Heart of the Story

234 What happens when the opposite traits that attracted you to your partner become the very things that frustrate you?Nadine revisits an essay she first wrote in 2018 and originally shared on episode 3 in 2021—an essay about her husband and the moments that have exposed their differences, for better and for worse.Nadine also reflects on what it's like to listen back, now that her kindergartener is a middle schooler and her home address has changed from Chicago to Florida. Yet some things have remained the same: life is as challenging and uncertain as ever.Through memories of wilderness hikes and a post-couples-therapy stroll that helped rekindle connection, Nadine explores how walking became both a practice and a metaphor for marriage. After the essay, she shares behind-the-scenes reflections on how the piece was written—and offers a gentle invitation to writers to follow objects, memories, and moments of meaning wherever they lead.Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:Revision Made Easy: A 3-Step Process to Up-level Your Writing Virtual, Feb 28Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WIAbout Nadine:Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.

232 Five days. No talking. No technology. Just awareness.Nadine shares her powerful experience from a five-day silent Vipassana retreat—and what emerged when there was nowhere left to escape. From boredom and resistance to unexpected joy, grief, and clarity, Nadine opens up about the emotional and spiritual breakthroughs that unfolded in stillness.She reflects on self-compassion, non-reactivity, and the freedom that comes from releasing expectations and the constant desire for things to be different. A moving loving-kindness meditation becomes the catalyst for deep emotional release and insight, revealing a simple but radical truth: happiness doesn’t live in the future—it’s available now.This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and discover what silence can teach us about presence, peace, and being fully alive.Get access to the full episode when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.Covered in this episode:Why she chose to do a silent retreat for the second timeWhat was different (and disappointing) this timeWhat it was like to renounce technologyThe rules she brokeThe breakthroughs she hadThe shocking vision that made her weepReclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:Revision Made Easy: A 3-Step Process to Up-level Your Writing Virtual, Feb 28Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WIAbout Nadine:Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.

On the next episode of Heart of the Story, Nadine shares takeaways and surprises from her Sabbatical Year, 2025. About Nadine:Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.

228 In 2025, Nadine interviewed bestselling authors Catherine Newman, Jen Hatmaker, Molly Wizenberg, and many more! Now, Nadine chats with her producer about their 12 favorite episodes and which bits of guest wisdom impacted them the most. Learn how their personal and creative lives have changed as a result these impactful conversations.While the show is on a holiday break, catch up on any episodes you missed!Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:Tiny True Stories, Micro Memoir workshop (virtual) Jan 15Publish the Personal (Virtual): Fridays Jan 23-Feb 27Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WIAbout Nadine:Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.

226: How do you turn a daydream into a life? Tricia Leach has been doing exactly that for the past decade. What began as a bold leap into full-time RV living became a family adventure that took Trish, her husband, and their kids through all 50 states and beyond—stories they’ve shared with a worldwide following through their beloved YouTube channel, Keep Your Daydream.But the journey didn’t stop at the state lines. Along the way, Trish launched her own line of spice blends and published two cookbooks (including her newest, Tastes of the States). Now, she and her husband are dreaming even bigger: they’ve purchased a property that will soon become the Daydream Depot café, opening its doors in 2027.This episode dives into how curiosity, courage, and a willingness to start small can turn an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.Register for Nadine's Micro Memoir course on Jan 15!About Trish:Tricia Leach is the co-creator of Keep Your Daydream, a travel-and-lifestyle brand inspiring millions to chase adventure. She’s the author of two cookbooks: Small Space, Big Taste and the latest Taste of the States, which celebrates America’s regional flavors and the stories behind them. Whether she’s on the road in the US in an Airstream or baking croissants at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Tricia reminds us that daydreams are meant to be lived.About Nadine:Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.