(Author photo)
Amusement parks are all fun and games until you decide to try the tilt-a-whirl in your 40s. (Ask me how I know, haha.)
Mere seconds in, I had to give the thumbs down signal to stop the ride and be let off — with the kids on board giving me the evil eye — then proceed to take the walk of shame while all the parents on the sidelines watched. They were rather kind, actually, saying, “Good for you for trying!” and a sympathetic “It’s so hard on the inner ear.”
So, I’ll skip that ride next time (ominous clown logo and all) and stick with the mini-golf, but I’ll always love the lights and sounds of a midway. Ferris wheels and carousels for the win.
A Little Goes A Long Way
Unexpected, but so very exciting: my entry was a winner in the recent 6-word story contest put on by Vestige Story and The New Quarterly, who are now collaborating on “initiatives that highlight the intersection of tactile artistry and narrative depth.” (I love this! Watch for more to come from this collaboration.)
“In July 2025, we asked our communities on Instagram to share six-word stories with a theme of process. Whether it’s about healing, building, crafting, or becoming, we asked our fellow artists to show us the beauty of the journey.”
Along the Rails
Fed my history-nerd, vintage-loving self with a ride on this gorgeous antique train at Kettle Valley Steam Railway. If I looked out at the view and listened to the rhythm of wheels on the rails, and the steam whistle blowing, I could imagine being in another era — maybe in an Agatha Christie story. (Minus the murder, of course! Unless there’s a chance for the KVR to host a new kind of show? A who-done-it in period costume would be fabulous!)
Book Mail!
Received the issues of Paddler Press I ordered, both of which include my work. A quick photo before adding these beauties to the shelf in my study.
Portuguese Pride
(Photo by S. Nesbitt)
“One writer recounts the bureaucratic dance of claiming citizenship in their parents’ homeland […]”
That’s how Arquipélago Press describes my essay included in HERE & ELSEWHERE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF PORTUGUESE CANADIAN WRITERS.
It’s been a journey, one that isn’t over yet. And there have been complicated feelings along the way — feelings around identity, family, and place. The good and the bad. But despite any negatives (including that “bureaucratic dance”), I’m proud of my heritage. Portugal and Canada — my past, present, and future.
And contributor Emanuel Melo writes in his blog:
“A new voice to the anthology is Sonia Nicholson, whose “Good Citizen” walks us through the tense bureaucratic nightmare of trying to obtain Portuguese citizenship from Canada. Told through a weaving tale of adventure and hope, Sonia tells an entertaining yet profoundly real experience that I have heard before from others who can confirm the veracity of this first-generation Portuguese Canadian in search of a cartão de cidadão as a way to reaffirm their belonging to the ancestral world of Portugal.”
France Friends
When author, Paris expert, and all around wonderful Lily Heise reached out to say she’d be in Victoria again and asked about getting together (we met here last year for the first time), I was thrilled!
It was so lovely to meet up again, catch up — and talk about France, of course! I think we’ll do this in Paris next time. 😉
Lily is a Canadian author, freelance travel journalist, and romantic travel expert who has been living in Paris since 2000. She is the author of three books, her most recent, There’s Only One Paris, a collection of short stories on Paris during the pandemic, and two on looking for romance in Paris, Je T’Aime, Me Neither and Je T’Aime… Maybe?. She is the host and writer of two podcasts; Romancing in Paris and Paris Cachée. Her articles and travel writing have been featured in the Huffington Post, The Toronto Star, CondéNastTraveler.com, Business Insider, Playboy.com, Frommer’s, Fodor’s, City Secrets Guides, DK Eyewitness, LonelyPlanet.com, TravelAge West, among others. An extensive list of her articles can be found at this link and more information on her guidebook writing and other publications here. This website, focused on offbeat romantic Paris and beyond was voted Best Blog in Paris 2018 .
Get to know more about Lily and her work on her website.
Our Happy Hour view was spectacular. And thanks to Lily for this fun, impromptu pic of me! I look ready to hit the French Riviera, don’t you think?
A Sky Full of Stars
A new ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review for Provenance Unknown! Thank you ☺️
(It’s never too late to add yours! Every review helps authors with visibility.)
Full Circle
So … I found this diary (which I completely forgot existed) from my first trip to France when I was a wide-eyed, small-town, France-obsessed, almost 16-year-old. I’ve only read the first few pages, but it’s … what you’d expect 😆.
Curious? Comment with a number between 1 and 35 and I’ll give you a line from that page while trying not to cringe! 🙈
Les Bouquinistes
Emily Carr’s B.C. – Book Three: South Coast to the Interior, by Laurie Carter
I spotted Laurie Carter’s book in the wild, while I was on vacation in the Okanagan. Laurie was my editor for Provenance Unknown and is another Sands Press publishing sibling.
The final volume of Laurie Carter’s groundbreaking trilogy, Emily Carr’s B.C., presents the culmination of a journey far beyond anything Carter ever imagined when she set out to explore the landscapes, historical environment, and First Nations traditions that shaped an icon. Author and artist Emily Carr led a merry chase to some of the best-loved destinations and remotest outposts of the province, revealing her character and motivation every step of the way. Wherever this epic traveller (and her trusty canine companions) ventured, Carter was determined to follow. Book three traces the Vancouver years; forays to the Cariboo, Sunshine Coast, Fraser Canyon and Okanagan Valley; concluding with what we know today as the Sea-to-Sky corridor, Carr’s last great expedition.
As always, thanks for reading. Merci!
Sonia
Sonia Nicholson 