A New Chapter: The Next Season of Unfinished Business

Hey guys, thanks for being here!

This week's post is a little different. Consider it a note from my desk before we dive into a new season of stories next week.

Ever go on a trip and come home seeing the rest of your life a bit differently? That's kind of where I'm at these days.

I’ve been out west for a spell and got home a few days ago with a little tan, overweight luggage, new inspiration, and a notebook full of half-started articles I’ll be refining and sharing starting next week.

I’m also going back to a weekly routine, aiming to settle into it by September. Some weeks will have longer articles, some will be short, but I’m going to be writing as the stories bubble up in my brain, not trying to write War and Peace every week.

I got to see and do a lot: made new friends, high-fived New Avengers and X-Men, saw the cast of Avengers: Doomsday in person, shared a special night in Santa Barbara with The Balkan Storm, and hit the beach and parks with the fam, just to name a few.

Yet...I still came home yearning for more – but I don't think that's a bad thing.

Someone once told me the best cure for the post-vacation blues was to start planning the next trip before you’ve even unpacked.

So after the success of Comic-Con (more on that soon) and everything else out in the Golden State, I'm making this annual getaway a thing.

At least, until we relocate.

More on that later, too.

Obvious spoiler: Against all odds, I made it into Hall H. But the line drama got so chaotic it made the news for all the wrong reasons. But I survived it

Barely.

I'll tell you the whole story soon.

Here's the overarching thought at the moment: for years, our post-retirement planning has always been ‘somewhere down south,’ but to be perfectly honest, my heart has belonged out west for a long time.

Maybe it’s because I’m tired of cold and snow.
Maybe it was the unexpected kindness of complete strangers.

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s the first place I’ve returned to after 20+ years that actually felt like coming home.

I believe in blooming where you're planted, but there’s something to be said for knowing where (and how) you hope to plant yourself next.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll share these stories and what each one taught me, and what it's like to build toward a future with one eye on reality, the other on ‘what if’.

Thanks, as always, for reading and sticking with me through the twists and turns of this ever-evolving little project of mine.

And if you’ve enjoyed following along, I’d love for you to share Unfinished Business with a friend or two who might appreciate it, too. Word of mouth is still the best way this little place keeps growing.

And to my UB Premium members: thank you. Your support helps keep this all going, and I've got something special planned for you in the coming weeks. I'm still putting the finishing touches on it, so consider this your official teaser.

I’ll be back next week with the first of many stories I’ve been looking forward to telling. And of course, I'll still be making silly TikToks, ‘cause everyone needs a hobby, right?

Until then, take care, and don’t be afraid to keep one eye on reality and the other on what if?

Heather Papovich is the voice behind Unfinished Business. She's seen some things. She'll tell you about them.