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Entries Rated: G

Trimming the Cold Roof

Sunday, October 26th, 2014

This afternoon, we trimmed the cold roof sheathing which was overhanging the eaves by an extra two feet or so. On paper, the process looked quick and easy: just snap a chalk line and cut the extra plywood off. In practice, most of actual work was s...

Laying Lodgepole Pine Flooring

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

It's high time we had a floor in our loft. We've been making due (inadvisably) with 1/2" plywood scraps for the last several months. After chatting with the folks at our local building supply store, I decided on "lodgepole pine" tongue-and-groove b...

Skylights, Part Two

Sunday, October 19th, 2014

Donavin came by today to help me install one of our skylights. As he promised, the installation was incredibly simple—for the most part, all we did was put it over the hole and nail it into place. It took a bit of fiddling to get it lined up correc...

Autumn Cold Roof Construction

Sunday, October 12th, 2014

Autumn has always been my favorite season—moving to Vermont has only bolstered my conviction that this is the absolute best time of year. The explosion of color in our front yard right now is so awe-inspiring, it's almost enough to move me to tears...

Here I Go, Here I Go, Here I Go Again

Saturday, October 11th, 2014

Whenever it's time for a new step in the process—another batch of plaster to be mixed, another giant job to be tackled, learning how to do yet another thing we don't know how to do—I have to get myself geared up, like a boxer preparing for another ...

Finish Plaster Continues

Thursday, October 9th, 2014

Since working on the finish coat of plaster requires non-stop focus, leaving no time for photos, we asked our dear neighbors, Charlie and Becky to come take pictures of us while we tackled a section of wall tonight. We've said it before, and we'll ...

Skylights: Part One

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

I have been procrastinating for months but it cannot be avoided any longer. It is time to cut holes in our roof for the skylights. I know it is an unrealistic fear, but I'm terrified that I'll install them wrong, and that somehow our roof will rot ...

Finish Plaster Begins!

Monday, October 6th, 2014

Today we successfully completed the finish plaster on one section of wall! Here's what we learned from our first foray into the art of finish plastering: Once again, we were nervous about working with a new material, and once again...

Strawbale Cottage SIP Panel Cold Roof

Sunday, October 5th, 2014

It wasn't until our roof panels were installed that I learned we would need to build an additional "cold roof" on top of them. A few months ago, I had no idea what a cold roof even was. The physics of it make perfect sense, though. When warm air in...

Off Grid Above Ground Water Storage

Saturday, October 4th, 2014

Tyler: There is a drilled well on our land, and a large clearing next to it. This area is obviously where the previous owners had planned to build a home—it is also one of the few places on our property that gets a good deal of sun. Rather than b...

Getting Sand For Lime Plaster

Saturday, October 4th, 2014

For our plaster, we are using a sand comprised of several aggregate sizes. The grains range from very fine to extremely coarse. This type of sand has different names from region to region; at our yard it's sold as "double wash." When we say "...

Julia Visits!

Friday, October 3rd, 2014

My dear, sweet, talented and beautiful college friend, Julia came to visit us! She was in Maine for a wedding, and drove four hours to come see us and then four hours back the next day! It was one of those quick, last-minute ideas—the kind that wou...

September, 2014 in Photos

Tuesday, September 30th, 2014

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Into Fall

Monday, September 29th, 2014

Fall is here. The brown coat is in progress. Sunsets on cloudy days set the woods alight with deep reds and golds and muted greens and greys. Our house is looking house-like. Our hot tub is a comfort. Right now, at this moment, all is good. We're ...

Autumn Leaf-Peeping with the Neighbors

Sunday, September 28th, 2014

Ever since we started building our house this spring, we haven't really had weekends. In fact, we work twice as hard on the weekends, because Tyler isn't busy with his job then. The concept of taking a break… it just doesn't exist. The House is all...

Home Again

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

Well I'm home again, and while I've only been gone a few days, it feels as though a lifetime has passed since last I walked our land. When Tyler and I headed to Illinois, it was summertime, and now it's clear that autumn has begun, just barely, mak...

Fall Family Outing

Monday, September 22nd, 2014

The funeral is over now, and we're in Champaign for a couple days, just being with family. Fall is nearly here, and that means it's time for a trip to Curtis Orchard for cider donuts, kettle corn, slushies, and goat petting. I love ...

Grandma Jeanne, Forever Loved: Part Three

Saturday, September 20th, 2014

Grandma, though I was at your funeral as Pastor Jeremy talked about the nine "fruits of the spirit" and how you "nailed all of 'em;" though I was there when your body was buried in the cemetery under a spray of yellow and orange roses; though I wep...

Grandma Jeanne, Forever Loved: Part Two

Friday, September 19th, 2014

Feeling tired but accomplished, Tyler and I hit the road to Illinois for the funeral, arriving at 5:00AM the morning of the visitation. When we rolled out of the hotel bed around lunchtime, we greeted everyone with hugs, and slipped into the comfor...

Plaster Faster: Finishing the First Coat of Lime Plaster Indoors

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

For the past few days, Tyler and I have been applying the first coat of plaster inside the house. Each swipe of the trowel is hurried along by a growing sense of urgency. Winter is fast approaching, and I'm anxious about our upcoming trip to Illino...

Grandma Jeanne, Forever Loved: Part One

Friday, September 12th, 2014

When I touched down in Albany, just a few hours after I said goodbye to my grandmother, I received an email from my mom saying that she had taken a turn for the worse. In the week that followed, she was in hospice care at her apartment. With my par...

This is Carl & Anaïs

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

A few months ago, Tara was contacted by Carl, an avid reader and cyclist. He and his partner Anais would be in our area for the Green Mountain Stage Races, and were wondering if they come visit, and leave their truck at our place while they went on...

Pre-Plaster Trimming in Strawbale Cottage

Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

Now that the exterior of the house is mostly taken care of for the year, it's time to really focus on the inside so we can get it plastered. That means trimming out the pony wall... And making window seats... ....

It's Getting Better all the Time

Saturday, September 6th, 2014

With an actual house-looking object up there on our ridge, and a beautiful wood-fired hot tub to compliment it, life is getting better. With each bit of progress we make, our daily existence gets a little bit easier, a little more comfortable, and ...

A Week with Grandma

Friday, September 5th, 2014

When I first arrived at the hospital after my flight to Illinois, my grandma was pale and disoriented, but delighted to see me. Now, just four days later, she's so rosy-cheeked and healthy that we've been planning her third annual fall trip to Verm...

New Chapters & Random Thoughts from the Airport

Monday, September 1st, 2014

Right now, I'm sitting in the Albany airport, waiting for a flight back to the midwest to see my family. My dear, sweet grandma Jeanne had a heart attack and is in the hospital, and every ounce of my being is ringing with impatient need to be there...

August, 2014 in Photos

Sunday, August 31st, 2014

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Finishing the Exterior Brown Coat

Sunday, August 31st, 2014

Below, a summary of the week of August 23rd, which was mostly spent working on the exterior brown coat (the second coat of plaster) for the house. "I'm tired, but oh my god, this is so cool! It's so much prettier than the scratch coat!" ...

Book Nooks

Friday, August 29th, 2014

When Will came over to talk with us us about spray foam insulation, he suggested we use the space in our eaves for some kind of nook, since they wouldn't be completely stuffed with the blown cellulose we had originally planned to fill them with. Hi...

Our Hearthstone Arrives

Thursday, August 28th, 2014

Our slate hearthstone is done—we picked it up from Ed's Masonry today! ...

We Have a Wood-Fired Hot Tub!

Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

When we were living with Tyler's mom, Jodi, both before and after our big bicycle tour, we took full advantage of the fact that she had a hot tub. In winter, Tyler would shovel a tunnel through the feet of snow on the deck to get to it, and we'd ru...

The Little Mortar Mixer That Could

Tuesday, August 19th, 2014

It has been a long time since I felt a deep fondness for a machine, and, thanks to our journal, I can pinpoint the last one exactly. It was four years ago when I fell in love with the little red toyota that Tyler and I drove across Europe and Asia....

Exterior Scratch Coat Completed! And Karina & Ivica Visit!

Monday, August 18th, 2014

High atop our scaffolding, Tyler and I stood with hawks and trowels in hand, applying a scratch coat of plaster to the last section of the last exterior wall. We had about an hour’s worth of work left when two of our favorite people rolled up the d...

A Tale for a Dark, Cold Night: Jenna's "The Legend of Birchthorn"

Friday, August 15th, 2014

Last winter, Tyler and I developed a weekly tradition to while away the long, dark evenings with our good friend, Jenna. We'd lounge in front of her computer with a few ciders, and watch a horror movie—not the bloody kind, but the creepy, paranorma...

Plaster Master

Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

As it turns out, I really, really like plastering. Sure, it has downsides: it is tiring. Lime turns my hair into a grey rat's nest. It chaps my hands and dries them into rough, old-person appendages, and makes it so that the slightest of bum...

Impromptu Garden Update: August

Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

The garden is do��ing amazingly, despite (or perhaps because of?) my lack of care: I haven't weed��ed at all, and I only watered once at the very beginning when nothing had sprouted yet and we'd had a few days without rain. Now, everything is do...

Manic Monday, Part Two: Spray Foam Insulation

Monday, August 11th, 2014

I am mid-plaster stroke, and positively covered in plaster, when Tyler comes running up the rocky ridge towards our house, followed by Will, a man we met a couple weeks ago a party we attended with Charlie and Becky. Will works at Vermont Foam Insu...

Manic Monday, Part One: Solo Plastering

Monday, August 11th, 2014

This morning, Tyler starts a couple batches of plaster going in the mixer, then heads down to the camper to program for the day, leaving me to tackle plastering by myself. I'm reeling from the sudden change of pace: Tyler took the last couple days ...

Pressing Back & Scarifying

Sunday, August 10th, 2014

Once the first coat of plaster is leathery (has dried enough to be pliable, but won't stick to our fingers when we poke it), it's time to "press back." This is where we go over the wall with our trowels, pushing with all of our might to compact the...

This is Kevin & Joy: Part Two

Sunday, August 10th, 2014

Sunday morning started with coffee and plaster in equal measures... Kevin Joy: Sunday, we spent the morning and afternoon plastering. Once we got the plaster mixed, it was time to smash it into the wall. It's not like spreading fr...

For Better or For Worse: Plastering Begins!

Sunday, August 10th, 2014

Our entire home-building process has been full of unknowns and steep learning curves, but the plastering part of it has loomed largest and most daunting of all. While everything about our project feels vitally important, the plaster is most critica...

This is Kevin & Joy: Part One

Saturday, August 9th, 2014

Kevin and I spent the weekend at Tyler and Tara's homestead ostensibly to help plaster (which we did do), but mostly to ask approximately a million questions. Joy Kevin: Visiting Tara and Tyler on their land is something Joy and I ...

Dad Visits

Friday, August 8th, 2014

When I was a teenager, my Dad restored/rebuilt a dilapidated farmhouse in rural Minnesota. Like Tara and I, he'd never done anything of the sort when he started. I remember coming along to lend a hand a few times, but mostly, I was too busy being a...

Winter is Coming

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

With each passing day, our cottage is looking more and more like an actual home. It is with a bit of trepidation that I can finally say: if we were to plaster tomorrow, I wouldn't freak out about all the things that aren't good enough yet. It's not...

The First Pancake

Sunday, August 3rd, 2014

Lately, in the mornings, I've felt like the first shitty pancake in a new batch: the one that gets stuck to the pan, is gooey in the middle and burnt on the bottom, and falls completely apart. When I told Tyler this, and explained that he'd have to...

Quilting the House

Saturday, August 2nd, 2014

Tara: We've arrived at the stitching phase of our building adventure! Like pretty much every other part of this process, I've had a looming fear about it. I was afraid that "quilting" the house—attaching the exterior wire mesh to the interior wir...

A Blur

Friday, August 1st, 2014

The past couple of weeks have been a blur of post-baling, pre-plastering tasks. As usual, emotions have been running high, vacillating between the extreme "total meltdown" and the more moderate "miraculously keeping it together" levels. Most recent...

July, 2014 in Photos

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

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Installing Range Hood Vent

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

Today, we installed our range hood duct, and a wall cap that Tara ordered and painted. Once everything was in place in the wooden box we made in the strawbale, we filled the gaps around the duct with expanding foam. ...

Heat & Water

Saturday, July 26th, 2014

Today, I arranged a meeting with a master gas fitter to see about hooking up a propane regulator on the outside of the cottage. Our current plan is to run our oven and on-demand hot water heater with a pair of 40lb tanks. Someday it would be nice ...

Making Window Reveals

Thursday, July 24th, 2014

It feels like we've been saying we are "almost ready to plaster!" for ages now. And by "ages" I mean a few weeks, back when Pete and Natasha finished installing straw bales in the gable ends of the cottage. Ever since, there has been a non-stop sup...

Off Grid Power Update: Solar Battery Bank Arrives

Monday, July 21st, 2014

Today, our new battery bank arrived! We now have eight 6v 370aH Deka L16 batteries with a total storage capacity of 17.6 kWh. Taking losses into account, and not wanting to drain the batteries below 50% (it shortens their lifespan), this gives us a...

Blood, Sweat & Tears (and Snot)

Sunday, July 20th, 2014

Almost every single day, I injure myself while working on the house. Some are minuscule wounds, others are larger, requiring a bit of super glue to patch them up. The main perpetrators are plaster lath and wire mesh—it's so easy to gouge myself on ...

We're Doing It

Saturday, July 19th, 2014

A few years ago, when we were dreaming of our homesteading adventure, I happened to read a blog post that completely floored me. It was about a young Vermont couple that was in the process of building their own home. And it wasn't just any house—it...

Electrical Wiring in Strawbale Cottage

Saturday, July 19th, 2014

For the past few mornings, I have been wiring outlets, light switches and speaker cables in the house. Each box gets a plywood plate with tar paper and blood lathe. I run the lines through the wall, chainsawed into grooves a few ...

