The trail changed from ankle-turning, edgy rocks, to soft sands either white or silver, to root-laden, hollow dirt paths, to patches of sole-sucking bog. Our scenery changed from dense forest to unusual ground-hugging vegetation, with wind-stripped pine trees jutting courageously out from high ground. The elevation changes, while noticeable, were not dramatic, and the rocks … More Dolly Sods, WV – A Day Hike
I learned to wake surf last summer, which seemed no small feat for someone with ground-only sports success and irrational fear of deep water. But I loved it, and my surf enthusiasm somehow spilled over to my reading list when I purchased Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan. Of course, it pertains to surfing in the … More Tourist Hours: A Few Surfing Moments
We’re home. My house is eerily silent when compared to our Sayulita villa. The beach below was relentlessly besieged by Pacific swell, and the sound waves barreled upwards across the amphitheater-shaped hill through our bedroom windows: the ocean’s audio fireworks. I think I felt them, too. In between the booms, our ceiling geckos chirped warnings to their … More Sound (of) Waves
It hasn’t rained in Sayulita since last October 8. The often-steep dirt roads leading to our villa are covered in sandy powder that also coats the dense vegetation bordering the road. Water for gardening, showering, washing, all arrives where I sit and to many other places via a truck delivery, and potable water arrives separately by … More Destination: Sayulita?
Sometimes a destination just speaks to you. In December, at the end of a challenging year that still had obstacles to tackle, my husband sent me a link, a simple google image search of “Sayulita.” I still don’t know from where he heard of this Pacific Coast town in Mexico, but its pictures danced with rhythmic colors, and … More Sayulita Says…
There’s a beach we visit to listen to the buckets of dropping saltwater, our breeze-dulled murmurs, and grainy, muted footsteps. Our closest neighbor probably wouldn’t hear us yell, and our phones are barely functional. It is perfect. There are other beaches we’ve visited, too. The ones wholly responsible for building a resort city, with a boardwalk … More Silent Beaches
The U.S. National Park Service made a few headlines this week. After angering its new leader by tweeting actual photos of inauguration crowds, it was then caught up in an attempt by the new administration to wipe federal agencies clean of climate change facts. In its futile efforts to wash multitudes of data from the national … More Support Our National Park Service
This side of the world feels dark and stormy right now, and, admittedly, the thunder has me shaking a bit. But don’t worry, that’s likely as close to political commentary as I’ll leak out into this little speck of webspace. If nothing else, I think we can all agree on a need to both escape … More If escape is needed, I’m going here…
The dust trailing behind our summer of road-running has finally begun to settle. It wasn’t that we traveled extensively, but our various summer hobbies kept us on our toes enough to be a touch tired, and perhaps a bit grateful to watch as multi-colored leaves drop in abundance outside. Honestly, I get exhausted by the incessant whining … More Rethinking Winter
After the wedding, the sun broke through an encroaching cloud and sprayed beams of highlighting on an already glowing scene: sparkling newlyweds and generations of their family members, all of whom had traveled from afar to celebrate love with those they love. Though our tans are fading, our smiles will return after each thought of Caribbean sunshine, powdery white sand, turquoise … More Jamaican Smiles
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