Hi. I’m Julie. I’m a former academic, writer, and life coach who lives with a whole bunch of chronic illnesses, including CFS/ME, endometriosis, hypothyroid, allergies galore, and probably other things I can’t remember right now because there are too damn many. I’m a huge introvert and HSP who generally needs a lot of solitude and quiet. I’m an inveterate reader who generally has several books going at one time, everything from romance and mystery to natural history and memoir. Learning is high on the list of my favorite things. (Other favorites: big dogs, tiny babies, color, succulents, really big nature, rain, and tea in a good mug.)
I grew up in the Navy, so I’ve lived all kinds of places with all kinds of people, but the ocean was a constant for me. We moved about every three years, which was practically stationary in that context, but I went to different schools for sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. This is not something I recommend. The upshot of all of that moving is that I’m really good at transition, and I’m still learning how to put down the roots I desperately desire.
I’m married to Catharine, who has a number of mental health diagnoses and ADD on top of some physical issues. She’s a minister, a spiritual director, and a pagan teacher who puts on amazing ritual. She’s a big extrovert who likes to process out loud and who can carry on half a dozen chat conversations with friends and loved ones at the same time.
We currently live with two cats (our dogs are dearly departed) in Portland, OR. We both work from home, which is just as exciting and challenging as you think it would be for people as different as we are.
(PS—Just in case you were wondering, and it’s a good question, Catharine has given me permission to write about her diagnoses and the shit we go through.)