It's been a while since I've written about life as a full-time freelance writer—since quitting my paralegal position last February, I've touched on some of the initial challenges and the ups and downs. Now that I've passed the one year mark, I wanted to look back and reflect on how my life has changed since making the leap.

Risotto is one of my favorite dinners—it makes me feel like I have it all together, no matter how stressful my day has been. If I have the time, I make traditional risotto. But if it's a hectic weeknight and I need an easy dinner before a workout, I throw together a hands-off version.

As I mentioned in my post about my trip to Mason City, the city has a notable collection of Prairie School and Frank Lloyd architecture. Prior to my visit, I didn't know much about this distinctively American style and architect, other than many drives past the Frank Lloyd Wright gas station near my hometown and reading Loving Frank, a novel based on Wright's relationship with Mamah Cheney.

When Mike got home from work last Wednesday, he stumbled across a miniature photo studio in our entryway: lights, cords, a camera, a baking sheet I was using as a backdrop. "What have you been up to...

One of my favorite streets that I've come across in my travels is the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado. It's lined with local shops and restaurants, several blocks are pedestrian-only, and it has street performers and excellent people-watching. Most importantly for someone like me who grew up in relatively flat state, you can see the Rocky Mountains.

This is the time of year for best-of lists: the best songs, the most talked about news stories, the most important books. 2018 has been a banner year for me personally—in February, I quit my job as a paralegal to make my side gig as a freelance writer into a full-time career. While there have been plenty of ups and downs, one thing has been constant: so much delicious food. When it came time to sum up 2018, really the only way to do it was...