Trenching Power from Solar Shed to Cottage

Friday, July 18th, 2014

For at least a year I've been telling myself that getting electricity from our solar shed to the cottage would be a piece of cake. "All we need is a beefy extension cord—we'll just plug that in somehow and voilà, we'll have power!" Each time I ment...

Off-Grid Power Update: Solar Panels Arrive

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

Last April, we received the initial charging equipment for our off-grid power system! We're starting with six 245 watt REC photovoltaic panels, whose output to our battery bank will be regulated by an Outback FM80 charge controller. The week they ...

Progress

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

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Farewell Cardboard Model

Sunday, July 13th, 2014

It was with great pleasure today that we realized the cardboard model of our house has served its purpose. Since we now have a life-sized version to work with, it is no longer necessary. For the last few months it has done little more than take up ...

Hi Ho Hi Ho

Saturday, July 12th, 2014

It's off to work I go! ...

Impromptu Garden Update: July

Friday, July 11th, 2014

Here's the update after a month after planting our first impromptu garden: the peas are doing great. One cucumber plant is growing like crazy. The salad mix and arugula were chowed on by the slugs. Mache never came up. Garlic chives are looking and...

Mole Face Morning

Monday, July 7th, 2014

Ever since last week's freak out, we've been getting up even earlier than usual. This lets me spend more time on the house with Tara before I have to go to work, which makes her feel more supported and less like our house-building project is never ...

Chainsawing Kitchen Niches in Strawbale

Sunday, July 6th, 2014

This morning, we chainsawed niches in the kitchen wall to hold spices: ...

Grand Central Station

Sunday, July 6th, 2014

For the past month or so, we've had a non-stop train of people passing through our homestead. Besides Dan, Julia, Pete, and Natasha, all of whom stayed for a few days, we've had a whole slew of other folks and friends come for short visits. A few w...

Affixing Wire Mesh in the Rain

Friday, July 4th, 2014

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June, 2014 in Photos

Monday, June 30th, 2014

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Weekend Work

Sunday, June 29th, 2014

After saying goodbye to Pete and Natasha (we miss you already!), "normal" life resumed, which means pretty much one thing: construction. Even though P & N completed the baling on both gable ends of the cottage (THANK YOU!!), we still have load...

This is Natasha & Pete

Saturday, June 28th, 2014

After our first meeting in Southeast Asia, Tara and Tyler have made yearly trips to Tennessee to visit. When they bought their land, we were super excited for them, partly because it was the beginning of their homesteading dreams, but mostly becaus...

Picking Out A Faucet at 1:30AM

Friday, June 27th, 2014

This is our weird life right now. It's 1:30AM and Tyler is on a bug-slaughtering mission, swatting fiercely at the millions of insects large and small that populate the walls and ceiling of our camper. "Not over the—!" I say, a moment too late. "…...

Thank You Hartmans!

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

So, our dear friends were a wee bit modest in the journal entry they were kind enough to write for us. First of all, they really did drive sixteen hours through the night with a SIX MONTH OLD BABY to come see us. Damn. And then, as if that wasn't a...

This is the Hartman Family

Tuesday, June 17th, 2014

Julia: The week after I finished school (I’m a music teacher), right in the middle of my husband Dan’s busiest time at work (he's a musician, who also engineers stuff), we traveled from Illinois to Vermont in one very long trek with our 6-mont...

A Picnic Table!

Sunday, June 15th, 2014

During the second half of June, our calendar is jam-packed: we're looking forward to not one, not two, but three sets of friends visiting from out of state. In celebration of "guest season," I decided it was high time we had a picnic table. See, ou...

Baling Begins at Last

Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

So, after three years of dreaming and planning, we've finally reached the baling portion of building a straw bale house. I have to take a minute to register my shock at how long we've been working on this project. Where on earth has the time gone...

No-Risk Garden

Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

Last fall, Tyler and I surrounded our camper with hay bales from our friend Patty's farm in order to prevent cold winter winds from rushing underneath our camper. Months later, the bales had served their purpose and were decomposing into wet, rotty...

Framing & Installing Windows

Thursday, June 5th, 2014

One down, eleven to go! ...

Traveller, There is No Path

Wednesday, June 4th, 2014

At Karina and Ivica's wedding, we had the joy of reconnecting with Cindy—Karina's hilarious and vivacious Aunt. I have many happy childhood memories involving Aunt Cindy, my favorites being playing "red-light green-light" in the hallway of her apar...

May, 2014 in Photos

Saturday, May 31st, 2014

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Karina & Ivica's Wedding Party

Saturday, May 24th, 2014

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A Very Special Wedding

Saturday, May 24th, 2014

Sometimes we are all witnesses of how life can be weird and magical… Ivica I've sat down to write this journal entry many times. Each time, the result of my effort falls frustratingly short of what I wish to express. Still, I have to try....

A Springtime Trip to Illinois

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

The day after our SIP roof was installed, we hurriedly packed the car for a Memorial Day weekend trip to Illinois. I drove the entire way—15 hours with only bathroom, food, and gas breaks; Tyler worked non-stop for at least 12 of those hours, progr...

SIP Roof Delivery & Installation

Tuesday, May 20th, 2014

After months of planning our roof, today was the day we'd been waiting for—bright and early this morning, a crew showed up to deliver and install our SIPs! As with any big project, the challenges began immediately. First off, their boom truck had ...

The Fungus Among Us

Saturday, May 17th, 2014

I found morels in our woods! ...

Getting There

Friday, May 16th, 2014

When we first embarked upon this homesteading project, we were naively dreaming of an idyllic lifestyle in the woods. It's safe to say that after two and a half years of focused effort, barring the blessing that is our friends and neighbors, we hav...

A Good Arrangement

Thursday, May 15th, 2014

For the last few weeks, we've had some new company in our woods. Jonathan, who works at the local Stihl shop, has begun doing forestry work on our land. In exchange for keeping us stocked with split and stacked cordwood, he gets to sell whatever w...

Building Plaster Stops

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

The next task in our building project is assembling plaster stops. These are pieces of plywood covered in tar paper and diamond lath (also called blood lath, for the razor sharp edges it leaves when cut). We'll be affixing them anywhere plaster mee...

Working in the Wee Hours

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

"Tyler!" I hiss, roused in the middle of the night by an unmistakable plunk-plunk-plunking sound on our camper roof. "What is it?" he mumbles sleepily. "It's raining!" I reply, a touch of panic in my voice. We only tar-papered half the roof yesterd...

Cottage Roof Drywall Installation

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

For the past few days, Tara has been painting huge sheets of drywall for the roof of our house in the safety of our grindbygg workshop. I was really pleased that we had a place for her to do this—one of my original motivations for building a worksh...

Straw Bale Delivery!

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

The straw bales are here! ...

Cottage Roof Decking

Saturday, May 10th, 2014

It's amazing how much we can accomplish on a non-rainy weekend—with Tyler having two entire days to work with me on our house instead of his programming, we're able to make a ton of progress! Today, we focused on installing roof-decking, a task to ...

Building A Pony Wall

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

For the last few days, we have been framing a pony wall around the perimeter of our house. The main purpose of this framing is to raise our strawbales above grade so they can't get wet, but we're also going to use portions of it for storage. Every ...

Designing Our House: The Roof

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

For the past few weeks, I've been doing loads of research about roofing. Our main goal for the cottage is to have something with substantial r-value. Living in a trailer for two winters has made the importance of insulation abundantly clear. Our se...

General Contractor

Monday, May 5th, 2014

Last summer, Tyler was the general contractor for our road building, foundation laying, and grindbygg timber framing efforts. It seemed like he was always on the phone, planning the next stage of our projects. This year, with his new job consuming...

Cinco de Cuatro

Sunday, May 4th, 2014

Well, we survived that horrible, awful afternoon, and eventually got the stupid tarp on the house without killing ourselves in the process. By the time all was said and done, we were soaked through and shaking with cold, numb to the awfulness that ...

April, 2014 in Photos

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

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Timber Frame Cottage Ridge Beam & Rafters

Monday, April 28th, 2014

After everyone left yesterday, I had a panicky feeling in my stomach about all that we had left to do. The king posts needed to be installed, as did the ridge beam and the rafters. How on earth would we be able to do this by ourselves? I was re-li...

Timber Frame Cottage Frame Raising: The Big Day, Part Three

Sunday, April 27th, 2014

After lunch, we finish raising the last bent and place the two wall plates. Next up, we check to see if the assembly is square. Our first measurement shows we're out by a whopping five inches from corner to corner. At this point, Rick and Charlie...

Timber Frame Cottage Raising: The Big Day, Part Two

Sunday, April 27th, 2014

Shortly after raising the first bent, our dear friend Jenna arrives bearing a gorgeous loaf of wood-fired-oven-baked bread, and her tiny, bleating lamb, Brianna. We pause to greet her, and to hold the lamb, cooing at its perfect adorableness, buryi...

Timber Frame Cottage Raising: The Big Day, Part One

Sunday, April 27th, 2014

As I arrange bananas, a water jug, and several containers of snacks on a makeshift plywood table this morning, I do so with a feeling of peace. With the stress of non-stop preparation and the uncertainty of assembling the first bent of our home be...

Timber Frame Cottage Raising: The Dress Rehearsal

Saturday, April 26th, 2014

It's a clammy, dark afternoon. I just picked up Tyler from the airport after his week in California, and we've been home for less than an hour. Already we're at the house site, going over final preparations for the frame raising of our little cotta...

Timber Frame Cottage Raising: Preparation

Friday, April 25th, 2014

While Tyler spent the week working in sunny California, I held down the fort and got us ready for the long awaited frame raising of our little timber frame cottage! I set a date, invited some friends, and then proceeded to obsess about the weather ...

Tar Paper on Workshop Roof Decking

Sunday, April 20th, 2014

This evening, Bocoup is flying me to Santa Monica to kick off a project with a new client. While planning for this, I asked our office manager to book the flight as late as possible this Sunday—I wanted to take full advantage of the sunny weekend....

Finish Work on the Solar Shed

Saturday, April 19th, 2014

It's amazing what we can get done when there isn't a foot of snow on the ground! This weekend was full-on spring, with glorious warm weather and sunny skies. To celebrate and make the most of it, we spent every single hour of daylight tying up the ...

Straw Bale Workshop

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

For the past week, we've had the privilege of attending a straw bale workshop run by Andrew Morrison at The Healing Co-op in Middletown, Rhode Island. We've come away from the experience feeling changed and blessed. The hands-on lessons Andrew ga...

The Cottage Windows Are Here

Monday, April 14th, 2014

As the general contractor for our little house build, it's immensely satisfying to watch the pieces of this giant puzzle fall into place. Today, the windows I spent ages selecting arrived. They're stored in the workshop now, awaiting their install...

Fleeing Mud Season to Boston

Sunday, April 6th, 2014

Tyler and I have just finished a fantastic week in Boston! He was in the city to work and teach a class on Javascript at the Bocoup Loft, and I was lucky enough to tag along. The mini break could not have come at a better time. After months of snow...

March, 2014 in Photos

Monday, March 31st, 2014

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Solar Shed Work Bench

Saturday, March 29th, 2014

One of the last things we did today was build a corner work bench inside the solar shed. I am seriously beside myself with excitement about this. As soon as we were done, I put my soldering iron, multimeter, flux, "third hand" and other electroni...

Building the Solar Shed, Part Six: Interior & Site Grading

Saturday, March 29th, 2014

Today, we started sheathing the interior of the solar shed with utilitarian plywood. As usual, I took the measuring duties while Tyler did the sawing. First, I marked each sheet to fit its designated location, then outlined the spaces we'd need t...

Solar Panels & Charge Controller Arrive

Friday, March 28th, 2014

The first round of components for our off-grid power system arrived today! We now have six REC PE245 solar panels waiting to be mounted on the roof of our solar shed, an Outback FM80 charge controller to regulate their output, and a bunch of assor...

Building the Solar Shed, Part Five: Wiring & Insulation

Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

We made more progress on the solar shed today. First, we nailed the sill plate to our foundation using a ".22 nailer". It's basically a tiny rifle with bullet-like charges that you set off with a hammer. The resulting blast shoots a nail straigh...

Building the Solar Shed, Part Four: Shingles & Trim

Sunday, March 16th, 2014

This week, we've been working on adding trim and fascia boards to the solar shed. We also started shingling the roof! As per usual, each time we start a new building task that neither of us has done before, Charlie drops by to give us a brief lesso...

Nailing Solar Shed Siding

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

Today felt like spring, and though our land was still covered in snow and ice, birds were flitting about joyfully and the sun shone brightly. Trying to make the most of this fleetingly favorable weather (we're supposed to get another ten inches of ...

Thoughts on Building and Learning

Monday, March 10th, 2014

After a productive planning session with Charlie, Becky treated us to a fabulous supper of homemade pizza topped with spicy merguez sausage, arugula, parmesan cheese, and pickled red onions. As we settled in for the meal, our conversation turned to...

Planning with Charlie

Monday, March 10th, 2014

With Tyler working full-time at Bocoup, I've taken on the role of contractor for our house-construction project. We're still going to work together on the building process, but I'm doing the vast majority of the scheduling, calculating, ordering, a...

Building the Solar Shed, Part Three: Siding

Sunday, March 9th, 2014

We haven't done much of anything outside since our shed building blitz this January. For the last two months, we've been hunkered down in our camper, keeping warm as feet of snow accumulate on our land. This morning, a crack appeared in winter's ...

Cold Antler Farm Book

Friday, March 7th, 2014

Our dear friend Jenna is releasing a new book, all about her homestead and the rhythm of seasons and celebrations that accompany it. If you're at all interested in farming, or learning what it's like to quit your job and follow your heart, read Jen...

Designing Our House: The Windows

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

Over the past few months, I've been researching, planning, and gathering materials for the construction of our little cottage. My first area of focus has been the windows. Initially, I went through a phase where I was dead-set on having wavy glass ...

