At 62, I’ve come to a rather wonderful realization: I’m still becoming.
I’m not interested in returning to the woman I was at 30 or 40. I’m much more curious about the woman I can become now. That curiosity I’ve carried since my teenage years is still very much alive, only now I have the experience, perspective, and freedom to follow it on my own terms.
I’m discovering how much I enjoy my independence, especially my slow mornings. There’s something delicious about sitting with a good cafecito, having nowhere in particular to rush off to, and wondering what the day might bring. I’m not quite living my dream life yet, but I’m learning to appreciate the freedom I already have.
After years of stifling my creativity in the corporate world, baking for my own business feels like the ideal opposite of everything I left behind. My daughter and I are working toward opening our bakery and coffee shop. For now, I get to play at developing recipes inspired by Latin flavors and discover which ones people love through preorders and at our Sunday market.
Getting the bakery off the ground has been an adventure in itself. We’ve faced unexpected challenges, changed plans, and had our patience tested more than once. But there’s something deeply satisfying about working toward a dream that’s ours. Along the way, I’m discovering just how resourceful I can be.
I’m learning that freedom isn’t necessarily about not working. It’s about having more say in how I spend my time and what I choose to create.
But the bakery is only part of the life I’m imagining. I want to become the strongest and healthiest version of myself, hike beautiful trails, and explore unfamiliar places. There’s still so much I want to experience.
And then there’s Maisie, my spirited little Yorkie, who has her own ideas about how my days should unfold. She may be tiny, but her personality is anything but. Sometimes I wonder who’s actually running the household!
I’m not entirely sure where this reinvention will lead, but I’m finding that discovering who I’m becoming is an adventure all its own.
And that’s what Herwilding is about: baking experiments, Latin flavors, honest product discoveries, life with Maisie, and whatever else catches my curiosity along the way.
My world doesn’t have to get smaller as I get older. I intend to make it bigger.
Welcome to Herwilding. I’m glad you’re here!
