Running Into Joy

As we pull into the (exceptionally crowded) parking lot for Old Man's Cave, Andy groans. It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday in Hocking Hills, which means there are people everywhere. I assure him it won't be this way tomorrow when we're able to get there earlier in the day, or on the longer trails. We head towards the visitor center to fill our water bottles. On the way, we pass at least three people wearing some version of Ohio love on their shirts. I smile. I am home. Hocking Hills is the type of place that, when you say you're going there, you receive a blank stare in return. I've rarely met people who aren't from Ohio who know about this area, yet for me, it was a staple family getaway. I have memories of sitting in a cabin playing board games and reading, amazed by the lack of a TV, which was normally the constant hum in the background of my childhood. Plus, when we checked in to our cabin, there'd always be fresh baked chocolate chip cookies wait...

I write to you after a glorious vacation. Although I'm a little overwhelmed with just how much time I've spent out of town this summer, I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend so much time seeing new places and being outside. Andy and I's big vacation plans for the summer couldn't have fallen during a better time. Exactly one week after my cat died, on the first sunny day in the entire week, we hopped in his car and drove up to Niagara Falls. This part of the trip lasted only one evening--about as much time as either of us could stand in the city when there were mountains to be climbed. As a water-loving Pisces (and fan of The Office ), I loved watching the water fall over the cliff's edge in smooth sheets as much as I loved seeing advertisements for the Maid of the Mist. As an introvert, I really did not like the crowds, which is why I talked Andy into going for an early morning run along the falls with me before we left for the next leg of our trip. ...

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently spent a long weekend in Salem, Massachusetts. My primary reason for going was to join The Sisters Enchanted in a weekend of self-reflection and exploration of Tarot, astrology, and other "weird stuff," as my boyfriend describes it. The truth is, I've felt something of a lack of community with other women lately. The hard, beautiful truth of making friends in college & grad school is that they become deeply, truly your people and then they go off into the world. Bits and pieces of my heart are scattered all across the country, where I often do a terrible job of checking in with them (hello, you know who you are, I hope you are well). So the idea of spending a long weekend in a house full of women spoke to me on a deep, soul level as a way to experience the connection I craved. Of course, it helped that I'd heard good things about Salem from friends who visited and was craving an adventure, so when I got the chance to ...