February, 2014 in Photos

Friday, February 28th, 2014

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On Starting a Homestead from Scratch: Lessons from our First Year, Part One

Sunday, February 16th, 2014

Over the course of the past year, we've chatted with many folks who are hoping to start a homestead. Like us, they've been dreaming of going "back to the land," of living a simple, self-sufficient life in the country. Quite often, they've sought o...

Clearing Trees for Solar Power

Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

With the roof of our solar shed nearly complete, it's very easy to see which trees are going to block sunlight for the solar panels we want to install on it. Unfortunately, the biggest offenders are right next to our wellhead and camper, two thing...

Today

Sunday, February 9th, 2014

When Tyler and I were journaling every day, we had the process down to a science. While it was far from easy, at least it felt routine. Lately, our journalling efforts have been sporadic, and my writing muscles are weak from lack of consistent prac...

January, 2014 in Photos

Friday, January 31st, 2014

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Thirty Today

Saturday, January 25th, 2014

Today is my thirtieth birthday. I'd never understood the stigma that surrounds milestone birthdays… until a few months ago. Suddenly, an uneasy voice in my head started saying things like: "oof, you really should up your usage of facial moisturize...

Building the Solar Shed, Part Two: More Framing

Thursday, January 16th, 2014

We awoke this morning to find a half an inch of snow on the ground, and more soft, white flakes tumbling from grey skies overhead. Crap. The forecast had called for sun and unseasonable warmth! Despite the fact that our springlike weather disappea...

Building the Solar Shed, Part One: Framing

Wednesday, January 15th, 2014

When Tyler came back from Becky and Charlie's place a few days ago, casually informing me that we'd be building our solar shed this week (during a brief window when the forecast called for warmth and sun), I could not have been more surprised or mo...

Woo Hoo, I Work At Bocoup!

Monday, January 6th, 2014

I just landed my dream job—as of today, I am an engineer at Bocoup! After eight years running a one-man software consultancy, I am ready for something new. I'm not usually much of a group joiner, but the Bocoup team has totally won me over. ...

It's Good to Be Back

Saturday, January 4th, 2014

The camper is a toasty 60 degrees this morning, and it feels much more like home. Today, we'll get back in the groove of life in Vermont. We'll pick up our winter CSA shares from Becky and Charlie, and we'll no doubt catch up over a glass of wine,...

Winter Arrival on Our Land

Saturday, January 4th, 2014

We're headed home to Vermont after a month-long trip to the Midwest. For the past twenty-five hours, Tyler and I have been taking turns—one of us behind the wheel, and one of us sleeping in a moderately comfortable position in the back seat of our...

The Year in Review

Wednesday, January 1st, 2014

Normally it feels worthwhile to sit down and reflect upon the events of the past three hundred and sixty five days. And yet, as I've been perusing our photos and journal entries from the past year in preparation for this post, I've been overwhelmed...

December, 2013 in Photos

Tuesday, December 31st, 2013

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November, 2013 in Photos, er, Music

Saturday, November 30th, 2013

Today marks the first time in four years that we don't have an overabundance of pictures to pick from for a monthly photo post. So, this entry is going to be about music instead. Two months ago, we both got instruments and started taking lessons....

Bike. Camp. Cook. Events!

Saturday, November 30th, 2013

Tyler and I are currently in Illinois, staying with my family for a few weeks before the holidays. While we're in my hometown, I'll be putting on three different talks about my new bicycle touring cookbook, Bike. Camp. Cook. If you live in the midw...

Strawbales Found

Monday, November 25th, 2013

This week, I found a listing for straw bales that looked really promising. When I called Gary, the farmer selling the bales, he knew just what I wanted. Almost before I could describe our plans, he was saying, "Oh yeah, this is what you're lookin...

Finding Strawbales for Construction

Sunday, November 17th, 2013

Gearing up for construction season this coming Spring, I've been focusing my attention on acquiring the straw bales that will form the walls of our house and workshop. After poring over our green building books and various online sources, I compil...

Good Company

Wednesday, November 13th, 2013

We're feeling a bit better this week, and a big part of it has to do with the fact that we've had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with two different couples who are also hopeful homesteaders. Chatting about shared dreams with like-minded...

Fear is the Mind-Killer

Monday, November 4th, 2013

Over the past few weeks, we've been lucky to last more than two or three days without one of us having some kind of emotional breakdown/explosion. With night falling sooner and sooner each afternoon, it feels like darkness is descending upon us. M...

First Snowfall

Friday, November 1st, 2013

This morning, I pulled up our bedroom shade and gasped with delight when I saw my first glimpse of the world outside our camper: the ground was dusted with white, and fat, wet flakes were falling gently in our woods. Our first snowfall of the seaso...

October, 2013 in Photos

Thursday, October 31st, 2013

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Stacking Wood

Monday, October 28th, 2013

For the last few days, Tara and I have spent an hour or two each morning stacking wood. It'll be a year or more before we start burning these logs to heat our little cottage, but the work fills me with an immediate sense of joy. It just feels rig...

Fall Family Visits

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

October has been a month of family visits. First, Tyler's mom, Jodi, arrived. Charlie and Becky were kind enough to let her stay at their place while they were gone, so the three of us spent our days in a real house with a lovely kitchen and a wall...

Late October Horsecart Ride

Sunday, October 20th, 2013

This morning, while Tyler worked with Charlie splitting wood, I headed over to West Arlington for another horsecart ride with the Washington County Draft Animal Association. It was colder than last time, and most of the leaves had fallen from the t...

Splitting Wood

Sunday, October 20th, 2013

Over the last year we have harvested a huge amount of wood while clearing downed trees on our land. We've been dumping the collection near the top of our driveway—after eight months of off-and-on work, the pile has become something of a mountain....

September, 2013 in Photos

Monday, September 30th, 2013

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An Autumn Ride by Horsecart

Sunday, September 29th, 2013

On many occasions, I've written about how much I love our new home, about how it's a magical, beautiful place where wonderful people do interesting things that make my soul come alive. Today, as we join our friends Jenna, Patty, Mark, and the whole...

Workshop Roof Decking Complete

Friday, September 27th, 2013

The decking for our workshop roof is complete! Unfortunately, things didn't go exactly as planned. I was hoping the last course of boards would overlap the ridge by a few inches on either side, allowing for a small miter cut to form a nice seam a...

Tyler-Be-Nimble

Thursday, September 26th, 2013

Tyler and I may have worked our butts off together on the workshop rafters, but this roofing job is 99.99% his effort. While I stay on terra firma, focusing on book stuff, or raking dirt around the site to spread clover seed, he perches on our roof...

Roofin'

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

Each evening this week, Jeremy has sent me a text, letting me know if he'll be able to help with the workshop. He doesn't ask if I need another pair of hands, he simply arrives as if it were a foregone conclusion that we'll be roofing together onc...

Faces on Things

Tuesday, September 24th, 2013

Tara and I are constantly spotting faces on inanimate objects. Apparently, our shared subconscious is so busy anthropomorphizing things that we don't even have to point them out. We just say, "Do you see it?", and invariably we'll both identify t...

Laying Roof Decking

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

This morning, I climbed onto the roof of our workshop and I didn't come down until dusk. I was busy loping around on our rafters with a mallet, drill, and saw in hand, laying courses of tongue and groove roof decking. It feels so good to have rea...

Roof Decking Begins

Friday, September 20th, 2013

This morning, our neighbor Charlie arrived bright and early with a bucket of tools, ready to help us lay the first course of tongue and groove decking on both sides of our workshop. It was a fairly easy task—we just measured from the peak of the r...

Good Neighbors

Friday, September 20th, 2013

I love our neighbors. Hardly a day goes by that I don't find myself marveling at how lucky we are to live where we do. Just down the road from us there's Tracy, who runs a kennel and the local animal control. After stopping by to see our worksho...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: The Last Rafter

Thursday, September 19th, 2013

We did it! The rafters are complete! ...

Tongue & Groove Roof Decking Delivery

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

After parting ways with Jahnavi and Addison in Saratoga Springs, we raced back home, arriving just in time to receive a shipment of roof decking for our grindbygg workshop. We now have nearly two hundred kiln-dried 2"x6"x16' tongue and groove spru...

The Love Sprockets

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

This morning, we wake our guests with bacon and cheesy scrambled eggs, rich apple-cheddar scones and mugs of recently pressed apple cider. "Is this real? Jahnavi asks, her bleary eyes coming into focus, finding a feast of epic proportions set befor...

Paying it Forward

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

This evening, just as the skies were darkening into a milky pink dusk, we turned on to route 7A, headed to our friend Jenna's house for an evening of board games and camaraderie. Rounding the corner, we passed a pair of touring cyclists, their hel...

Cider Pressing

Sunday, September 15th, 2013

The morning is glorious, all aqua skies and green mountains tinged with a hint of faded gold. Driving into the Shaftsbury countryside, we wend our way over back roads we've never seen, marveling at the beauty before us. Around every turn on the tre...

Traditional Scottish Trio: Cantrip

Saturday, September 14th, 2013

Yesterday, while munching on apple cider donuts and chatting with Greer at Clear Brook, a yellow flier on the bulletin board caught my eye. On it was advertised a house concert in neighboring East Arlington that would be happening the very next day...

Picking Apples for Cider Pressing

Saturday, September 14th, 2013

As we drive to our dear friend Jenna's farm, curving lazily along the Battenkill river, I am incapable of wiping the grin from my face. My kickstarter project launched just three days ago and it's already 30% funded! As well, we have an exciting w...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: Rafters, Part Two

Friday, September 13th, 2013

Ever since we got over the hump of raising the first rafter, our grindbygg roof building project has been going fairly smoothly. It's actually pretty simple thanks to the jigs Peter left us with. The hardest part of the process is getting the raf...

THE BOOK! THE BOOK! THE BOOK!

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

For the last two years, I've been writing a cookbook designed especially for bike tourists. It's called Bike. Camp. Cook., and today, it is officially complete! (YIPPEE!!!) In order to fund the first press run, I'm taking pre-orders through a kic...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: The First Rafter

Sunday, September 1st, 2013

When Peter and the students left last week, I was crestfallen. Though I was excited about the huge progress we'd made, my enthusiasm was deeply underscored with a bitter cocktail of exhaustion and gnawing concern about the work that remained. Ins...

August, 2013 in Photos

Saturday, August 31st, 2013

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Aftermath

Monday, August 19th, 2013

It's 4:00AM when our alarm sounds, and we miraculously manage to rouse ourselves to stumble out of bed. Trent is up, packing, making coffee for the last time in the kitchen tent. Soon after, Peter and Amy join him for their morning brew. Together ...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: Day Seven Night

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

By the time one wall plate is seated properly and the other is placed where it can be maneuvered without the excavator, it's finally time for a very late supper around 9PM. We're strung out, completely and utterly spent, and way past the point of b...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: Day Seven Afternoon

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

Watching Peter work is a sight to behold. He's driven and focused on his art, and so single-minded that he reminds me of Tyler when he's programming. Like Tyler, he powers through the day with seemingly superhuman stamina, hardly remembering to eat...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: Day Seven Morning

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

It's Sunday, the very last day of our extended Grindbygg raising. We have two bents to raise today, plus the two wall plates that will sit atop all the tie beams. Our small group (Kit, Bruce, Trent and Roger remain) is hopeful and dedicated, and we...

Grindbygg Timber Framing: Day Six

Saturday, August 17th, 2013

Another day longer, another grind stronger... ...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day Five Evening

Friday, August 16th, 2013

It's the last day, and everyone is working like mad to ensure we'll be ready to raise the first bent (or grind, if you're Norwegian)… Once that task is successfully completed, we drill peg-holes and hammer in the first of our h...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day Five Morning

Friday, August 16th, 2013

It's the final day of our workshop, and I feel calmer and more at peace than I've felt in weeks. My worst nightmare is definitely coming true (or parts of it at least): there's no way we're going to be able to finish today. Thankfully, the prospect...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day Four

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

It's day four of the workshop and we're starting to feel slightly competent! Here are some pictures from another day at the worksite: Tomorrow afternoon, our final class day, Rick will be here to raise one of the bents...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Thoughts

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

Though each day of this course is filled with the highs and lows of learning new skills, and each evening is spent with laughter and camaraderie by the fire, Tyler and I are both filled with mounting dread. Here we are at the end of day three, and ...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day Three

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

Our alarm sounds at 7AM. Laying in bed, we are both groggy and exhausted. "Are you ready?" Tyler asks. "Not yet," I reply. In a few minutes, it'll be time for another action-packed day of hosting our timber framing course, but for now, I want to ba...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day Two

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

The morning dawns dark and wet, with torrential rains that soak our land. Thankfully, the canopy that Tyler, Peter and Amy built last night is holding up well. Without that very important piece of gear, there's no way we would be able to accomplis...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day One

Monday, August 12th, 2013

I awake to the sound of water being pumped from our well, and the smell of coffee brewing. I smile. Outside, workshop participants are congregating in the camp kitchen we've set up, making themselves at home. Breakfast is eaten standing, or around ...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Day Zero

Sunday, August 11th, 2013

This morning, our friend Jenna arrives bright and early with the intention of helping us peel bark for our timber frame. Thanks to everyone's help yesterday, however, we're done! Instead, we focus our attention on the outdoor shower that Tyler and...

Peeling Bark with Friends

Saturday, August 10th, 2013

When I was little, one of my favorite books was A New Coat for Anna, in which a young girl and her mother spent an entire year getting all of the components ready for her new winter coat. First they visited the shepherd and his flock, bartering for...

Grindbygg Timber Framing Course: Site Staging

Thursday, August 8th, 2013

Yesterday evening, our timber framing instructor Peter, his wife Amy, and their two girls, Robin and Linnea arrived! This morning, we went through the workshop site, making sure everything was in order. Peter showed us where he wanted all of our f...

The Porta Potties Arrived!

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

Woohoo! Now our class attendees will have bathrooms, and we have one less thing to do! ...

