Talking to Strangers
Do strangers tell you things? Do you regularly make friends with strangers? Here are three stories about strangers I’ve met.
The Van
Sleeping in the van that night with the sound of the rain on the roof was so relaxing. It’s hard to explain just how good it felt that this thing I had been dreaming about doing for so long was finally happening. But the story only gets better from there, because I was about to meet Ed Jr.
The Roads We Travel
This post is part of a project to post a photo and a 1,500+ word story every day for 100 days in a row. Today is day 2 In an effort to streamline this project, I’ve spent the last couple of days sorting through photos to potentially use. It’s been a mix of...
100 days of Stories- Imperfect but Consistent
Do you ever get stuck in a cycle of drafts without publishing? I’m attempting to overcome my fear of the publish button by challenging myself to share a story a day for 100 days.
Embracing Imperfection
I went from living in what appeared to be the perfect neighborhood, in a great house, with the perfect little family, to having my entire life fall apart in a very public way. I got a whole lot better at being myself when perfection was no longer the goal. #100DaysOfStories
Book Club: Confessions of a Recovering Know-It-All
This is a story about how I left the Mormon church and discovered narwhals were real. Now I have more questions than answers and am on a quest to learn to be better at being wrong.
Book Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
If you’re looking for a new story to immerse yourself in while forgetting about the world for a few days, or at least tune the world out while you travel to other planetary systems, give this book a listen. Treat yourself to a fantastic adventure, science that feels comprehensible, witty commentary and well, a story that is out of this world. #SorryNotSorry
How To Be a Quitter
Learning how to quit the things that weren’t working for me, without shame and guilt, has brought me more joy and more opportunities in my life.
Book Review: High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley
Conflict is a normal part of the human experience. It helps us change and move forward. However, high conflict situations, where there is no progress made, are taking over most discourse in America. The book High Conflict: Why we get stuck and how we get out covers high conflict situations and makes recommendations for removing yourself from conflict that isn’t productive.
Ask Amber: How to make decisions (in four easy steps)
How do you make business decisions and keep yourself moving forward when you work for yourself? This article will take you through four easy steps.
For Sale: Paris Cafe Chair (a little broken, just like all of us)
What can you do with a slightly wonky chair?
For Sale: The Piano of Broken Dreams
You know what they say about good intentions right? When I was moving the second time having never played my piano I knew it was time to sell.
For Sale: Big, Yellow (Power) Desk
What happens when you fill an object with spite? It becomes filled with power.
Ask Amber: Surviving the tween tide part three: The Legend of the Fire Swamp
The teen years feel a lot like walking through the Fireswamp with danger around every corner. Keep talking to your kid the entire time. Show up and keep talking.
Ask Amber: Surviving the tween tide part two: The Dread Pirate Roberts
What if the Dread Pirate Roberts is the best metaphor for parenting teens? Don’t worry, he totally is.
Ask Amber: Surviving the tween tide part one
How do you navigate the choppy waters of the tween years? How do you navigate the uncharted territory without wrecking the mother-daughter relationship?
The Rock Visualization and Unwinding Anxiety
Are you experiencing hyper-fixation on a situation or problem? Anxiety? These visualization exercises may help.
Ask Amber: Overcoming Trauma
How do you deal with triggers that keep bringing trauma back when you thought you dealt with it years ago? How do you stop reliving the nightmare?
For Sale: The Slut Couch
It wasn’t about the couch as much as what the couch represented. I didn’t know what it would look like, but I knew what it would *feel* like. Freedom. Independence. Safety.
Trump is gone. Biden was inaugurated. So why don’t I feel better?
This morning, as I watched the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, I kept waiting for the anxiety of the last four years to dissipate. This anxiety was only amplified during the last year because of the pandemic and then multiplied on January 6. I wanted to feel relief, happiness and hope, and while I did, to a point, the anxiety and grief I’ve been carrying were all still very present, with a new sense of… unsettled weirdness.
But, that’s what the residual emotion of trauma feels like.
Why your kids need an (imaginary) dog
This is the story about how we ended up with an imaginary dog named Wrigley.
For sale: Six-man deep, deep-freezer
I am not a serial killer. But if I were, this would be the freezer I would use to store bodies until I could dispose of them without arousing suspicion.
Vantastic or not vantastic? The reality about life on the road.
Traveling by van isn’t always fantastic, some days are just living.
Zombie Apocalypse Starter Kit (Canned food rotation Shelf Reliance)
This shelf sold in 2019. I still have zero regrets for selling it and despite the shitstorm that was 2020, i’ve yet to see zombies. Stock photo: Model may be actual zombie in disguise. Who really knows? There will come a day when you will regret not buying this,...
Found: Lost Dog, answers to Susan.
This listing for a lost dog was listed in Sept 2018. We never did have anyone credible claim Susan. Despite my insistence I didn’t want a dog, we kept her. Turns out I needed her as much as she needed me. Turns out I’m also the sort of dog mom that calls myself a dog mom and has an instagram account for said dog. I’m not even a little sad about that.
For Sale: SWD seeks better half (dryer for sale)
Sometimes being single is hard. It’s even harder when you’re an appliance.
Why I Left the Mormon Church
Why do people leave the LDS church? The answer is usually quite complicated. For me? It’s a long story. But I’m happy to tell it to those who want to listen.
Hi, I’m Amber Pechin
Welcome to my site.
I have three goals
•Go all the places.
•Meet all the people (and dogs.)
•Tell all the stories.
Want to hear all about it? Pull up a chair and stay awhile. I’ll make pancakes, we’ll laugh, we’ll cry and we’ll be friends. It’ll be the best ever.
Xoxo,
Amber