travel | Kinds of Honey

And . . . home, again

February 8, 2013 § 1 Comment

I’ve remained on the quiet side the past couple of months, but guess why? Because changes galore have been happening. I like to take a little while to settle in before I start talking about it.

Remember when I went to North Carolina? Well. I’ve come again, with all my belongings and my dog in tow. We mean to stay.

I’ve faced transitions enough times that I feel something of an old pro at them (I no longer let all the uncertainty and newness pile up until I can do little more than burst into tears, for example). One of the best things about putting yourself into precarious and/or unfamiliar situations is that you learn to adapt, reach out, and trust. You fear risk less, because even while it sometimes makes things quite uncomfortable and even unpleasant, on the other side of risk you might find something wonderful. And you trust that the universe (or, for me, God) will catch you. In this overly-independent society you actually learn to accept help and to cultivate gratitude. People like to help people, did you know that?

I’ve been caught again and I have fallen into what seems to be a very good place. I’m so excited to be working in the farm and gardens at a year-round camp in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Here in Orange County we have many, many small sustainable farms, fantastic food co-ops, winding roads, and horses galore. Two and half hours east, we reach the ocean. Two and half hours west, the mountains. Everyone has been so kind and inviting; southern hospitality is not a myth. Tassie is thrilled to have new friends, and so am I.

We went walking with one of our new friends and her dog the other day, and since I am currently camera-less (two broken ones), here is a first shot of us in North Carolina, courtesy of Leah Maloney:

Pardon the messy hair; some days, like those where the only things on the agenda are a long walk and a lot of reading, it just seems all right to let it stay a bit wild.

So. We are going to become southerners. Hold on tight, y’all. I can’t wait to find the stories that are here.

Travel on

January 30, 2013 § Leave a comment

Friends! Many things have been happening. One of them I am so excited to tell you about:

For the past year or so, my sister (Elena), Mom (Barb), and I have been talking about starting a travel club. We’re finally in a place where we’re ready to make it happen! What this means is that we’ll be organizing group trips and going to fantastic places all around the globe.

Our first destination? Greece, September 2013! We’re looking at a route that will be taking us through the isles as well as onto the mainland, with emphasis on the travels of the Apostle Paul.

So, I’d like to personally invite all of you to join our club! There’s no cost to become a member – it simply means that you’ll be added to our member list to get the most up-to-date and thorough information about the trips. There’s not any kind of obligation, and you can ask to leave the member list at any time. If you love to travel and want to make new friends this might just be for you!

Here’s a link to our website (which yours truly has been slaving over, so please admire its prettiness!): Seven Seas Society Travel Club.

Wouldn’t it be great to meet one another en route to a European extravaganza?

Happy adventures to all of us – at home, on the road, and over the ocean.

She went to North Carolina

November 9, 2012 § 2 Comments

The idea of it kept coming up. So I went.

There are cows in North Carolina!

Also, there are lakes and beaches.

Water is very, very important, you know.

I wonder what was here?

I stayed with my friend Carrie in such a pretty neighborhood in the middle of Raleigh, inside the beltline. Tall trees and beautiful houses.

Tres charmant. Wouldn’t you feel cozy here?

I now know what they mean by southern comfort, southern charm, and southern hospitality. I went, I wandered, I saw what I needed to (though I didn’t get to visit the farm with Percherons. Oh, well.). I was so busy driving and looking and trying not to get lost (some of us still stubbornly refuse GPS and smartphones) that of course I didn’t snap enough pictures.

But I did get a full helping of red brick buildings, white steeples, historic paths, and a good barefoot run across that white sand beach of Jordan Lake. I jumped in on a sustainable-friends potluck and I visited Piedmont Biofuels (and met Lyle Estill, author of Small is Possible). I tried not to laugh at the accents (but usually failed to keep back a smile.) I ate well (thanks to Carrie, several food co-ops, and Anna’s Pizzeria) and drove a Fiat and learned a little more about this part of the country. What an interesting place.

Point home

October 16, 2012 § 2 Comments

“All things on earth point home in old October; sailors to sea, travellers to walls and fences, hunters to field and hollow and the long voice of the hounds, the lover to the love he has forsaken.” – Thomas Wolfe, Of Time and the River: A Legend of Man’s Hunger in His Youth.

Roads ought to wind

February 21, 2012 § 2 Comments

At least a little. It allows us surprises.

Do you know what I found beyond this turn? A view reaching across open green hills. Warm sunshine. A bookstore.