My blisters were about to burst. The back of my brother's head was shrinking ahead of me, disappearing into the midtown crowd. My resentment towards the city was growing after a few days walking in and out of Brooklyn and Manhattan. I was beginning to wonder what it was that people found so magical about … Continue reading The Right Shoes
Nostalgia
The land of flannel and chai
Leave the flannel; take the Birkenstocks. So I told myself, standing over my already-overstuffed weekend bag at 3:00 a.m. on a recent Thursday morning. It felt...wrong, not to take a flannel to Seattle. But so my gut told me - leave the flannel, throw in the Birkenstocks. So I did just that. It was hard … Continue reading The land of flannel and chai
Oh Hi, Ohio
It had been a while, Ohio. Seven years, in fact. Long enough ago that I still didn't own a smartphone that time; how I managed to find my way in the era of printed-out directions is somewhat of a miracle. (Have I mentioned that I'm directionally challenged?) But that time I had a co-pilot, a … Continue reading Oh Hi, Ohio
The Smell of Summer; the Sound of Bluegrass
On my way home tonight, I couldn't help but notice that the air reeked of summertime. I don't mean sunscreen, mowed grass, or even an impending thunderstorm. All I could smell was fried food. And it smelled fantastic. The smell of fried food recalls to mind the nostalgic idea of the county fair (I've been … Continue reading The Smell of Summer; the Sound of Bluegrass
The Land of Inns and Maple
I am usually an over packer. This weekend was not a particular exception. The problem was - I packed for a warm Mid Atlantic spring, and found myself in a cool, muddy, New England...almost-spring. And I was wearing strappy flat sandals. I hadn't been up to Middlebury, Vermont in 20 years (for once, not a … Continue reading The Land of Inns and Maple
For the love of chocolate
Ah, springtime. Flowers are coming out, the sun shines later, the weather...tries to change. And then it goes from 70 and sunny down to 40 and blustery in an instant...back to the type of weather where it's much more comfortable to be inside, under a blanket, with a good book. You know. Hot cocoa weather. … Continue reading For the love of chocolate
Finding the West Wind, On a Train
When was the last time you were on a train? How long of a ride was it? Being an East Coast girl born and raised, I always tended to think of the train as the best way to travel between Washington, D.C. and New York City, or between Washington, D.C. and various points in Maryland … Continue reading Finding the West Wind, On a Train
Finding something off the beaten track…on the beaten track
Have you ever walked (or driven, or whatever) past something regularly, on your normal route somewhere? It's easy enough to do. I do it all the time. When it catches my eye the first time, I'll think to myself, "Oh cool. I'll need to go check that out." And invariably I forget until the next … Continue reading Finding something off the beaten track…on the beaten track
Did you notice the magic?
Charles Bukowski once wrote a poem called Nirvana. I discovered it many years ago via Tom Waits reading it on his Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Saints album. I don't know what it is about this poem - but I've listened to Waits' recording over and over again, and like to pretend I've found some piece of it a … Continue reading Did you notice the magic?
Memory and Travel
By now, you might have noticed something: I love Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I am infatuated. I am smitten. I have been for as long as I remember. With a few exceptions, I've gone to Rehoboth every summer since I was born. (And clearly, recently I've been going there in colder months, too. I just can't.get.enough.) … Continue reading Memory and Travel
Envie de Flaner 