Catching Snow is one woman's journey to be thankful for all that life has to offer - and a gratitude diary to inspire others to reconnect to what matters most.
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The book has recently been released by former Nowra resident, Sarah Coats Chandler.
Sarah has released the book from her home in Stockholm, Sweeden. She wrote it over four years in a series of Facebook posts, and each page is a day entry.
Some are short musings, others are mini vingettes.
"I steered clear of being thankful for possessions but focused on things such as education, nature, space, freedom and patience. It was a real challenge," Sarah said.
Sarah said she hopes the book will give readers the space, inspiration and courage to see the light where there is darkness, to look beyond the bleakness or the seemingly impossible - to try to catch snow.
While she hasn't lived in Nowra for many years, the former Nowra East Public School student said it will always be a a big part of her life.
Her grandfather worked at the Shell garage and was the president of the Shoalhaven Ex-servicemen's Club for more than 20 years.
"I spent most of my childhood either living there or summer holidays with my grandparents. Many hours were spent walking down Ben's Walk and Big Rock," Sarah said.
"My mum and step-dad live in Nowra and all of my maternal family so I am regularly there on holidays."
About Sarah Coats Chandler
The "40-something-year-old" was born in Shoalhaven Hospital and lived in Nowra until she was five-years-old. Her grandparents were well-known local residents, Jack and Gloria Elliott.
Her father was in the Navy and at age five, Sarah and her family moved to Victoria where her dad was posted.
That was the start of a common navy childhood with lots of moves to different places and new schools.
The family spent intermittent spells back in Nowra where they lived with grandparents and Sarah attended Nowra East Public School.
She later attended the University of Adelaide and South Australian University where she studied anthropology and journalism before being accepted onto an international exchange program with Staffordshire University, England to complete her journalism studies.
Sarah then lived and worked in Ireland for five years, working in radio and newspapers, before deciding to follow a career in PR and communications in London.
In 2015 she moved to Sweden with her husband and five-month-old daughter. She couldn't speak Swedish and struggled to find work initially.
After overcoming the language barriers, Sarah's now working as an editor and writer for a content agency and in her 'spare' time, she is part of a small publishing company called LYS Frlag (Lys means light in Swedish and Frlag is publishing).
She lives with her husband, two children and two cats.