Tired is Dangerous

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

This morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed at 5AM with the shared hope of finishing a massive to-do list for our timber framing class next week. We started the morning sitting side by side, staring into the middle distance, robotically eating b...

Peeling Bark

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Today, we woke early with the intention of spending the day debarking the posts of our timber frame workshop. We brought our big water jug down to the workshop site, and Tyler ordered a pizza from East Arlington Takout so we wouldn't crash and burn...

Hi Greer!

Monday, August 5th, 2013

Hello Greer! We know you're reading this, so we wanted to say HI! And we wanted to thank you for being such a warm, caring, radiant presence in our lives right now. Thank you for coming to visit our land the other day, and thank you for lending us ...

Blackberry Season is Coming

Sunday, August 4th, 2013

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Glorious

Saturday, August 3rd, 2013

Glorious is the only word I can think of to describe the past few days. Weather-wise, it's obvious that we're over the summertime hump, past the blinding sun and harsh overwhelming heat of July, into the dappled days of nearly-fall. No longer do I ...

Star Trails Over Our Land

Friday, August 2nd, 2013

This is what the night sky over our land looks like! Exposure Length: 1 hour Focal Length: 20mm Aperture: ƒ/8 ISO: 100 ...and here is a still test-shot from getting the photo framed: I love where we live. ...

Pig Delivery at Cold Antler Farm

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

Today, after working on our land, we headed over to Jenna's place in anticipation of our friend Tom's arrival. He was bringing four pigs for Jenna's new woodland pig pagoda, and we wanted to be there for the experience. Soon, he rolled up in his bi...

July, 2013 in Photos

Wednesday, July 31st, 2013

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Workshop Retaining Wall

Wednesday, July 31st, 2013

Today, Chris and Pete showed up to assemble the final piece of our workshop foundation: a retaining wall form for the west side of the building. The setup only took a few hours. When they were ready, we called in the concrete. This ...

Roundwood Spruce Rafters

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

With the workshop slab ready for our timber framing course, it's finally time to shift our focus to something other than building foundations. Today, I am picking up rafters logs from Capital Sawmill in Nassau, New York. I have to thank John, ove...

Generator Update

Monday, July 29th, 2013

I just realized that I didn't write anything about the fate of our generator after it stopped running a few weeks back. To my chagrin, Bob, over at Day's Small Engine Repair was able to get in running in about two minutes. He just took the spark ...

Holiday on Wheels

Sunday, July 28th, 2013

Today, I stopped at our local library's book sale, and was happily surprised to discover a book called Holiday on Wheels by Catherine Woolley. This 1950s children's novel is about a boy named David who quits his paper route because he doesn't like ...

Bare Feet on Concrete

Saturday, July 27th, 2013

We've just pulled into the driveway after a day of helping Jenna build her pigpen. As the wheels of our truck crunch up the stone driveway, we can hear our woods buzzing with summer crickets and evening birds. It's good to be home. Halfway up th...

A Pigpen for Jenna

Saturday, July 27th, 2013

This morning, we loaded up some of our tools, grabbed a few random bits of wood from our workshop site, and headed over to see our friend, Jenna at Cold Antler Farm. There, we met Kathy and Mary of Wind Women Farm, and after a morning cup of mate t...

Workshop Slab Concrete Pour: Part Two

Friday, July 26th, 2013

Immediately, I am brainstorming places we can use the extra concrete. Maybe we could pour another slab somewhere? Tara doesn't think we should make rash decisions that we'll be stuck with, but I'm able to convince her when I remember a spot along...

Ready to Pour

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

With concrete trucks due to arrive at 7AM tomorrow, we spent the day putting finishing touches on our workshop form. Somehow, the final details always seem to stretch on forever! The first job of the day was to snip all the ends off the zip ties ...

Mary and Jack Visit

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

This weekend, our dear friends Mary and Jack dropped in for a visit after a marathon 24-hour trek from Minnesota. Before they continued on to their final destination of Maine, we were lucky enough to spend two wonderful days with them. Over burge...

The Dump

Monday, July 22nd, 2013

We recently visited the local dump to get rid of some construction debris from our workshop. When we pulled in, they weighed our truck, told us to hurl our crap into a nearby pole barn, and informed us that they'd measure us again on the way out—w...

Wild Raspberries

Sunday, July 21st, 2013

This winter, as we hacked our way through brown, thorny canes that snagged our pants as we walked through the woods, we figured they would eventually prove to be berry bushes. Sure enough, those canes have grown into a brambly green jungle, produci...

Cereal Days

Saturday, July 20th, 2013

We've been a little obsessed with cereal lately, eating bowls of the stuff not only for breakfast but at all times of the day. I think our food choices have to do with the facts that a) it's flipping hot out, and I can't bear to turn on the oven or...

Workshop Rebar Installation

Thursday, July 18th, 2013

On this hot July day, we spent the entire morning and afternoon at our workshop site, laying reinforcing rod inside our concrete form. The plans called for a grid two feet on center over the entire slab, as well as additional reinforcements along ...

Two is One, One is None

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

This morning, our generator wouldn't start. Instead of laying rebar in the workshop's concrete form, I blew the balance of an entire day going through everything I could think of that would be causing the issue. I confirmed there was gas in the t...

My Construction Nightmare

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

It's time to pour the concrete floor for our worskhop, and we have like twenty people here to help. For some reason, the form is really long and skinny, like a lap pool. Tara and I have been running around with the attendees all morning, doing la...

In-Floor Outlets

Monday, July 15th, 2013

Every morning, around 7AM, my brain starts yelling at me to get something "productive" done. I swear this nagging voice has carved a literal groove (or fifty) in my cerebrum over the years. Generally speaking, I acquiesce. I know that if I haven...

Last Day in Maine

Sunday, July 14th, 2013

With Mike and Eliza in the midst of restoring an 1800s farmhouse, and Tyler and I busy hacking a homestead out of ten acres of land, we're trying to cram as much summer fun into one weekend as we can. It's our last day in Maine, and we've decide th...

Beach Time

Saturday, July 13th, 2013

When Tyler and I were looking to relocate from the land-locked Midwest, we were certain of one thing: if we left, we wanted to be within a few hours of the ocean. This morning, as we drive to Reid State Park for an afternoon on the beach with Mike,...

Mini Maine Vacation

Friday, July 12th, 2013

This morning, we packed a small suitcase and took a much-needed break from the woods, embarking on a trip to Maine to see our friends, Mike and Eliza. I have been psyched about this mini Maine vacation for weeks! Now that we live in Vermont, we're ...

Raking Rocks

Thursday, July 11th, 2013

After finishing my indexing quota for the day, I headed "downstairs" to help Tyler rake the stone that was dumped in our workshop's concrete form yesterday. Using Peter's slab plans as a guide, we shaped the material into a flat mound with carefull...

French Drains and Fill

Wednesday, July 10th, 2013

Today, we received thirty tons of 3/4" stone: Rick scooped most of it into the concrete form for our workshop: After that, we made a french drain around the back wall: First, we put down a layer of stone: Then, a layer of st...

The Persistence of Pizza

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

This evening, we decided it would be a good idea make a frozen pizza. This is our "too tired to make anything else and can't bear to create any more dirty dishes" meal. The pizza, which I had previously folded in half so I could successfully shov...

Road Building

Monday, July 8th, 2013

Our alarm sounds at 7AM, ringing in another day of construction here on our homestead. Eyes barely open, I fumble around for the phone, ready to get started. Half asleep, I ring our truck driver, Richard, confirming that he is still available to ...

Indexing

Monday, July 8th, 2013

While Tyler and Rick worked on our road today, progressing ever closer to the finish line, I spent a productive day in our camper poring over my bicycle touring cookbook. With so much going on since we moved to Vermont, I've had trouble focusing mu...

Do-Over

Sunday, July 7th, 2013

Tara Tyler wants to do a daily journal. Just a paragraph, he says, about anything he says. We won't even edit it! My eyelids droop. So much to say and so little energy to say it. I'll write more tomorrow, about the blazing sun and the torrential ...

The Dirty Life

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

For the past four days, we’ve been dog-sitting for Jeremy & Hercilia, living a life of ease and comfort at their house. What a convenience it has been to have hot, running water for bathing and dishwashing, space to peel off dirty shoes and fi...

June, 2013 in Photos

Sunday, June 30th, 2013

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Green Mountain National Forest: Grout Pond

Saturday, June 29th, 2013

We're dog-sitting at Jeremy and Hercilia's place this week. It's barely 7AM and their twelve year old german shorthaired pointer, Roscoe, is whimpering from the living room, begging for us to wake up and pay attention to him. Little does he know,...

Our Cottage Foundation, Wing Insulation & Backfilling: Part Seven

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

Yesterday, we removed the form bracing and laid the wing insulation for our cottage's frost-protected foundation. Today, Rick brought his excavator up to the site and helped us back-fill over it. It was an easy job—the whole process took all of t...

Our Cottage Foundation, Finishing the Slab: Part Six

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

After about an hour of chatting, Pete encourages us to put our hurricane straps in before the concrete is too dry. I'm surprised—I assumed it would take ages to reach that stage! Together, Tyler and I climb up the ridge to the house site, and sur...

Our Cottage Foundation, Part Five: Pouring Concrete

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

At long last, the day has arrived—we're pouring the foundation for our cottage! Things kick off bright and early with Rick pulling in at 7AM. He's here to check on us before the cement truck, pump truck, and masons arrive. Right off, he spots th...

Our Cottage Foundation, Part Four: Radiant Heating Installation

Monday, June 24th, 2013

The final major detail in preparing our cottage foundation for concrete is to lay PEX tubing for a radiant heating system. We don't have immediate plans to use it, but at a cost of about $100, it seems foolish to leave such an efficient heating op...

Katherine & Michael Visit

Sunday, June 23rd, 2013

In 2010, while we were in Tunisia riding our moped Habib across salt flats and Star Wars sets, we recieved an email from an Australian couple who were following our journal. In the message, Katherine and Michael introduced themselves, and told us ...

Ian & Lizza's Wedding

Sunday, June 16th, 2013

Runnin' from the cold up in New England, I was born to be a fiddler in an old time string band... "Wagon Wheel," by Old Crow Medicine Show Four days ago, as Tyler and I drove out of our muddy, squelching driveway to embark on a 14-hour trek ...

Our Cottage Foundation, Part Three: Adding Reinforcements

Saturday, June 15th, 2013

In order to support point loads from our timber frame posts, the outside edge of our cottage's concrete foundation will be roughly 12" deep, while the central portion will slope up to 6". To create this shape, we filled most of the form with 3/4" ...

Our Cottage Foundation, Part Two: Moisture Barriers

Friday, June 14th, 2013

With our concrete form built, and its interior foam over 6mil plastic installed, we applied two additional moisture barriers. First up, we filled any gaps between our 4'x8' sheets of EPS insulation with minimally expanding foam. The kkkhschhhhh o...

Our Cottage Foundation, Part One: Concrete Forms & Insulation

Thursday, June 13th, 2013

Last month, after we cleared the building site for our cottage, we started work on our foundations. With some instruction from Rick, we built our first-ever concrete form: a wooden frame to contain the frost-protected slab for our house. After me...

Gloom

Wednesday, June 12th, 2013

This morning, like every other morning in recent memory, I awake to the sound of rain splattering on our camper and the chhhhhhhhh of wet leaves on branches that sway in the wind. Outside our 16-by-8 foot travel trailer, the world is wet and lush, ...

Unloading Slate

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013

Now that the Bonettis have headed home, it's time to unload the slate from the back of our heavily-laden truck. It's a laborious process—Tyler sits in the bed of the truck, taking each tile and tapping it lightly with a hammer. We've read that a r...

Our Land, Past & Present: Meeting the Bonettis

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013

We just wanted to say hello. We are the ones that you bought the property from. We have been following your web site to see what you are doing with it. We noticed that you are working on the land now. We hope that you are enjoying the propert...

Weekend Road Trip, Part Three: Visiting Sue & Mark

Saturday, June 1st, 2013

We're about an hour and a half into our road-trip home, headed south on Route 22A in the gorgeous green hills of the Champlain Valley. We're just a few miles from where we disembarked the Fort Ticonderoga ferry two years ago, entering Vermont for ...

Weekend Road Trip, Part Two: Sightseeing with Beth

Saturday, June 1st, 2013

Before Tyler and I hit the road with our slate, Jim tells us that we really must see the nearby Island Line Trail, saying it would be a shame to be this far north and miss the railbed-turned-bikepath that crosses the lake. He also advises us not t...

Weekend Road Trip, Part One: Buying Slate

Saturday, June 1st, 2013

Last night, we stayed up into the wee hours, re-living some of our travels and travails in Vietnam. It's not often that we read our own journal entries—we're usually focused on the present, busily writing new stories. But, I'm having my second an...

Switching to Slate

Saturday, June 1st, 2013

Over the past few months, we have come to the realization that a thatched roof for our cottage just isn't in the cards. We're both in love with the idea, but making it a reality would be a massive undertaking, and right now, neither of us can must...

Dinner with Dan & Tambra

Friday, May 31st, 2013

This past February, Tyler and I received a message from a woman named Tambra who had found us via our friend Jenna's blog. She and her husband Dan live in the DC area, but visit their property in Sandgate, Vermont every chance they get. We've kept ...

May, 2013 in Photos

Friday, May 31st, 2013

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Little Hopper, the Bunny from Home Depot

Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

While Tara and I were at Home Depot this evening, a little bunny popped out of some corrugated pipe we were buying. Both we and the little fluff-ball sat totally frozen, staring at one another for a good twenty seconds before it tore off down the ...

Buying Herbs at Shaftbury's Clear Brook Farm

Monday, May 27th, 2013

I've been aching to pursue the gardening aspect of our new homesteading life, but alas, it's far too early in the game for that sort of nesting. With large machinery passing through our future garden space at least once a week, and several vehicles...

