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For years I have struggled to come up with a cohesive way to explore and express my interest in seemingly disparate topics — personal growth and development, coaching, spirituality, wellness, interior and landscape design, hosting gatherings, food, wine and cooking. The word is hospitality, in its broadest sense. Hospitality is a central tenet of each of the […]

I recently earned my International Coaching Federation credential. It was the result of 80 hours of training, 100 hours of coaching, and a grueling 4-hour proctored exam. I had dragged my feet for years to reach the finish line, and it felt great when I finally got my little pin from ICF for the achievement.

This is a story about tradition, food memories, and baker’s math.  I have made Portuguese sweet bread at Easter every year since I was able to stand in the kitchen. My mother wrapped a little handkerchief around my head and let me dip my pudgy fingers into a bowl where she had cracked two dozen

The next time you stroll down a U.S. grocery store aisle, pause in the section where they sell olive oil. Fifty years ago, there likely was no olive oil to be had, much less the vast array of domestic (mostly California) and foreign varieties. The same goes for the bewildering selection of fruits and vegetables.

You can spot — or hear — them a block away. The confident swagger. The booming voice (and for women, the tone that reminds one of a lovelorn goose). The demands and needs. The impatience. I occupy both worlds, flowing between being American and being Portuguese, as a salmon may slither between salt and fresh

Here’s an embarrassing confession: I thought the phrase was “All that glitters is not gold.” Meaning, just because it’s shiny doesn’t mean it has value. It turns out that it’s the title of a poem by J.R.R. Tolkien: All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter. The nuance is slightly different. The most valuable things in

When I was ten years old, I got it into my head that I wanted the kitchen table set. All the time, just like in a restaurant, ready for the next meal. We couldn’t afford to eat in restaurants, so I wanted to create the restaurant atmosphere at home. I carefully aligned the plate and

It’s tough being a news junkie. After social media, there are few aspects of modern life that can wreck havoc on your mental and emotional well-being than a daily (hourly?) diet of news headlines. Trained as a journalist, I felt it was my civic and social responsibility to know what the hell was going on.

You see the headlines.  Seventy percent of C-suite executives are considering quitting due to burnout.  Over half of residents in the San Francisco Bay Area are considering leaving the area in the next five years.  Forty percent of workers are considering leaving their job soon.  Thirty-eight percent of respondents to a Hoover Institution poll said

First name Emily. Last name Ávila. First half American. Second half Portuguese. Just like my life. Totally one, and totally the other. Here, no one mispronounces my last name. They don’t say “uh-VEEY-uh,” forcing a fake Spanish accent. Or start off with the flat, whiney ‘A’ like “apple.” They know to emphasize the Ahhhh. But