Celebrating one year here (and some big news!)

Lake Michigan ~ November 2023. There’s no such thing as showing too many pictures of a Great Lake, right?

Hello, my fellow Moving Through travelers!

One year ago I decided to begin writing this newsletter and start the work of building a community in a space that’s come to mean a lot to me. It’s here, on Substack, where I have connected with many new readers and writers as well as re-connected with so many of you who have known me for some time but through other shared experiences, most likely my longtime lifestyle site and community Michigan Runner Girl.

However long we’ve known each other, I hope you feel like you’re getting to know me through what I am sharing—and that, hopefully, you’re learning more about yourself along the way.

This past year of writing has, quite honestly, been an awakening of sorts for me. I’ve returned to the kind of writing I like best—personal, reflective, connective—and it’s in doing this that I’ve felt inspired and invigorated, and I’ve discovered a sense of clarity around the direction I’m heading, professionally and personally.

I’d like to delve deeper into all of this, how writing about the things that remain integral to who I am—moving my body, spending time outdoors, loving my people and others fiercely and kindly, unearthing ways to be the person I want to be—is in fact changing me in good and interesting ways. How stepping back, slowing down, and being more intentional better describe me these days (but aren’t always easy to achieve). How I’m feeling more at peace with myself than ever before, even while I’m also struggling with one thing or another most every day. We can experience all of this at the same time, is what I have learned. I’m getting comfortable with that uncomfortableness.

It’s late, though, and I think for today, my recorded words best explain things. I will share more writing soon enough. I love writing here, in this space and for you all. And, as I share in this solo episode of the Moving Through podcast¹, I am taking on a new challenge (nothing is changing with my job; I’m adding, not subtracting in this case!).

I can’t wait to share more about this as it all unfolds over the coming months. You can hear all about it by listening to this recording (find it at the top of this post), but I do want to say a special thank you to

Daisy Alpert Florin

of

Girls with Feelings

for not only writing one of my most favorite books ever—My Last Innocent Year—but also for introducing me to The Gateless Writing Academy, of which I recently was accepted and have just begun.

There’s so much to come.

Real quick: a big thank you to those who have become paid subscribers of this newsletter. It means so much to me and truly is helping me stay focused on this writing and continue building Moving Through. I know it’s not something all subscribers can do, and I completely understand this! If you are able to support the work here, know that your paid subscription helps me carve out time to write longer, more personal pieces.

Here’s what I have planned for all subscribers as this community grows:

• Personal essays on: midlife, parenting young adults, running and other forms of exercise and outdoor movement, marriage, and more.

• Interviews with: midlife individuals who run, midlife parents with older children, adult children of midlife parents, and parenting experts

• Lists I Love: Books, recipes/food, places in Michigan/Midwest, running gear/resources 

Some of my work will be for paying subscribers only, and will include:

• Deep dive, research-infused essays that are even more personal

• Special guides, like what to know if you’re interested in running and/or staying active outdoors year-round and trip itineraries for your next travel adventure

• Weekly-ish community threads or chats

• Access to my full archives

• Special savings on any event I’m planning (like this one!) and other goodies I come up with (like the new items I’ve recently added to my online store)

And something special for those of you who wish to become a Founding Member of Moving Through:

You’ll receive a one-hour call, just you and me, to talk about what you’re moving through. I’ll offer my expertise on a topic of your choosing, whether it’s about navigating a life transition, getting started (and staying) running, or finding your way as a writer. You can become a founding member by visiting your subscriber preferences.

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Thank you for being here with me today. Let’s all keep moving forward and moving through together. It’s going to be so good.

-Heather

p.s. You may have noticed Moving Through has a new look! This revamped main logo, at the top of this newsletter and with its blue hues and softer font, feels more like me and all that I am sharing here and the community I am building. I hope you like it, too. Let me know what you think (about this and anything else you’ve read here or the podcast episode!)

1. Please excuse some of the background noise in this episode—it shows up in a few spots. Next time and moving forward the audio quality will be better, I promise.