Mindy Stern

I was raised in Brooklyn, NY, the eldest daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Their spirit of survival combined with the American “can-do” ethos, convinced my sister and me that if we set goals for ourselves, anything was possible. Now, one of my favorite sayings is “I worked very hard to get this lucky.”

I had a wonderful, long career in social work, the last twenty years of which were in Seattle, teaching medical residents the art of “behavioral science,” and then developing and leading a wellness program for residents and fellows (physicians in training) and their life partners. During this time, I wrote articles for academic journals, and produced The Wellness Corner, a wildly popular weekly e-blast for the University of Washington School of Medicine, highlighting free, fun, and low-cost things to do.

Meanwhile, my husband and I raised two sons, and enjoy gatherings with close friends and our growing family, which includes (so far) two adorable grand-daughters.

Since retiring in 2019, my focus has been on writing. I’ve published essays in magazines and newspapers around the country on topics including food and wine, Jewish content, and general interest. While traveling in Germany with my granddaughters in Spring 2024, I was emailing with the editor about an opinion piece he was preparing to publish. I pitched the idea of a recurring travel column. After returning to the States, we met, and I’ve been contributing monthly columns ever since. I think I’ve found my calling!