Three thoughts from road tripping from Port Townsend, WA to Santa Maria, CA and back again on Highway 101. 1. Sand beneath fingernails is one of the most uncomfortable feelings I know. But I put up with it for the sensation of running my hands through it; hot, dry sand that you pile on top … Continue reading Sand, salt, bark
If we didn't have winter, would we still feel that immeasurable joy on those first warm, spring days? My job gives me the opportunity to meet and talk with a lot of people. Just last week, I met with a rambunctious crew restoring an old houseboat, talked with a sunny flower farmer, and had lunch … Continue reading Sunny, dreamy
At 9 a.m. Saturday morning, Bertram Levy, a short, mustachioed sailor wearing the beret he is known to wear got in line at the Northwest Maritime Center to sign up for the annual Shipwrights' Regatta. In front of him were two novice sailors -- young men from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, with zero … Continue reading Eating a sandwich during a sailboat race
By now we've all heard of it: that abstract giant mass of garbage, three times the size of France that's floating out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Garbage Island, or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We're worried about it, collectively, especially when we think of all those cute otters and seals choking … Continue reading What Is In the Ocean?
And other stories from my trip to Greece. I got a coffee and sat down on the boat from Athens to Aegina while trying to make peace with its rockiness. That's the problem with Adventure Lily. She has limits such as motion sickness and being bad at speaking different languages. Greek is especially hard as a … Continue reading Breakfast at Aeginitiko Archontiko
Photographs of cats (and a few dogs) I took while in Athens, Greece.
Why is it that whenever I'm in France, I'm suddenly like..... "qui suis-je?" It's happened before, I know this because I've documented it: I suddenly go from reading Cosmo to reading Literature with a Capital L, from writing haikus about eating donuts to thinking about the future of the novel and nonsense like that. Is … Continue reading Getting Whimsical In Honfleur
I wasn't originally going to blog about this day of our trip, because I didn't take very many photos and the most memorable part of it for me was when my GPS took us on the most round-about journey, through one-way streets next to groups of galloping cows and under tunnels not meant for cars. The … Continue reading A Day At The Beaches
It seemed fitting that the rainiest day my family had while on our trip round Normandie was when we visited Rouen. Despite the weather, the beautiful city just four days away from Noël was still bustling with people in full holiday spirit: the Alsatian market was going strong, the giant wonder wheel taking kids for … Continue reading Rouen In The Rain
"What's your favorite part about France?" This is a question I've been asked many times over the last month as I've introduced myself to class after class of English-learning French high schoolers. It's an easy answer, even if it may be a fudged truth. "The food." After that comes a nod of understanding from everyone … Continue reading The Sunday Bar