Struck by Lightning

Sunday, May 26th, 2013

During one of the storms last week, a particularly close lightning strike took out our cheap, walmart-purchased inverter. With a resounding POP, it pushed its final electrons into a low-voltage alarm squeal that warbled for a moment, then dropped ...

Rain Rain Go Away

Saturday, May 25th, 2013

It's been raining non-stop for a week. As a result, we haven't made any progress on our our foundations. Boo! Our driveway and clearing are becoming a mud-pit, too: The only upside to all of this is that we've been able to sleep in a ...

This is David & Andrée

Friday, May 24th, 2013

We are David and Andrée, a French-Canadian couple from Québec City, and longtime readers of Going Slowly. Passionate readers should we say! In fact, we both read Tara and Tyler's story "from cover to cover", and still follow it with assiduity, lik...

A Mountain of Foam

Friday, May 24th, 2013

We received a small mountain of EPS foam for our shallow frost-protected slabs today, and getting it home was a bit of a fiasco. Our shipment was supposed to arrive on a box truck, but instead, it came on a seventy-foot-long semi. Tyler did his b...

Insulating Our Shallow Frost Protected Foundations

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

Assuming everything goes to plan, we will be pouring two shallow frost-protected concrete slabs next month. One for our grindbygg workshop, and the other for a small timber frame cottage. We've chosen this style of foundation because our land is ...

Getting Our Poop In a Group, Part Three: Finishing the Compost Bins

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

With Spring officially here, we were able to spend a day finishing the compost bins we started last winter. We decided to put them against the east side of our clearing, next to where the gardens will be. This is the first real structure we've bui...

Cleaning the Drive

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

Today, we spent nearly ten hours clearing logs along the edge of our driveway. We've worked at this project on many occasions, but today we were armed with Rick's dump-trailer, and it made a world of difference. Once we had the wood chainsawed in...

Building Sites

Saturday, May 11th, 2013

So, I've been meaning to write an exhaustive journal outlining all the pros and cons of various foundation styles, why we've chosen to build frost-protected slabs for both our workshop and cottage, what they are, how they work, why we chose EPS foa...

Permitting Our Projects

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

This season, we're starting four structures: an 18'x24' timber frame workshop, a 12'x16' timber frame cottage, a small shed to house batteries and electronics for a future solar array, and another small shed to enclose our wellhead and water storag...

Getting Our Poop In a Group, Part One: Our Composting Toilet

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Last year, Tyler and I read The Humanure Handbook, a fantastically eye-opening book about how to safely compost your own waste and return it to the soil as fertilizer. The simple system this book describes uses sawdust toilets (a receptacle with a ...

Off Grid Cable Internet Access w/ Power Over Ethernet

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

I am thrilled to say that I am posting this journal entry from a high speed cable internet connection, on our land, nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont! Today was a triumphant day, and at the moment, I couldn't be happier. It feels as thoug...

The Poultry Swap

Sunday, May 5th, 2013

When our phone alarm sounds at 5:00AM this morning, the sun is already up, and a chorus of birds is cheerily chirping in our newly leafed-out woods. Excited about what lay in store for the day, we throw off the covers: it's time for the Poultry Swa...

Ticked Off

Saturday, May 4th, 2013

Today was rough. All morning and afternoon, I found myself teetering along an emotional knife-edge, often slipping into full-on freak-out mode. Instead of being thrilled to be on our land, or completely enamored by the fact that we're living our D...

We're Home!

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

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Back to Vermont for Keeps: Part Two

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

The last two weeks in Illinois were wonderful. Our days were filled with cooking projects, restaurant-going, game nights with friends, ambitious cleaning efforts in my parents' basement, long chats at the dinner table, and many quiet afternoons on ...

April, 2013 in Photos

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

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Back to Vermont for Keeps: Part One

Friday, April 19th, 2013

Last week, I finished the massive task of sanding and staining all of the wood for our timber frame cottage. Meanwhile, Tyler completed a major work project that will hopefully pay for the cost of the gravel driveway we'll be putting on our land. ...

Truck Upgrades

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

With just a week before Tara and I move to Vermont officially, my brother-in-law Paul helped me install several important upgrades for our work truck. Among them were a snow plow mount with quick releases for the hydraulics, some handy auxiliary fl...

Timber Framing Course: Norwegian Grindbygg "Trestle Frame"

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

This August, join us with master timber framer Peter Henrikson to hand-craft and raise a one-of-a-kind Norwegian Grindbygg workshop in Arlington, Vermont. This unique style of roundwood construction is the oldest known building technique in Norway...

Timber Framing at Going Slowly HQ

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

Last summer, Tara and I fell in love with timber framing, thanks to a fantastic course offered by North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. There, in an idyllic workshop on the shore of Lake Superior, under the instruction of Peter Henri...

March, 2013 in Photos

Sunday, March 31st, 2013

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This is Karina

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Tara is one of my best and oldest friends, so it should come as no surprise that, for years now, I've been following her and Tyler’s worldly adventures with a ravenous appetite. The story I'm about to share is an improbable, synchronicity-filled ta...

What We're Up To

Sunday, March 17th, 2013

We're in Minnesota again! Our last days in Vermont this winter were busy, a whirlwind of cleaning and packing and readying our camper for two months without human inhabitants. The day before we left, we were treated with a snowstorm which deposit...

Don't Believe What You See on TV

Friday, March 15th, 2013

I think I'm in shock after watching 20/20 this evening. The whole show was an absolute joke. I was literally repulsed from start to finish by its over-produced, over-dramatized, highly sensationalized "news" stories. All I gleaned from the exper...

20/20 Update

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Booo! ABC's 20/20 cut us at the last minute from the show they're airing tonight! Here is the email we recieved this morning from the producer: Hi Tyler…just writing to let you know the segment is airing tonight, however I’m so sorry to tell...

A Visit from Kyle the Forester

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

Yesterday, as snow fell softly, we met with our local county forester, Kyle. After he pulled on his hiking boots and donned a warm hat, he joined us on a hike around our land, happy to escape the drudgery of office-work in favor of being in the wo...

Maple Hill Maple

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

A few days ago, we received an email through our website from Greer and Rick, a local couple who happen to be our neighbors—they live just a few minutes down the road from our land. They kindly invited to watch their maple sugaring operation, "Map...

The Kids of Common Sense Farm

Monday, March 4th, 2013

One of my favorite parts of our Common Sense Farm tour was getting to see all the BABY GOATS! We had warm bottles of their mama's milk to give them, which whipped them into a frenzy of excitement. It was the most adorable pandemonium I've ever se...

Farmwomen's Apprentice

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Today, Tyler and I went back to Cold Antler Farm once more. I wanted to be there in case Bonita and Francis decided to have their babies, and I was eager to help welcome two twelve-week-old pigs that Jenna had purchased. So, while Tyler programme...

A Morning with Patty & Mark

Sunday, March 3rd, 2013

This morning, as I stood, hands warming by the woodstove, peeking out the window of Jenna's farmhouse, I was utterly content. The world outside was white, covered in delicate snow falling softly and amply from the sky. It was idyllic, a scene str...

Waiting for Kids

Saturday, March 2nd, 2013

Around 8:30PM, just as we were finishing our supper, we received news we'd been hoping to hear for the past few days: Jenna's pregnant goat, Francis, was showing her first signs of labor! We threw on our warmest work clothes, grabbed the camera, a...

20/20 Interview

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

This morning we were interviewed for ABC's 20/20! The whole experience, from the big black suburban rolling up, to the final "walking up the driveway" shot, was over in a flash—the Q&A itself lasted all of ten minutes. We have no idea which p...

February, 2013 in Photos

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

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Breaking News

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

Three years ago, we drove across Russia in a 1991 Toyota Corolla. Last week, we got an email from a producer at ABC News, asking if we'd be interested in interviewing about the experience for their primetime show, 20/20! They are doing a piece ab...

Winter Visitors

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

A little over a week ago, my parents flew into Hartford, Connecticut, for a seven day workshop in macrobiotic cooking at the Kushi Institute. We met them at the airport hotel, and spent a wonderful day and a half together before strapping their su...

Feeling Settled

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

With over a month of camper-living under our belts, all of our concerns about buying a travel trailer have vanished. We've worked out the kinks, adapted to its challenges, and are now certain that we made an excellent decision. In retrospect, our...

Winter Wonderland

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Last night, our hill was pelted with a storm of icy sleet and snow. This morning, we awoke to find ourselves in this magical, wintery wonderland! ...

Waking Early

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

We've been waking early these days, aiming to find balance between laboring on our land and typing in our camper, eyes glued to our computers. If we get outside at first light and do some work with our hands, we seem to be happier and more product...

Informed Decisions

Friday, February 15th, 2013

Over the past few days, I've become increasingly uneasy about our woods cleaning project. I'm not wild about having a big, hulking excavator here, and I feel like we're "wasting" perfectly good wood in our burn piles. So far, I've rationalized aw...

Sunrise

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

This morning, as Tyler and I tend to our woodland by a smoky fire, I look up towards the eastern sky in reverence and expectation of the rising sun. I wait in silence, watching the skies grow pale, and then lo! It arrives! Just a warm glow at fir...

Cleaning Our Woods: Part Five

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Tyler: Rick and his dog Oliver arrive late this morning, ready for another round of clearing downed trees. At first, I'm not thinking there will be much news to report. I'm expecting another long day with more of the same: pulling downed trees ...

Fixing Our Stihl MS-271 Chainsaw

Friday, February 8th, 2013

Today, Allan over at Arlington's Stihl dealership called to let me know that the parts arrived to fix our chainsaw. It turns out that the handle I broke on our MS-271 is part of the same housing as the fuel tank, which makes the repair pretty exte...

Weathering the Storm

Friday, February 8th, 2013

All morning long, we've received text messages, phone calls, and emails of concern about the blizzard headed our way. While I'm sure there is dramatic, worrisome news all over the TV and radio announcing the impending "snowpocalypse," here in our ...

Cleaning Our Woods: Part Four

Thursday, February 7th, 2013

Today, while Tyler was busy programming, I was outside in my work jacket and chaps, tackling the massive cleanup operation in our woods. I spent most of the morning dragging smallish logs and dead treetops out of the woods with our truck. I ...

Cleaning Our Woods: Part Three

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

This morning, as I chat with Rick about what we want to accomplish with his excavator, I'm feeling overwhelmed by the scale of what Tara and I have set out to do with this homesteading project. When I look closely at our land, the work to be done ...

Hiking Glacier National Park's "Skyline Experience"

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

Last summer, my good friend Alex asked if I'd like to join him on his annual adventure in Montana's Glacier National Park. I immediately agreed, and happily consented to hike any trail in the park. He picked something called The Skyline Experienc...

Cleaning Our Woods: Part Two

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

Today, Rick showed up with his excavator. It's flipping huge. Tomorrow, we'll get to work. I can't wait! ...

Cleaning Our Woods: Part One

Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

We're not sure how long it has been since our land was inhabited, but we do know that the woods haven't been managed in many years. For every ten trees standing, there are probably one or two laying dead. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we ...

An Evening at Cold Antler Farm

Friday, February 1st, 2013

For the past few years, I have been following Jenna over at Cold Antler Farm, occasionally checking in on her animal-filled adventures. Her posts always kept me inspired when we were hunting for land and dreaming of starting our homestead. Now t...

January, 2013 in Photos

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

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In The Wind

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

The wind came down from mountains cold, And like a tide it roared and rolled. The branches groaned, the forest moaned, And leaves were laid upon the mould. J.R.R. Tolkein The wind up here is intense. All day long it’s been roaring, ...

Installing a "Simple Pump" Well Pump: Part Two

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

After our friends have gone home, I head out into the darkness to put our tools away. Outside, the cleanup operation is quickly cut short when I survey the back of our truck. We're just four little screws away from fresh mountain water—with so li...

Dinner in the Camper

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

While Tyler, Jeremy and Hercilia wrap up the last of our Simple Pump installation, I'm inside our camper, cooking supper for everyone. With two frozen pizzas, and some frozen chocolate chip cookie dough I made earlier, there will be plenty for eve...

Installing a "Simple Pump" Well Pump: Part One

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Today, with the help of our new friends Jeremy & Hercilia, we're going to install a hand-powered Simple Pump in our well. This will be the first time any of us has ever worked on a well, and it will also be the first time I've ever read and fo...

About Our Well

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Our property was one of the only potential sites we visited during our land hunt which already had a drilled well. Its standard 6" casing was a whopping 400ft deep, it had a static level of 80ft, and a measured recovery rate of 2 gallons per minut...

Birthday Sled Dog Surprise!

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

I've always been fascinated by the art of mushing. A few years ago, Tyler took me on a surprise Christmas outing to see his friend's sled dog team. After meeting all the pups and getting to ride across the snow, pulled by a team of happy, furry r...

29th Birthday

Friday, January 25th, 2013

Today is my 29th birthday. I wish I had something deep and important to say about life and the passing of years, but I don't. Today was simply a good day, filled with yummy food and great company. We even managed to check a few things off our to...

Heat

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

It's 4 AM and the camper is freezing. Tara and I are cuddled together under our down comforter, a minuscule bundle of tenuous warmth atop a freezing hill, flanked on either side by the frigid Green and Taconic Mountains. Our camper furnace is run...

Meeting the Neighbors

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

This afternoon, Tyler and I hiked down our driveway and walked the four hundred and eighty feet separating us from our closest neighbor. Holding another loaf of homemade, ribbon-bedecked banana bread as a friendship offering, we rang the doorbell,...

We Have a Mailbox!

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

While we were in Vermont with my family this past October, we managed to complete one of our first goals in the creation of our homestead: obtaining an address. This turned out to be a simple matter of measuring the distance from the center of our...

Character Building

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

It's January in Vermont, and we're smack dab in the middle of a major learning curve. Once again, we're settling into a more rustic lifestyle, and once again, the transition is more intense than we anticipated. Emotions run high, silly little thi...

