Dorinda Medley Shares Surprising Updates About Her Life Today: "I'm Excited"

You think you know Dorinda Medley, but you have no idea. And she's ready to share parts of her life that she's never shared with fans before in her memoir, Make It Nice, out this month.

The Real Housewives of New York City alum has never exactly shied away from revealing anecdotes about her life with the world, but now she's sharing even more in the book release. In fact, one of Dorinda's biggest fans has already been surprised by some of the revelations.

"One thing that I really enjoyed about the book is that because [my daughter] Hannah [Lynch] did help me so much with it and help me with the editing, it was amazing to watch her watch my journey through her eyes and see how she realized that I’m not just Mom," Dorinda told Bravo Insider in an interview earlier this summer. "That I was her once upon a time."

She elaborated more on those early days and life experiences, both the ups and downs, that are chronicled in the book. "I was a young girl once upon a time. And I hope people of all walks of life read it and kind of know me a little bit better and take away from [the book] good lessons about life and about being able to get things done and [do them] from a place of yes," Dorinda said. "Like I say, 'Slow and steady wins the race.' If you really, really, really want something, you have to work for it, but you also have to be patient."

She continued, "And nothing should be a period; it’s just a new sentence. I think sometimes [people], especially women, I think, can get stuck. They get to an end of a job or a relationship or a divorce or even a death, and they kind of stop. And then it becomes all about what once was as opposed to what could be. And I really want people to know that [there's] life after all kinds of situations. Good ones, bad ones. Endings are sometimes important, and just be patient and work through them."

Dorinda has certainly had all of those sorts of experiences as well. She's been divorced and widowed (her husband, Richard Medley, passed away in 2011) and single again (she says she remains in contact with exes like her first husband, Ralph Lynch, and ex-boyfriend John Mahdessian), shared her life and beloved home, Blue Stone Manor, on Bravo, and now is finding a new way to share her world with fans in her book. But, there's still plenty that Dorinda wants to do. She'd, perhaps, even marry again. "You never know. Stranger things have happened," she joked.

She's also looking forward to seeing familiar faces and locations as soon as she can. "I'm excited for London to open. I miss all my friends in London, 'cause I really did go to London sort of every three months [before the pandemic] 'cause I lived there for almost a decade. So I can’t wait to get back to London," Dorinda said. "I miss my friends in the city. I miss dinner parties, 'cause I’m a big dinner [party] thrower. I don’t love restaurants as much as I love a good dinner party."

Dorinda may have exited RHONY after Season 12, but she's popped up on Bravo in 2021. She made an appearance on Million Dollar Listing New York during Season 9 to catch up with Steve Gold and also appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in August.

She also recently started up Dorobics sessions, and she explained why she loves leading aerobics classes so much. "Dorobics is coming back. ... I’m a huge walker. I’ve done a lot of Pilates, and I’ve been literally practicing my Dorobics every day. I’m going back to my Dorobics full, full, full force. We’re bringing that character back now," Dorinda said. "I think people miss it, too. They miss the fun. The music’s great. And, also too, I just think it’s very important to keep on moving. I move all day long. I’m not someone that lays around. I walk everywhere I can, and I do a lot of weight-bearing exercises. This is very important."

This year, Dorinda also became a mom again. Well, sort of. She welcomed a new dog into her life named Parsley and has been sharing with fans all sorts of updates on the adorable pooch.

Dorinda also is thinking about expanding her real estate portfolio (last year she did reveal she has been taking real estate courses and has worked as a real estate agent in the past). "I mean, my dream would be, I went to the Bahamas [around the time of the interview] and started looking at little bungalows. And I would love to get a little bungalow and redo it and get it ready 'cause I think it’d be great," she said. "I have to say, I don’t love the winters in New York anymore, or at Blue Stone Manor, it’s very similar, probably, as well."

But, don't fret, Dorinda's heart always belongs to her sprawling Berkshires mansion. "I mean, I love Blue Stone Manor. Blue Stone Manor is a living and breathing place. You come through that gate, it’s like none other. I think it was, for me, the favorite part of filming [RHONY] because it was just so alive, and it was such a great tradition and the decorations. It’s just a fantastic place. I mean, Hannah’s already staked her claim on it for her and her kids. She actually told me I can live there when I’m older," Dorinda shared. "She says, 'I’ll take care of you, and you can stay up here.' I’m like, 'Oh, that’s nice of you.' So, but, if I ever sold Blue Stone Manor, then I’d go to, like, the Bahamas. My four favorite places in the world are New York, London, the Bahamas, and the Berkshires. That’s my list. That’s where I’ve been going for, like, 30 years now."

Even with so much to still do in her future, in the end, writing this book was an experience of reflection for Dorinda.

"I think the real question is: How have I changed? One of the questions that you kind of have to ask yourself is, 'What would you say to your younger self?' That’s the real question. And I think the younger me didn’t realize how strong I was, how able I was, and that I could do it," Dorinda said. "I was much more of a racehorse than I thought. I wish I had understood that power as a younger woman because there were a lot of times I was fearful. Caution is always something we should have in our lives. But as you get older, you learn, you look, you understand quicker. You know how to say 'yes' to things that are good for you and 'no' to things that are bad. You’re not afraid of being embarrassed. You’re not ashamed. You don’t feel shameful or scared as much. [You can say] that doesn’t work for me, and you realize that’s OK. I think I, as a younger Dorinda, I was much more of a people pleaser."