’s tropical Hainan Island.

Life on Hainan Island, China, has a way of surprising you. One moment, you’re on a casual morning outing; the next, you’re standing in a place that’s been here for over a thousand years. This was one of those days.

This story celebrates the sentimental power of music, memory, and the roads that teach us how to hold on, and how to let go.

This story celebrates an unwavering love that asks for nothing and offers everything.

This story shares how a simple meal in a Beijing restaurant, halfway across the world from home, quietly marked the beginning of starting over. It was one small moment, but it stayed with me because sometimes, that’s how reinvention begins.

This story is about how we all carry bags, some filled with clothes, others with dreams, regrets, or love. Maybe the key isn’t packing light but knowing which weights are worth carrying.

This story shares what I found inside two very different tea houses in Hainan, one modern and one traditional.

This story is a tribute to my 40s and how this time in my life changed me forever.

This story explores the origins of Hainan’s unique rice wine vinegar hot pot, the fuel sources that influenced Chinese cooking methods, and the fermentation traditions contributing to its distinct tangy broth.

This story is about how betrayal never arrives with a bang; it seeps in, slow and suffocating.

This story details my unexpected experience with reverse culture shock.

I stepped into history and went on an adventure hidden in time, exploring 12th-century lava tunnels and caves in Haikou, Hainan, China.

I didn’t expect a palm tree and an old man to teach me anything on this day. But life has a way of surprising you when you’re feeling lost. This is the story of an afternoon in Hainan, China, when connection showed up without words, and a stranger reminded me what it means to feel seen.

This story shares how, after a personal unravelling, I found a new beginning on a tropical island in China. What unfolded next became a turning point in how I live, love, and choose to begin again.

To kick off the new year in China strongly, we met up with friends and visited the Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark.

Ada’s story is about finding courage in the small moments. It’s a coming-of-age tale told through the eyes of a 3rd grader learning how to speak up, set boundaries, and trust herself. With the quiet strength of her grandmother and the presence of a mysterious Magic Feather, Ada begins to shape her own way forward — one choice at a time.

Conflict is a natural aspect of life. Learning how to manage conflict effectively is an acquired skill like learning to solve a math problem. Yet, merely teaching children to "play nice" falls short of preparing them for the complexities of real-world conflicts. This practical guide emphasizes that conflict management is a learned skill, essential for fostering healthy relationships and personal growth.

This guide is for anyone who’s ever felt stretched too thin. Offering 60 clear, daily reminders to help you stay focused on what matters: your time, your energy, and your right to say no without guilt. Each affirmation is short, honest, and meant to meet you where you are — five minutes a day is enough to start shifting how you show up for yourself.

This book is a quiet return to the part of you that still believes. It includes 60 simple reminders to help you reconnect with your sense of wonder — the part that’s curious, creative, and still wants to feel seen, heard, and loved.

This guide is for new English teachers who want something that actually works. It’s built from strategies I’ve used in real classrooms with adult ESL learners. The lessons are straightforward, easy to follow, and ready to use — whether you’re teaching in person or sharing your screen online with Zoom, Classin, or Teams. No fluff, just practical tools to help you feel more confident from day one.

A look inside my classroom with student projects, creative lesson samples, and my approach to building connection through language. This page also features personal creative work that inspires my teaching practice and writing.

Practical English lessons created for adult learners with a focus on real-world communication, business English, and tools for in class or online. Perfect for teachers and independent learners alike.

These are my go-to recipes.

I taught my daughters these dishes when they were young. Later, I taught them to high school students and, more than once, to new friends finding their feet in the kitchen.

These recipes are simple to prepare and use familiar ingredients. The steps are forgiving, the dishes freeze well, and I often have a few on hand to grab on busy days.

Return to these often and share them with others.

Thanks for stopping by,

Suzanne Marie