aboutchris. . .

I couldn't decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was a child, I wanted to be an artist, a nun, or a teacher. For a long time, though, I wanted to be a doctor or a nurse. Unfortunately— fortunately, as it were—I had to take biology in high school, and the frog dissection did me in. I decided teaching didn't sound so bad after all. 

After graduating from Walsh University, I taught Spanish, English, drama, and journalism before eventually realizing what I really wanted to do was write.  An editor at CNN told me I was a good writer but that he couldn't hire me because I had no experience. I decided to get some. After we moved to Las Vegas, I wrote, edited, and did public relations for clients that included Nevada Power, US Home and the Clark County (NV) School District. My husband got a job in Nashville, so I folded up the PR business and opened Paper Moon, an award-winning store that specialized in paper arts.

The writing bug never left me, though, so after closing the Moon, I decided I needed another degree and earned an MFA in creative writing from Murray State University (KY). When Mike retired, we headed back to Las Vegas, and I founded The Las Vegas Memoir Project. Today, I'm a travel writer, magazine editor, blogger, teacher, photographer, and guide of all things Italy. 

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Speaking of Italy, that beautiful country is the land of my blood.  My grandparents were born there, and I was eligible for dual citizenship. It took over eight years, but I became an Italian citizen in 2018.

I sometimes take people with me when I travel there. They often become part of my stories, and I write about the adventures on Cold Pasta and Red Wine (coldpastaandredwine.com). You can check out my blog, travel tips, and more by clicking here.

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By the way, I'm still working on making history.

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