work. Fluent

When my daughter was a toddler, I thought the hardest milestone would be her first day of school. I envisioned myself weeping into a travel mug while she skipped off into the great unknown, armed with a Peppa Pig backpack and a peanut-free snack. That was cute. That was naïve. Because nothing — absolutely nothing — prepared me for her first period. I knew it was coming.

If you’re anything like me, juggling kids, work, and the daily chaos of family life, the idea of a quiet, indulgent evening feels almost mythical. Whether you’re looking to impress your special someone or treat yourselves to a well-deserved night out, Northeast Florida has no shortage of tasting menus designed to sweep you off your feet.

We all do it. We see a call come in at an inconvenient time and think, I’ll call them back later. But sometimes, later never comes. It was two years ago when I lost my dear friend Lee. We’d known each other for years, the kind of friends who could go months without speaking but always picked up right where we left off. Lee had this easy way about him — calm, unassuming, very Floridian, and always there when I needed him.