About Me — Debbie LaChusa
After a long career in marketing it’s time to pursue my passion: writing.
From Marketer to Memoir Writer, and Suburbia to the Mountains.
After spending thirty-seven years in marketing — twenty-four of those years in business on my own as a consultant, coach, and online teacher — I was ready for a new adventure. With my husband eligible for early retirement, and our two children grown and on their own, we were inspired to leave the hustle and bustle of Southern California — our lifelong home — and move to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
We sold our house, left family and friends, packed up our cars and our dogs, and drove across the country to settle into the mountains, in a town we’d visited twice, and knew no one.
Why the mountains of North Carolina? Much like John Muir, we felt called.
The mountains are calling and I must go. — John Muir
Our first week in North Carolina, we found our dream home — more of a diamond in the rough — and spent six months with our sleeves rolled up, renovating it from top to bottom. We were thrilled to trade in our suburban, stucco, San Diego home, where we could reach out and touch our neighbors, for a mountaintop retreat with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Surrounded by trees, we’ve affectionally nicknamed our home, The Treehouse.
When I’m not doing something active — walking my dogs, hiking, biking on a nearby rail-trail, or taking a spin class on my indoor cycle — or serving my community doing volunteer pet therapy with my certified therapy dogs, Hope and Faith, you’ll most likely find me sitting at my computer writing.
What do I write about?
Pretty much any topic inspired by my life, past or present, including:
- Losing my parents (Dad passed away last year, Mom is suffering from dementia)
- Moving across the country
- Living in the mountains
- My dogs
- Doing volunteer pet therapy
- Memories I excavate as I write my memoir
- My memoir writing journey
- And, most surprising of all, my husband’s experience with alcohol and drug addiction and recovery, and the effect it’s had on our forty-one-year marriage (I never expected to be writing about this!)
My goal is to write beautiful, vulnerable, and sometimes gritty stories that shine a light on real life — not the high gloss version of life so often represented on social media.
I joined Medium in January 2023 to share my writing, and to connect with other writers. I’m still learning about Medium but so far I’m enjoying my time here, reading, writing, and meeting other writers.
Just for kicks, below are a few fun facts about me:
- I’m a fraternal twin (My first book is a collection of twin stories from around the world)
- I married my high school sweetheart (And we’re still together!)
- I became a grandma in 2022 (One of the greatest joys of my life, so far)
- I used to run marathons (Oh, how I miss running, but my body sure doesn’t. I walk, spin-cycle, bike, and hike now — easier on the joints!)
- I started my career working in advertising agencies (I don’t miss that!)
- I’ve been a pet therapy volunteer since 2014 (It’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done)
- My spin bike leaderboard name is Sugar Face (In honor of my Golden Retriever, Hope)
- I’m learning how to play piano (It’s hard, but I’m determined!)
- I let my hair go gray before I turned sixty, and before it became trendy during the COVID pandemic (It’s one of the most freeing things I’ve done)
- Becoming a writer is my fifth career (I’m not ready to retire just yet!)
If you want to learn more about me, my writing, or the books I’ve written and published, please visit my website.
