It's that time of year when the air turns from autumn crisp to winter bite. For the last couple of years that's felt like the flicking of a switch - literally one day I'm appreciating bright skies, orange leaves, and jackets without gloves; the next, I'm navigating frost or a snowfall in hat and boots.… Continue reading PSA: you can let go of something once it’s served its purpose
Author: Catriona
Welcome to my bug soup
Dive in and have a taste. Warning: it's not comfort food. Image credit: Shutterstock Did you know that when caterpillars go into their cocoon, they don't just gradually change from one state to another? If I ever thought about it, I'd have imagined the caterpillar becoming less furry, losing some legs, slimming down, and growing… Continue reading Welcome to my bug soup
Canalsick in Venice
Yesterday I got back from a blissful Italian holiday which started with a few days in Venice. So it's high time I bring you this piece I wrote the last time I was there, in 2019. I still think it's one of the best things I've ever written, and till now it's been hidden away… Continue reading Canalsick in Venice
How to finish what you started
My word for 2023 worked out pretty well, although I never got around to sharing it until now: FRUITION I was determined that this year I’d bring into the world the tangible result of more than three years of writing. This year, I brought my mindset into alignment with that goal and became an author,… Continue reading How to finish what you started
Why leave all this? Our repatriation story begins…
A family member visiting us in late spring was incredulous. 'But why would you leave all this? For Aberdeen?' By All This they meant the leafy suburbs of western Paris, with the city of lights just a twenty-minute train journey away, a spacious house and garden within walking distance of a prestigious, cosy school, all… Continue reading Why leave all this? Our repatriation story begins…
Thank you Wayne
I've just logged off from the livestream of the memorial service for the writer Wayne Milstead, who died suddenly last month. Wayne and his husband Aaron ran Circle of Missé, the writing retreat. I'm sharing here what I wrote in an email the day I heard the shocking news. It was in 2015, when we… Continue reading Thank you Wayne
The Certainty of Granite
This phrase, ‘The Certainty of Granite’ is one that I’ve had knocking around for years, and it was the working title of my book before I settled on the one I have now. Instead, earlier this year I crafted this poem from various notes and journal entries. The ideas here don’t resonate in the same… Continue reading The Certainty of Granite
The Art of Finding Home as an Expat
Image from Shutterstock ... The friendships I’ve made with people because we connect over performance, or books, or because we’ve worked on a passion project together, those have been important in a different way. Because they connect with a deeper, stronger part of my identity, one that is a constant, regardless of circumstance. It’s connecting… Continue reading The Art of Finding Home as an Expat
Paris Sketch: Monet at l’Orangerie
I wrote this during a moment of reflection in front of Monet's famous Water Lilies, and it's only lightly edited here. Scroll down for more information about the gallery. It's hard to resist people watching instead. Just two elliptical galleries, no hurry, no trying to take in every painting and learn the significance of what's… Continue reading Paris Sketch: Monet at l’Orangerie
On Crossing Paths and Feeding the Soul
It's my birthday weekend, so here's a treat! I'm sharing my fortnightly email this week with anyone who wants to read it! If you like it, get more about connection, expat insights, and creative living resources by signing up here. I had two meals in a row this week that fed my soul, as well… Continue reading On Crossing Paths and Feeding the Soul
Catriona Turner Books & Blog 