I moved aside. The trail that led to the mountain viewpoint had thinned as it entered a wooded section of the national park. I pressed myself against a tree as a nimble, handsome (and most notably), extremely young backpacker cruised by me. “Thanks, have a nice hike!” he said with an Australian accent, his smile…
Tag: Travel
The Sticks, Part 2
As I mentioned previously, folks in my life often wonder why I love it here in the middle of nowhere, New Hampshire. Recently I did a bit of reflecting about that, so I thought I would share the reasons why rural life is so appealing to me in a series of posts. My #1 (read…
The Sticks, Part 1.
I live in the real middle-of-nowhere part of New Hampshire. We can occasionally hear gunshots from our back porch, for instance. To note: guns produce a sound that our two dogs detest almost as much as the humans, as the entire house breaks out in a roaringly loud cacophony of shrieks and barks any time…
Baja
A quarter-century… I sit here trying to wrap my head around that phrase because nearly 25 years ago, I spent a few months exploring Baja California Sur. This year, for our wedding anniversary, I returned with Gavin. We chose the sleepy town of Pescadero, on the Pacific coast, to hunker down for a few days…
Summer
On more than one occasion I have found myself apologizing for apologizing so much. The word “sorry” finds its way out of my mouth a multitude of times daily. I hypothesize that it is a bizarre habit that I must have developed in utero, as I am fairly certain that I felt tremendous guilt turning…
Madeira Moments
A Portuguese island. Family from both sides of the Atlantic together in one place. A lot of walking. Stops for snacks along the way. Oh, and of course… wine. The perfect trip.
San Juan City Views
Eighteen inches of snow are meant to fall here in New England – all by tomorrow afternoon. Yes, 18 inches. I must add that we just received the gift of 10 inches of powder a few days ago. Apparently New England likes to dump an entire winter on its inhabitants in one sitting. Don’t get me…
Templeton: A Love Story
We were meant to be together. When I read about him in the classified ads of an Irish newspaper, I instinctively felt a connection. I picked up the phone and made arrangements for us to meet in Dublin. The next day my friend dropped me off one street over from where we were going to…
Bearing Witness
It had been a struggle to find focus. My mind felt continuously foggy and preoccupied. To get into a different mindset, I made an effort at light house cleaning. It didn’t last. The dust bunnies in the corners of the room continued to expand dramatically and seemed more aptly described as dust elephants. The “clean” laundry…
New England Mountains
Much of my time as a child was spent daydreaming, and thoughts of my future life were almost always filled with the ocean. Never did I think I would find myself most at home in the forest, tucked between peaks. Here are some of my favorite images in and around the mountains. “Keep close to…
First Impressions
A Subaru passenger seat provided me with more information about Gavin, the man destined to become my husband, than I could have imagined. Future-husband (who happened to be the car’s owner) and I were just finishing a wonderfully prolonged day of bar and coffee shop hopping. It had been a dream date, actually. Neither one…
St Lucia
Moments off the beaten path
Stellar Awkwardness
The cabin was packed with bunk beds. Each dusty striped mattress was within reach of a wooden shelf on the wall for any personal items we might need for the week. I watched anxiously as Sandra Genatossio plunked down her bottle of “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” shampoo on a shelf right next to the one I…
California
Reinvention is a blast. And free time is a beautiful thing. I finally have a few moments to work on the blog and I’ve decided to end 2016 on a different note. There is a new look and a new format, as the blog is now specifically essay-based; both personal and photographic (and more written…
The Ugly
In the early hours of November 9th I was curled up on a hotel room bed. I was sobbing and my heart was aching. It was an ugly scene. In fact, everything around me felt ugly, most notably the election map on the screen in front of me. My personality is programmed to embrace joy, humor,…
Tattooing of Memories
On a recent unusually warm fall day we took a walk on a quiet beach. He reached for my hand and then stood still for a moment with his feet in the sand. I looked over at him, my hand in his, my arms bare thanks to fantastically unseasonable New England temperatures, and took stock…
A Mother of Dragons
I realize we are a bit past Mother’s Day. However, I think I need to extend the holiday, because I want to celebrate my mother for more than one day… Because I am the daughter of Babs. And Babs is the stuff of legends. Ok, she does not harbor a secret stash of dragon’s eggs. But she…
The Importance of Being Earnestly Uncomfortable
I have always run from the awkward and painful. Historically my preference is to be enveloped in coziness… quite literally. I vividly remember crawling under the oversized and worn cushions on the living room couch as a child, hiding undercover, surrounded by softness and gentle darkness for hours at a time. I’ve spent so much of my…
Dear Ireland
Dear Ireland: Let me start by saying that I miss you. A lot. It has been too long, and a return visit is long overdue. I am writing on this St. Patrick’s Day because I owe you an apology. Before I get there, though, let me first say how lucky I was to spend five…
The Third Wheel in Mexico
On a lazy, hazy Mexican afternoon I sipped my drink, perched in a shaded chair at the beach near my husband, watching the birds bounce around the crooked branches above my head. It was a quiet day, and the only noise was the chirping coming from above and the crashing of waves on the beach. Suddenly…
The Very Hungry Entourage 