Adventure Mode

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

On our bicycle tour, Tyler and I were living in what we've now dubbed "Adventure Mode." That is to say, every day was an epic journey unto itself, containing within it the highest highs I've ever felt, along with the lowest lows (and enough cramme...

Clearing the Clearing

Saturday, January 19th, 2013

We had planned to spend the afternoon working at a coffeeshop in Bennington today, but we never made it off our land. Early in the morning, Tyler went outside to see if he could get a burn pile going to clear up some of the brush that's been litte...

Our Side of the Mountain

Thursday, January 17th, 2013

Tyler: Last night, as we pulled into our drive after a day of running errands, the snowpack was too slippery for us to make it in. Half-way up the steepest portion of our driveway, we lost traction and began drifting slowly backwards. Unable to...

A Snow Day

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

As if to welcome us to our new home, Nature decorated our woods with a snowy white blanket last night. Fat, wet flakes continue to fall throughout this morning, filling us with childlike joy and excitement. We bundle up and head outside for a wal...

Up the Drive We Go!

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

Now that Tim is gone, Tyler and I have a little chat to decide what we want to do next. Though we're touched by Rick's offer to let us park on his land, we're both eager to be settled, once and for all, in our very own woods. It was muddy here ye...

Home at Last

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

After last night's drama, we drove non-stop, straight into this morning. We're exhausted, but we have an appointment to make: Tim Schmalz of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture is coming to inspect our land, to make sure it won't be susceptible to ...

Reed Collecting for Thatching with Deanne Bednar

Monday, January 14th, 2013

It's time for our reed-collecting workshop at last! With tools in hand, we enter a waving sea of phragmites reeds via a thin tunnel that Deanne has already cleared. As we make our way to the secluded collection area, I'm struck by how tall and be...

Checking In

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

After a fantastic night's sleep in our cozy little camper, we're our way to Michigan for a yet-again-postponed reed-collecting workshop. With a grey sky ahead of us, and a sour mood beginning to foul the journey, I declare that "everything is grum...

Black Ice

Saturday, January 12th, 2013

We planned on driving through the night in order to reach Deanne's place in time for our postponed reed-collecting workshop tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, there is no way that is going to happen. Just a few hours into our road trip east, our me...

Unpassable

Saturday, January 12th, 2013

Last October, during a vacation in Vermont with Tara's family, we all stayed at a beautiful house in rural Bennington. When it came time to leave, we serendipitously crossed paths with its caretaker and builder, Rick Carroll. We hit it off immed...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Ten

Friday, January 11th, 2013

Mike was short and to the point: half of our camper's roof was suffering from wet rot. The only lasting solution was to replace it, at a cost no less than $5,000. The other option was to ignore the underlying problem, plug the hole, and fix a few...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Nine

Friday, January 11th, 2013

This morning, still awake from the day prior, just as we were depositing the very last box of our belongings into the camper, Tara turned to me, her face crumpled like a deflated balloon. I was confused until I saw what she was pointing at: a pie-...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Eight

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

Tyler: While it would be nice to end the evening on such a celebratory note, our job is far from complete. We've committed to attending a reed-collecting workshop for our thatched roof in Michigan in two days time. All of our worldly possession...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Seven

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

The alarm goes off at the crack of dawn. As soon as the covers are flung off, it's game on, and there will be no stopping until tonight. "Are you ready for this?" I ask Tyler. He smiles and shakes his head, no. "Are you sure you don't just want ...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Six

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

The living room was a whirlwind of activity today; it looked as though a tornado had blasted through JoAnne fabrics, leaving spools of thread, tangled measuring tapes, and fraying scraps of cotton canvas in its wake. In the midst of the mess, Tyle...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Five

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

I'm having loads of fun with our HGTV-style camper makeover, but I'm also completely exhausted. For some reason, it always takes me by surprise when Tyler and I mobilize a spontaneous plan. It feels as though I've inadvertently stepped onto a hi...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Four

Monday, January 7th, 2013

It's pitch black when the alarm sounds at 2:30 AM, a mere three and a half hours since we fell into bed last night. I throw on a hoodie and the new down booties I got for Christmas (thanks, Jodi!) and make sure Tyler is groggily getting up as well...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Three

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

The ride home is going well, albeit very slowly. A few hours in, we decide to take a break. Just off the highway, we stop at a mattress store to see if we can find a replacement for our small, oddly-shaped camper bed. Before heading in, I walk b...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part Two

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

It's 8AM and the camper is freezing. As we get up, shivering, I am filled with doubt. The reality that I don't know anything about travel trailers is rapidly sinking in. There is no way we're going to be able to live here if this thing can't make ...

The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part One

Saturday, January 5th, 2013

With winter upon us, we're feeling pressed for time—if we want to thatch the roof on our timber frame cottage this summer, we'll have to collect reeds for it soon. The harvest needs to happen sometime between December and Feburary, and we've made...

The Year in Review

Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

With the new year upon us, I've been revisiting our journal, trying to remind myself of what we've been up to for the past three hundred and sixty five days. When I began writing this, I felt like most of our year had been filled with mundane rout...

December, 2012 in Photos

Monday, December 31st, 2012

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Reed Collecting Tools: Sickles and Scythes

Sunday, December 16th, 2012

As our departure date to collect reeds for a thatched roof draws near, I've been researching the tools we'll need to complete the job. Namely, sickles and scythes. For centuries, marshmen (such as the one featured in the video below) have used thes...

Thinking about Thatch

Saturday, December 15th, 2012

This past October, on the way to our family vacation in Vermont, Tyler and I stopped at Deanne Bednar's Strawbale Studio. While we were there, we discovered an important detail about thatched roofing: reeds need to be harvested in the wintertime. ...

November, 2012 in Photos

Friday, November 30th, 2012

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Mission Accomplished

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

It is 12:41 AM on November the 3rd. The year is 2012. Tara is snuggled up next to me, fast asleep. I am awake and programming, busy overhauling the internals of our website in preparation for the upcoming release of Tara's first book: Bike. Cam...

October, 2012 in Photos

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 91% ...

"The Hay House" in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Saturday, October 20th, 2012

Our Vermont vacation has come to a close. Our family has flown home, and all that remains of the previous week is a wealth of memories and photos. Tara and I are back in the car, headed west. Before we return to Minnesota, we have one last natur...

A Family Visit to our Land

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

Brimming with anticipation, we wend our way through rural southwestern Vermont, passing scenic farms with red barns nestled at the feet of breathtaking mountains. As we draw near to our land, fiery-colored trees line either side of the road, creat...

An Alan Family Vacation

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

A few months ago, my grandmother mentioned wanting to see Vermont again. Years ago, she and my grandfather went on vacations to New England, taking trains to see the fall color. She wanted to go again, and to see Tyler and my land in person. So,...

Second Thoughts in Vermont

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Burrs and sweat clinging to our clothes, we bid our land goodbye and head into town for a bite to eat. As we drive together in silence, evening falls, smothering the landscape in a misty blackness. For reasons unspoken, our triumphant mood is dar...

Clearing the Drive

Friday, October 5th, 2012

After a three day cross-country road-trip, we've finally arrived at our land! As we pull up the drive, I hop out of the passenger's seat to open the gate. There is a palpable gravity in the moment as part of me realizes, perhaps for the first tim...

Off Grid Power: Tim Sefton's Stirling Engine

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

One of our homesteading goals is to generate all the electricity we need right on our own property. During spring, summer and fall, it looks like we'll be able to accomplish that with solar panels and a battery array. For winter, however, when th...

Thatching Research: Deanne Bednar's Strawbale Studio

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

The second stop on our roadtrip to Vermont is to see a woman named Deanne, a natural builder, and the illustrator for several cob-related books such as The Hand-Sculpted House and The Cobber's Companion. Her land is home to the Strawbale Studio, ...

1/12th Scale Timber Frame Model House

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Awhile back, I found Tyler crouched on the floor, with a determined look on his face, scissors, tape, and cardboard strewn about him. Much to my delight, he was painstakingly constructing a scale model of our timberframe cottage! Using Peter's bl...

September, 2012 in Photos

Sunday, September 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 91% ...

Earthen Oven Pizza Party

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Though we still haven't finished our oven (it needs an insulative outer layer and a protective coat of lime plaster), that hasn't stopped us from using it. Tonight, we invited some friends over for a pizza party! I made the dough and assembled so...

Building an Earthen Oven: Part Two

Saturday, September 1st, 2012

With the foundation complete, we set about building the base of our oven. We started by using glass bottles to create a "bowl" to hold the hearth floor. This insulative layer is meant to create an air gap under the oven, hopefully preventing the ...

Building an Earthen Oven: Part One

Saturday, September 1st, 2012

This summer, using Kiko Denzer and Hannah Field's book, Build Your Own Earth Oven, Tara and I constructed our first cob structure: a pizza oven. We began the project by digging for clay in the woods behind my mother's house. This task was surpris...

August, 2012 in Photos

Friday, August 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 83% ...

Switching to Strawbale, Part Two

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

When we arrived at Hap and Lin's cob cottage in Fairfield, Iowa, we were greeted by a barefoot woman happily pottering around her outdoor kitchen. After shaking our hands in warm greeting, Lin told us she was putting the finishing touches on suppe...

Switching to Strawbale: Part One

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

A few years ago, when we learned about cob houses (see the comments section), we were enamored by the idea of building one. Reading The Hand-Sculpted House was truly a revelation—it's no wonder the book is practically scripture in the natural bui...

Designing Our House: Things I Know

Monday, August 13th, 2012

I have been designing my ideal home for literally as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I daydreamed about living in a rustic log cabin, deep in the woods, or in an old farmhouse, complete with wrap-around porches and rocking chairs. As a t...

July, 2012 in Photos

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 72% ...

Hedstrom Lumber Mill Tour

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Before leaving Grand Marais this morning, we went on a tour of Hedstrom Lumber Mill. The wood for our timber frame was cut there (white pine harvested from northern Minnesota). I really had no idea what to expect, and consequently, I was complete...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Nine

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

Today was our last day in the shop, and we spent most of it adding flourishes to our wall plates and rafters. Since they were too long for Tara (our designated bandsaw baller) to cut on her own, I played a supporting role in the effort. First, we...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Eight

Saturday, July 21st, 2012

Today, I took a break from doing layout to make the knee-braces for our house. The tenons were quick and easy, just a few 45° cuts on the chop saw. Shaping the curves that Tyler and Peter had drawn on them was serious business, though. One false...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Seven

Friday, July 20th, 2012

It's a typical morning at the Folk School. About an hour before class is slated to begin, we leave camp and head for the wood shop, idly chatting about the work we're planning to complete when we get there. As usual, we're the first to arrive. O...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Six

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

We had an optional half day at the shop today, and it came at just the right time. I started getting grumpy this morning about some difficult cutting on our primary posts, and Tara was cranky about having to redo her timber markings three times to...

A Kayaking Surprise on Lake Superior

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

This afternoon, Tyler announced that he had a surprise for me, and that it would "happen" this evening! Eeee! I am a total sucker for surprises large and small, getting wide-eyed and giddy with excitement and anticipation. After his announcement,...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Five

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

It is so rewarding to be making something tangible for our homesteading project. For the past eight months, the only thing we've done to pursue our goal of moving to Vermont is continually drain our bank account in an effort to pay off our land. ...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Four

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

It feels so good to be building a home for ourselves, and to know that our future life as homesteaders is just around the corner. Today's woodworking session was another round of lakeside, house-building paradise. We spent most of the day working...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Three

Monday, July 16th, 2012

During the past two sessions, I felt like I was barely treading water in a sea of new information. Without so much as a single high school shop class under my woodworking belt, I just couldn't visualize what I was doing or why. Even though I was ...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day Two

Sunday, July 15th, 2012

Today, I will be facing two fears I have been harboring about building our house ever since the idea started approaching reality. One, my inability to make a straight cut in anything, free-hand or otherwise, and two, the fact that I consistently m...

North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day One

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

Before class this morning, we talked with our instructor, Peter, and negotiated some changes to our little house to make it more livable—a slightly taller loft area, longer gables and eaves to protect our intended straw bale walls, and two feet of ...

To North House Folk School

Friday, July 13th, 2012

I was poking around on the internet about a week ago when I randomly discovered the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. As I was paging through their tempting list of classes (stuff like birch bark weaving, black ash basketry and k...

June, 2012 in Photos

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 67% ...

May, 2012 in Photos

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 58% ...

Mud Girls Natural Building Cob Workshop

Saturday, May 12th, 2012

For the last five days we've been camping in the woods on a piece of land near the coast of Salt Spring Island, attending a workshop put on by the Mud Girls Natural Building Collective. The week ran a mere $185 dollars per person, and included thr...

Arriving on Salt Spring Island

Monday, May 7th, 2012

After a series of unexpectedly expensive ferries, we've made it to Salt Spring Island. Our tent is now pitched in a sun-dappled, fern-filled woods, and we're getting to know our fellow workshop participants. The worksite is a thousand times more ...

Sea to Sky Highway

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

Despite all of the spectacular scenery on the Highway 99 today, we've been driving so much that we are both beginning to grow weary of it. Mainly, we wish we were going slower. Shocking, eh? Our ideal road trip stretches on for months, includes ...

Snow & Wine

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

The sloped topography of our tent placement last night had us constantly seeping downwards, like a puddle of molasses. Frequently, after we found ourselves crumpled in the fetal position at the foot of our sleeping bag, we'd press our feet against...

Jasper National Park

Friday, May 4th, 2012

When we near the snow-capped peaks of Jasper National Park, the sun burns off the drizzle, welcoming us with great expanses of clear blue skies and white, cotton-candy clouds. A quick stop to pay the entrance fee, and we're ushered into what is re...

Working on the Move

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Today was a long day of driving. Most of it was spent with Tara behind the wheel, piloting us across Manitoba. Meanwhile, I was stationed behind my computer screen, busily programming. Apart from the fact that I was sitting in a car instead of a...

