Plus: Envy as a guide

͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Divorce + Empty Nest and the Desire for New Friends Plus: Envy as a guide Jan 23   READ IN APP   Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash Welcome to a new season of anonymous friendship questions! Have a friendship dilemma you’d like me to answer here or on the Dear Nina podcast? You can write to me on this form without entering an email address. I hope I can help. I like to try! Dear Nina, I'm about to go through a divorce, my child will be heading off to college next year, and I’m essentially starting over. I live in a town where it’s been difficult to build lasting friendships, and I know others have shared similar feelings. Most of my close friends are from my child’s preschool years, a few from college, and I have a couple of close friends locally. As I enter this new chapter of my life, I’m reflecting on my current friendships and realizing I need more reliable, supportive people around me—friends who can truly be there as I navigate these changes. Given all this, what’s the best way to approach building and maintaining friendships in this new phase, and how can I ensure I have the support I need? Thank you, “ES” Dear “ES,” I’m sure some readers are tempted to say, “But she already has some close friends and decent-enough friends. Many people don’t even have THAT!” Fair enough. But I sense a different yearning in you, which is why I chose your question. You’re looking for something entirely new. I think it’s more than “reliable support,” though that’s definitely important, and I’ll address that too. I think it might be fun, excitement, and I suspect—most of all—less judgement. Perhaps the identity you’ve created for yourself thus far is based on parts of your life that no longer fit. It can be hard to do that with old friends. Not that I’m suggesting letting go of old friends. But yes, it’s time for some new ones in the mix. This might seem like an odd place to begin with your next social move, but I want you to think about anything that has made you jealous in the past few years. Write out a list. I will tell you a few examples from my life, which might nudge you towards some ideas of your own. Do you think about friendship a lot? Me too! The FULL answers to anonymous letters are a perk for paying subscribers. Everything else is free. Thanks for considering an upgrade. I think you’ll get a lot of it! ... Upgrade to paid Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app Claim my free post Or upgrade your subscription. Upgrade to paid   Like Comment Restack   © 2025 Nina Badzin The Great Midwest Unsubscribe

Beat January's Chill with a Sunny Escape 🏖️, Magical Wine Festival + Caribbean Seafood Stew

Banish winter blahs with travel inspiration, tips and tropical flavours.  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

​ Hello friends, After dodging white-out highway conditions to the airport, we're finally settled into our winter home (Guatemala, then Huatulco), where we'll be based until spring, bringing you travel tips, recipes and more. With daylight at a premium and cold nights gripping much of North America, we know how heavy the January doldrums can feel. But we've got plenty of ways to brighten your winter! Whether it's soaking up the sun at the top resorts in Cancun Riviera Maya, savouring the Niagara Icewine Festival, or warming up with a bowl of Caribbean tapado—a rich coconut milk and seafood soup that tops my must-eat list whenever I'm in Guatemala—there's something here to chase away the chill. Plus, catch the latest travel news and happenings! Let's dive in! Michele of A Taste for Travel Travel Tips and Planning Our Top Resort Picks in Mexican Caribbean We've just returned from exploring Cancun Riviera Maya and have inside scoop on the best resorts for every type of trip. Whether you're planning a romantic escape or a multigenerational family vacation (like we did!), discover which sunny spots to add to your travel plans. Check out the article ​ Timely Travel Beat Blue Monday with a Sweet Escape Brighten your spirits at the Niagara Icewine Festival or take a Tour to Ice Wine Country to discover thie stories behind this rare elixir. Crafted from grapes harvested when temps plunge to a frosty -10°C for 3 consecutive nights, icewine is the perfect sip to sweeten up your winter. Click Here to Learn More ​ Tropical Table Tapado Soup Savour the tropical flavours of tapado, a creamy Caribbean soup brimming with coconut milk, seafood and plantain. Popular in Garifuna communities across Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala, it's the perfect dish to warm up your winter. Click to get this easy recipe! Get the Recipe Beach & City Buzz Notable news, updates, and happenings We're thrilled to announce an exciting new collaboration to bring you extra perks! Discover the delicious side of Toronto with 10% off public tours from Tasty Tours—exclusive for subscribers like you! Check out this Subscriber Benefit now! Chef Tyler Florence (Great Food Truck Race) has joined the team at World Central Kitchen to serve nutritious meals to people affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. Click to donate. Gina Machorro's Walking Food Tour (a top thing to do in Puerto Escondido) is now offered Monday to Saturday. Book your spot at ginainpuerto@yahoo.com. Our Budget Caribbean series is packed with insider tips on ways to save $$ on travel in the Caribbean! Click here to subscribe.​ ​ How Did You Like This Newsletter? 😀 Liked it! 😐 So-So. 🙁 Could be better! ​ P.S. Don't forget to check out our Subscriber Benefits page for exclusive deals and free ebooks—perfect for planning and sharing! Disclosure: Links in this newsletter may be affiliate in nature. Get more details on our Disclosure page. ​ For the latest news, follow A Taste for Travel on social media! ​​​​ Copyright © A Taste for Travel All rights reserved. 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205 ​Unsubscribe · Preferences​ ​