Through my work in marketing at a daily deal site, ghostwriting for SMB tech companies, and running my own small business, I've developed a passion for supporting small businesses.

And small business owners. 

Small business owners are the people Andrew Yang wrote about in Smart People Should Build Things -- people who were bold, determined, and strategic to "make the jump" and work on something that truly makes them happy.

Running a small business is tough, though — and that's why I'm a huge fan of Harvest Hosts.

Last October, I overcame my fear of towing and started on a two-ish year full-time RVing adventure!

Some people do this to save money, but while RVing definitely beats paying California rent, it isn't cheap. Buying an RV isn't an "investment," as your vehicle depreciates every year, whereas a home would appreciate. While RVing, things constantly break. And, of course, there's the matter of where to camp.

Harvest Hosts is one of the best ways to save money while you camp, since joining this website lets you camp for free at over 2,010 wineries, breweries, museums, farms, and attractions across the US.

But it's not just good for RVers... it's also become a lifeline for businesses that are struggling through the COVID shutdown (on top of ALLL the other struggles small businesses face).

I didn't get a single mosquito bite during my trip to the Everglades. Image: @TheHappyTalent

It is known.

Leggings aren't merely acceptable as pants — leggings are the best pants. 

They beat all other pants in terms of comfort, mobility, and their amazing ability to flatter every body. (With the obvious exception being bad leggings, which flatter no​ body.)

Everyone knows basketball is the best sport. It's also the sport I was playing when I tore my ACL last year. 

After doing extensive research on the best possible ACL surgeons, then meeting with each of my top three, I decided against having the ACL reconstruction surgery — and it ended up being the best decision of my life. 

Guys — I am absolutely loving my summer reading list! It started with Hillary's What Happened, which, as I wrote in ​Right Now is the Best, Weirdest Time to Read Hillary Clinton's 'What Happened', felt weirdly timely and relevant. I also enjoyed and recommend ​A History of the United States in Five Crashes: Stock Market Meltdowns That Defined a Nation (which also feels really relevant right now), ​Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (which is alarming, to say the least), A Sand County Almanac (which is more soothing than poetry), and ​The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West (which was educational, but definitely not my favorite).

Now, I'm finishing Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage, from which I learned a really weird and unexpected fact:

​Marriage counseling was pioneered as a form of eugenics. 

Image: @TheHappyTalent on Instagram

One of the most important lessons I've learned as a dog owner (other than, "Keep the Christmas truffles on the highest possible shelf," "Don't assume they won't knowingly jump off a balcony chasing a squirrel," and, "Leave the tent door unzipped or else!") is that many of the health changes we assume are natural parts of aging... are actually symptoms of something totally treatable.

They say money can't buy happiness -- but they're totally wrong. First of all, on a log scale, more money does​ mean more happiness:

"What about y'all?" a friend asked recently after during our nightly Zoom call. He'd just introduced everyone to his newborn baby and shared the birth story. "What's new with you?"

"Ummmm..."

"Errr...."

"What's... new with me?"

It's the lockdown. No one had much to report -- and certainly nothing that compares to birthing a quarantine baby. Finally, I said, "Well... I found a box of my old clothes from high school and middle school in the barn. They're in really good condition, and I think they still fit."

Spring break is canceled. Your summer travel plans are canceled. Date night is canceled. Open mic, karaoke, sports, concerts, birthdays, weddings. 

It's all canceled. 

Even your ability to hike in local parks or surf local beaches may be canceled. 

And one way to cope with these losses may be a small investment in a starry night or ocean projector. 

I travel alone. A lot. It's super fun. It's never lonely. You're free to do whatever you want without worrying about other people's fears or physical limitations.

People say it must be "empowering" to travel alone as a woman. But, honestly, I've always found it way more empowering to backpack alone with my dog.