Hittin' the Road

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

We have enough snacks to feed an army packed in the cooler, our suitcase is stuffed with worn-out marino wool "work clothes", and our iPod is jam-packed with new music. As we put the final pieces of our car-packing-puzzle in place, we hug Tyler's ...

April, 2012 in Photos

Monday, April 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 54% ...

Presentation in Wisconsin

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

It's Friday afternoon and school's out! We've just given our presentation to 150 or so high schoolers, and it went really well. We were both a little nervous at first, but when kids began filing in in the auditorium, our jitters were replaced wit...

Remnants of Another Life

Friday, April 27th, 2012

Nearly two years ago, when we were on our trip, we received an email from a high school teacher and fellow cycle tourist in Wisconsin, asking us if we'd be willing to speak to his students. We said we'd be happy to set a date once we were settled ...

Springtime Wanderlust

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

Not long after we slept in our igloo, Minnesota gave up its half-hearted attempt at winter, moving right into springtime. Practically overnight, birds began chirping, and our icy abode was nothing more than a patch of muddy grass. In Illinois, sp...

March, 2012 in Photos

Saturday, March 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 35% ...

Winter Wonderland

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

We crawled out of our (chilly) igloo around 7am this morning, reluctant like crinkly-faced moles emerging from their dark, underground tunnels. Rubbing the sleep out of our eyes, we were utterly delighted to find that, while we were hibernating in...

Sleeping in an Igloo

Sunday, March 4th, 2012

We're feeling giddy as we get ready for bed, like a pair of kids about to spend the night inside a brand new couch-cushion fort. We're headed outside, so Tyler and I bundle up in our coziest clothes, layering on our merino wool, hoodies and scarve...

Building an Igloo

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

All winter long, we'd been pining away for a snowstorm, waiting expectantly in semi-patient disbelief as the season flew by. With February behind us and March beginning, it was finally starting to sink in that a traditional midwest winter-wonderla...

February, 2012 in Photos

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 35% ...

Starting a Homestead: Our List

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

With a twinge of nervousness akin to the moment we purchased our tickets to Scotland, we've declared a moving date. On April 1st, 2013 (exactly four years after we began our round-the-world bicycle tour), we'll bid our friends and families in the ...

Passing Away

Monday, February 20th, 2012

We recently received a phone call that my grandfather (my mother's father) passed away. His death did not come as a surprise, for he's been ready to go for quite some time now. The news came with a mixture of sadness and a bit of relief—we're all...

Hanging On

Friday, February 17th, 2012

About a month ago, when the adventure of moving my mother's parents into assisted living and clearing out their house was finally nearing its end, we received a call from my dad's brother, informing us that my other grandmother was in the hospital—...

Working & The War of Art

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

These days, we spend nearly every waking moment working towards paying off our land. Tyler programs diligently away as he re-writes his database management software in Ruby and Javascript. He'd really rather be in the woods clearing brush and lig...

January, 2012 in Photos

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 23% ...

Where is the Snow?

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Tara and I were both looking forward to our first real winter after two years avoiding it abroad. So far, it has only snowed twice, and neither storm deposited enough to do anything fun in, except take a few photos. By this time last year, our fr...

Things Things Things

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Before we left on our cycling adventure, we pared down our possessions significantly. It was difficult at first, to let go of so many things, but we eventually came to relish the freedom that treading lightly on this earth provided. When we retur...

New Project for a New Year

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

After most of my college pals dispersed from our New Years gathering, we headed with Jess and Nick to Natasha's family cabin. There, we whiled away a quiet afternoon driking our friend Tremain's wine and learning how to play a board game called Se...

New Years in Pigeon Forge

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

As December came to a close, we drove to Tennessee for a spring-like New Year's weekend, joining some of my college friends for what has become an annual reunion. I was worried that it might be weird since I haven't seen most of them since well be...

Stuff Stuff Stuff

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

With my grandparents settled in their new home, we've moved on to the task of cleaning out their old one, and it's been an eye-opening process. As we sift through the accumulation of sixty years in living, we are reminded of when we went through a...

With Grandparents

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

During the month of November, Tyler and I spent most of our time in southern Illinois with my mom and dad, taking care of my grandparents. My 92 year old grandfather had been in the hospital for major abdominal surgery. It was touch and go at tim...

Homebuilding Inspiration

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

I'm getting used to it. Chronically being on the receiving end of dubious looks, that is. Almost everyone we talk with these days seems to find our aspirations rather odd (building a house of mud, clay and straw, living in a canvas tent while we ...

Sleeping Under the Stars

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

We've been sleeping outside every night for over a week now, and we have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Usually, around 10PM, we bundle up, grab our books and headlamps, and say goodnight to Tyler's mom, Jodi. Invariably she'll exclaim so...

Modeling Our Home

Monday, November 7th, 2011

With our land purchase in Vermont complete, we've been busy researching as much as we can about building cob and strawbale houses. We're starting to realize that a big part of this process is going to involve wrangling our murky, idealistic dreams...

Sleeping Outside

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

It started about a week ago—an unsettling restlessness around bedtime, a silent tossing and turning, a nagging sensation that something wasn't right. It was taking forever to fall asleep in our big, warm, comfortable bed. At first, neither of us ...

Hiking With Friends, A Photo Series

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

This weekend, we drove down to Tennessee for what we've decided will be our first annual-autumn-weekend-hangout with our friends Pete, Natasha, Jess and Nick. Shortly after our arrival, we hit the road from Knoxville for a two-hour drive to Big So...

Withering Autumn Beauty

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Be empty. Be still. Just watch everything come and go. This is the way of Nature. Lao Tzu Zoë Keating - Lost ...

Cycling Seasons

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

All summer and autumn, we’ve been riding our home-built road bikes several times a week. These excursions have usually taken the form of early morning rides—a refreshingly familiar way to start the day, and a good excuse to pick up our little-used...

Land Hunting, Part Fourteen: We Did It!

Saturday, September 17th, 2011

I'm fast asleep in the passenger's seat. We're somewhere in Ohio, and Tara is nudging me. Without a word, she hands me the phone with a smile, and continues driving. I'm groggy and confused, blinking away a hazy veil that has been drawn over my ...

Making Friends in Vermont

Friday, September 16th, 2011

With light hearts, we're heading north towards the Middlebury area to meet our kayaking friend, Sue. The drive is a pleasure; the sun is out, the landscape is verdant and hilly pastureland, and the views are unmarred by billboards and advertisemen...

Land Hunting, Part Thirteen: Our Final Offer

Friday, September 16th, 2011

We've decided to go for it! We just made another offer on the Maple Hill Road property, and this one is five thousand dollars less than the last. We're hoping the difference will be enough to cover the septic permitting process. Bonnie (the real...

Land Hunting, Part Twelve: A Solar Survey

Friday, September 16th, 2011

For the last few weeks, Tyler has been in contact with Solar Pro, a solar hot water heating company in town. Last night, he called to see if they had time for a last minute appointment, and our contact, Karen, agreed to meet us at 10:00 AM! We've...

Land Hunting, Part Eleven: A Rainy Day in Vermont

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Tyler: The sun is hiding behind a sheath of steel blue skies this morning. A damp chill hangs in the air, leaving the world without any measure of doubt: fall is here. As we lay in our tent, listening to the rapidly escalating sound of raindrop...

Land Hunting, Part Ten: Re-Engaging

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

As the sun sinks toward the horizon, we pull off the road, wheels crunching over the rutted dirt drive of a lakeside "Fish and Wildlife Area," hoping to find a secluded place to sleep. There's a truck parked near the shore, so we sit for a few min...

Land Hunting, Part Nine: Empty-Landed

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

I'm having second thoughts about our spur-of-the-moment road trip this morning; it's clear that dropping everything to drive out here again was not a sensible decision. The thirty acre property which inspired our impromptu departure was a let-down...

Land Hunting, Part Eight: Back to Vermont

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Before the proverbial ink has dried on our contract cancellation, we've scoured the internet once more, and found a promising 30 acre property—it's just a few miles from the one on Maple Hill road! (How did we miss it the first time through?) Wit...

Land Hunting, Part Seven: Backing Out

Saturday, September 10th, 2011

In 1998, twelve test pits were dug on the Maple Hill Road property. Results indicated that the soil was definitely unsuitable for a relatively inexpensive leach field system. If we were able to get permitting at all, it would be for a mound-based...

Septic Systems: Part Two

Friday, September 9th, 2011

So far, the quotes we're getting from engineers to take an undeveloped piece of land through the process of soil investigation, percolation testing, land surveying, septic system design and finally, state permitting, have ranged anywhere from three...

Septic Systems: Part One

Friday, September 9th, 2011

For the past few weeks, we've been waiting to hear if the land we're hoping to buy will support a legally permitted septic system. Mostly, this has entailed waiting around for an engineer in Vermont to make an assessment for us. In the meantime, ...

Land Hunting, Part Six: Making an Offer

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

After much deliberation, we decided to jump in head-first and make an offer on the land we found Vermont. The sellers were asking $69,000, so we offered $50,000. A day later, they countered with $63,000, and we countered their counter-offer with ...

New Morning Routines

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Tyler: I started researching road bikes long before we came home, inspired by the idea of taking daily rides on bicycles that weighed about a fifth what our loaded touring rigs do. I ordered the first parts for our build almost three months ago...

Building Road Bikes

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

When Tyler started talking about getting road bikes, I was dubious. We already have nice bicycles, I pointed out, unsure why exactly we needed two more. Undeterred by my doubt, he promised that we most certainly did need them, and after just one ...

Morning Mist on the Hills of Ohio

Monday, August 1st, 2011

When my eyes flutter open, it's 5am, and a foggy, billowing mist has enveloped our tent. We haven't begun the day like this since Romania! With some pestering, Tyler eventually joins me in wakefulness, and with a bit more prodding, I convince him...

Ingrid & Yves in Amish Country

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

We've driven all night and all morning. Gone are the cool days of green New England, exchanged for the heat and rolling hills of rural Ohio. Windows open, driving westwards, it feels like like we're in a convection oven (our car does not have air...

Land Hunting, Part Five: The One?

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

Today is our last round of land-hunting; it is another hours-long marathon of calling realtors for information, punching distant addresses into our GPS, driving up and down winding dirt roads, and ultimately, finding disappointment. We've been to ...

Sheila, Kai, & Their Tiny House

Friday, July 29th, 2011

After land-hunting our way through most of western Vermont, we ended in the state's largest city, Burlington, at the home of Sheila and Kai, the thoughtful, socially-aware, and environmentally-conscious couple behind the website, 2cycle2gether. We'...

Land Hunting, Part Four: Scouring Vermont

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Waving goodbye to Mike and Eliza, we take to the road with gleeful anticipation. As we drive over the Green Mountains, bound for the western valley of Vermont, I'm busy plotting a circuitous route to connect the many properties we're planning to v...

Land Hunting, Part Three: Another Map, and a Plan

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

When we weren't working, leaping into rivers, sailing, or berry-picking while cat-sitting at Mike and Eliza's house, we were poring over another map, this one of a single state: Vermont. With some land-hunting experience under our belts, and our p...

Land Hunting, Part Two: Much to Learn

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

It was in Ray's office that our romanticized, starry-eyed plan began it's transformation to concrete, complicated reality. In spite of all our reading and research, the list of things we didn't know about how to purchase a piece of land was still ...

Land Hunting, Part One: Finding Vermont

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Earlier this month, we packed the car and hit the highway heading east on a road trip across the country. Bound for a two week stint of cat-sitting in Maine, we left nearly a week before we were scheduled to arrive. Our intent was to travel slowl...

Getting Out the Map Again

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

If a self-sufficient lifestyle was the only goal for our next project, we could probably make do on a quarter acre of land just about anywhere. What we're really yearning for, however, is a quiet spot in the woods—a place where we can be intimatel...

Dreaming of Our New Life

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to lead a self-sufficient life. As a child, I was inspired by children's book author and illustrator Tasha Tudor. I wanted to follow in her footsteps, living off the land, growing lush gardens and caring...

Summer Day with Eliza & Mike: Part Two

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Hours after walking in the woods, when our berry-picking snack had worn off, we were all hungry for dinner. Tyler and I wanted to visit one of Maine's quintessential eating establishments for our final excursion, a seaside lobster shack. We'd alr...

Summer Day with Eliza & Mike: Part One

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Yesterday, we picked up Mike and Eliza from the Portland bus station and met our internet-friends for the first time in real life! This morning, Eliza prepared a massive breakfast of waffles and garlicy kale quiche for all of us. She'd missed bei...

The Good Life

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Today, we were on a mission to do two things. First, check out the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, and second, visit Helen and Scott Nearing's homestead in Harborside, Maine. But before we did any of that, we rescued a very slow little turtle ...

Sailing in Maine

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Back in February of 2009, while Tara and I were preparing to leave the country, our friend Kit was seriously considering quitting her job to enroll in a boat-building apprenticeship. While we were off pursuing our own "crazy" dreams, she abandoned...

Farm Hopping

Friday, July 15th, 2011

So far, the highlight of house-sitting in Maine has undoubtedly been our daily excursions into the surrounding countryside to buy food. There are literally a dozen (maybe more) small farms and homesteads selling fresh groceries within a few miles ...

House-Sitting in Maine

Monday, July 11th, 2011

A month or so before we returned to the US, we learned that our friends Mike and Eliza were looking for someone to take care of their cat while they went on vacation. We immediately jumped at the chance, offering to take a two week stint at the en...

Thoughts on Returning: Part Two

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Tara: A nighttime storm is approaching and the air hangs heavy against my chest like a lead-filled x-ray apron. We're heading to town for some late-night grocery shopping. In the garage, I open the car door and squeeze behind the wheel as Tyle...

Our First Garden: Part Two

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

After countless hours of pulling tendril after tendril of thick, white, quack grass roots from the ground, it was finally time to plant. Beginning a garden a full week after the very latest recommended planting date probably wasn't the greatest id...

Our First Garden: Part One

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

When we arrived in Minnesota last month, we spent most of our free time in my mother's giant garden. She wasn't going to plant much of anything this year, until Tara and I offered to help. Ever since, we've been tagging along, following her lead,...

In Minnesota

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

I wish I could say that our homecoming in Minnesota was as wonderful as our joyful return to Illinois, but in reality, it has been extremely difficult. In fact, there is an enormous, gaping hole in my homecoming experience. For the past few month...

Speaking at the Champaign Public Library

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

A few days ago, we cycled over to the Champaign Public Library to give a talk about our bicycle tour. Most of our preparation for the event was sorting through the photos we took during our trip. We managed to weed through something like 9,0...

Smoke & Fire

Friday, June 17th, 2011

This summer, the smell of cut grass and fresh peas plucked straight from the vine has been infused with the scent of smoke. There have been quick dinners of vegetable kebabs, hot off the grill, made of the freshest possible ingredients prepared as...

Prairie Fruits Farm

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

It is unseasonably cool today, breaking a string of typically-sweltering Midwest summer afternoons. We've decided to take advantage of the inviting weather with a short bike ride. Cycling out of town, we are overcome by a familiar, contented peac...

Foraging for Mulberries

Friday, June 10th, 2011

My dad, thoughtful guy that he is, came home from a bike ride yesterday with a sketch of our neighborhood, outlining a route to the exact locations of four nearby mulberry trees, which he knew to be heavily laden with berries. Proudly presenting u...

Coming Home: Tara

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

A misty Missouri sunrise begins the last day of our journey home. We cross the Mississippi river, into my home state of Illinois, and I smile in the knowledge that we're so close. We're almost there! Everything is familiar now, as normal as it a...

There's a Whole Lotta Kansas

Monday, May 16th, 2011

The only thing remotely exciting in eastern Colorado comes in the form of scraggly, twiggy tumbleweeds that roll in the wind, blowing across the plains. Once the initial thrill of them fades, we're left with wide skies, dusty little towns, and our...

Meeting Sarah and Jamie

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

Back when we were in a long distance relationship, when our expedition was just taking shape, and when we didn't know bicycle touring was a thing that real people did for fun, we would read touring journals aloud to each other over the phone. At t...

Morning Adventure in Colorado

Saturday, May 14th, 2011

We've been driving in darkness for a few hours now, on the freeway towards Fort Collins. We both have the sense that we're missing out on some truly extraordinary landscapes, but if we continue at our former pace, we'll never make it home. Alongs...

Into the Wild West: Part Two

Friday, May 13th, 2011

Back on the road, further into Utah, the Loneliest Highway is showing signs of population. Already, I'm missing the wide open spaces of Nevada. Still, the drive is scenic in its own right; the green fields have morphed into wind-sculpted cliffs a...

Into the Wild West: Part One

Friday, May 13th, 2011

The skies are purple this morning; the world is softly lit in a dull, silvery light. I was too exhausted last night to notice, but I parked right in front of an old red barn. It is home to a lone, stubbly donkey, who is munching away in his pastu...

Nevada's Loneliest Road

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

The Nevada portion of [US-50], dubbed "The Loneliest Road in America" by travel writers and tourist boards, is one of the most compelling long-distance drives in the country—provided you find miles and miles of little more than mountains, sagebru...

Homecoming Roadtrip Begins

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Tyler: I'm cruising down the freeway in our new car, a 2000 Honda Civic Hatchback; the windows are down, and Tara is sitting in the passenger's seat by my side, practically vibrating with excitement. She has yet to see the places through which w...

Thoughts on Returning: Part One

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Today marks one week since our return to America. Unsurprisingly, we're still wading through a gamut of conflicting emotions about our re-entry. At the moment, we're regularly vacillating between a feeling of being perfectly at home, and a sense ...

Tara at Chez Panisse

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

When I was little, I had a colorful children's cookbook called Fanny at Chez Panisse. It tells the story of Fanny, a seven year old girl growing up in the restaurant of her mother (renown chef and slow food activist, Alice Waters), playing in the ...

Doin' the Wiggle

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Apparently there's a way to get from Manjula's apartment in the Mission, all the way up to Golden Gate Park without having to climb a single one of San Francisco's iconically steep hills. And that way, as Manjula showed us, is a signed bicycle rou...

You Say Take Away

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Tara's brother, Lian, is a union organizer. Today, Tara and I joined him during one of his outings: a quick visit to a neighboring union's strike. On a corner across the street from their hospital, a group of nursing professionals calmly held sig...

Highway One

Monday, May 9th, 2011

My brother has taken the day off so we can spend the afternoon driving up the California coast on scenic Highway One. We definitely aren't used to traveling at more than a snail's pace yet— Tyler and I are both reeling, feeling heavy, head-achy an...

Sunday Streets in San Francisco: Part Two

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

Now sporting quite the entourage, we meandered around a corner and stumbled upon a collection of tricked-out low-riders, decked out with all kinds of hydraulics and air bags! On a nearby stoop, a stereo connected to a long extension cord was belti...

Sunday Streets in San Francisco: Part One

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

On a bright Sunday morning, we headed across the Bay to San Francisco's Mission District for brunch with Lian's friends, Max and Manjula. Though we'd never officially met them, we'd been in contact for quite awhile (and felt like long-lost pals af...

A Day in The Bay

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

The blindingly bright sun shines as we zoom down the freeway, out of the airport and into the world. It feels like we're traveling at light speed, but a quick glance at the speedometer indicates that my brother is actually traveling about 50mph as...

California I'm Comin' Home

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Tara: Tyler is asleep next to me, and next to him, a man snoozes, his head against a plane window sparkling with lacy ice crystals. In the aisle to my right, perfectly coiffed flight attendants in their smart uniforms are beginning to rustle aro...

The End

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

As we snuggle in darkness, on a plane, somewhere high above the ocean, the enormity of what lies ahead is just beginning to sink in. When we awaken tomorrow morning and descend into San Francisco, our two-person "Going Slowly" bubble will burst. ...

This is Jesse

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Jesse: It was a funny moment when I realized that Tara and Tyler would start their journey back to the States on the same flight as me. Their two-plus years traveling together has taken them through experiences and landscapes I have only glimps...

Music for Airports

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

As I sit here in the florescent, mechanized, automized hub of all things coming and going, Tyler sleeps on a cold metal bench, the tips of his toes brushing against my legs. Waiting for the check-in desk to open, I plug in my headphones, put my mp...

Packed Up, Ready to Go

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Yesterday, Tyler disassembled the bikes in the lobby of our guest-house (with a cute little audience) and then joined me to clean the parts in the alleyway between Shanti Lodge and the next building over. It took several hours and most of the gaso...

Passport Found

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Tyler is Skyping with his mom when we receive a knock on the door. Strange, who in the world could that be? I open it up, and our guest turns out to be one of the meek and smiley women who works here. She beckons me downstairs with a bow and a "...

Passport Lost

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

11:30 AM / Tyler We're checking in at the reception desk of a dermatologist's office (an appointment to have some questionable moles evaluated—healthcare is cheap in Bangkok), and I am happy in the knowledge that this is the last major errand of ...

The Neither Authoritative Nor Concise Guide to Riding Bikes in Southeast Asia

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

A few weeks ago, Tara and I had the pleasure of meeting Melanie Swanson, a cycle tourist from Washington on a one-year, 'round-the-world bicycle tour. When we met in the lobby of our guesthouse, she had just completed a loop of Southeast Asia, d...

Being Social in Bangkok

Friday, April 29th, 2011

When we decided to spend two months in Bangkok finishing our journals, we imagined we'd be holed up like a pair of recluses for the duration. That has been the case for the majority of our stay, but we haven't been nearly as isolated as we thought...

Cooped Up

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

We're entering our sixth week of 80+ hour-a-week writing. These days our bed (where we do most of our work) feels more like a life-raft trapped in the middle of the ocean than a place to sleep. Our daily routine is slowly driving us crazy—it feel...

Eccentric Writers

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

We're starting to learn where the stereotype for the eccentric writer comes from. After typing non-stop every day for nearly a month, we have begun to develop a very idiosyncratic schedule in order to keep the words flowing. Everything must be "j...

Jim Thompson's House with Katy Love

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

After Guy and Freddie hit the road, a dear friend, one of my brother's best pals from high school, found herself in Bangkok on an intensive training session for her job as a natural disaster first responder. With indoor courses from morning till n...

Writing in Bangkok

Monday, March 21st, 2011

As light filters through our windows, and roosters crow over the sound of scooters buzzing past our little dead-end road—another day of our new life has begun. We are no longer concerned about when check-out is, or how long we'll have to pack our ...

May Kaidee's Cooking School

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

When Freddie mentioned she was hoping to register for a vegetarian/vegan Thai cooking class at the well-known (in the tourist world) May Kaidee Cooking School, it took approximately two milliseconds for me to decide I wanted to come with. So, Fred...

Surprise: It's Freddie and Guy!

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

The morning we arrived in Bangkok, we spent most of the day "tending to the chaos", busily writing and editing photos in Shanti Lodge's restaurant while we waited to check into our hotel room (it was occupied until check-out time). In the midst o...

Bussing to Bangkok

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Before heading out of town this morning, we stop at Natalie's Kitchen to have one last meal with Unit and Lemon. After breakfast and snuggling session with a warm, sleepy, sweet-smelling, brown-eyed baby boy, it's time to go. Bidding the pair goo...

Updates from California

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

We landed in San Francisco a few days ago, and have been hanging out with Tara's brother Lian ever since. Everything is a little overwhelming at the moment, and we're definitely experiencing culture shock, but we're also having loads of fun with f...

Lemon and Unit

Monday, March 7th, 2011

For the last few months, we've been eschewing some of our culinary exploration in favor of the comfort and normalcy of a routine. When we take more than one or two rest days in a row, we tend to find a restaurant we like, and then eat there for mo...

Photos from Savannakhet

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Savannakhet is a sleepy city, with a historic center of crumbling old French Colonial buildings. There isn't much to it really; the place feels a bit vacant, but we're enjoying walking around, admiring the picturesque oldness of it all, meeting th...

The Last Ride

Saturday, March 5th, 2011

We leave our bungalow this morning, at peace with the fact that we're embarking on the last real riding day of this adventure. Though I've already learned my lesson, I still find myself thinking that today should be special somehow, infused with s...

Happily Nearing the End

Friday, March 4th, 2011

I'm feeling quiet and introspective as we prepare to leave, on this, our second-to-last day of cycling. It is a morning like any other, filled with tasks we've performed hundreds of times. As I mentally run through our morning checklist without e...

Lao Fruit Smoothies

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Tara is obsessed with juice. Here in Laos, her addiction has taken the form of blended ice-and-fruit(flavored)-smoothies. In every village we pass through, no matter what the size, she usually manages to spy the telltale signs of her next fix. A...

Thakek

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

We're taking a rest day in Thakek. While the pictures don't really convey it, this town has a weird, almost haunted air about it. We thought it was all in our heads, until we read our guidebook's entry about the village—the author mentions the sa...

Race Against the Sun

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

The world is cloaked in quiet darkness as we roll out of bed at 4AM. I haven't been up this early since my bakery days! While the rest of humanity sleeps, we wheel our bikes into the entryway of our motel; florescent bulbs flicker, illuminating t...

It Burns Us!

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Tyler: In order to avoid the overpowering, all-consuming Southeast Asian heat, we've taken to rising much earlier. It's 7AM when we pedal out of our hotel this morning—the sun is beginning to rise in a red, smoky way that evokes memories of our ...

Fishy Snacks & Bumper Cars

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Tara: The sun is back this morning as we take to the road, following the Mekong along the sleepy roads of Laos. Though the fiery orb overhead is out in full force today, our ride is breezy, flat, and considerably more scenic than yesterday. Bri...

Flat & Quiet

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

Cool grey skies greet us this early morning in Vientiane. It is five thirty AM and all is quiet save for the occasional person on the street sweeping, or preparing their food stall for business. For the last few weeks, the weather has been positi...

Taking it for Granted

Friday, February 25th, 2011

A couple of days ago, our friends left Laos, heading back to Thailand to prepare for their journey home. Today, an email arrived in our inboxes from Natasha, telling us how much they miss it here. They're finding the busy, touristed streets of Ba...

Homeward Bound: Part Four

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

I used to imagine the end of this trip would have some kind of finish line, some banner that read "The End!" When we crossed under it, I would feel elated, ecstatic and prouder than I've ever felt. Our families would be there cheering, we'd get s...

Homeward Bound: Part Three

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

As we reflect on recent weeks, we've come to realize that (except during our time with Pete and Natasha), our overwhelming sensation has been one of fatigue. We've found it telling to recall that, quite often, we've been more invigorated by the di...

Homeward Bound: Part Two

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

For the last several years, both as we prepared and traveled, when we felt down or wanted to quit, we've been encouraged by one of Tyler's favorite mottos: Life is not about what you want now, it is about what you said you would do. Really, if we ...

Happy Twenty Seventh Birthday, Tyler!

Monday, February 21st, 2011

I know you don't give a rat's arse about your own birthday, so I'll make this short and sweet. I love you! ...

Homeward Bound: Part One

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

It seems that the nearer we draw to the close of this trip, the harder we're finding it to stay positive about the normal ebb and flow of traveling. We are aware of our shortening patience, so we've been making a concerted effort (even more than u...

Life in Vientiane

Saturday, February 19th, 2011

Vientiane feels more like a slightly large and modern village than a nation's capital. In spite of it's sizable (relatively speaking, here) population of two hundred some thousand inhabitants, the city retains that pleasant, poky vibe we've come t...

To Vientiane

Friday, February 18th, 2011

It's a flat day of riding, a quick and easy 70 kilometer jaunt to the capital of Laos. Gone are the mountains that once stood in our way, but unfortunately so too are the little villages that beguiled us so. Here, in the mighty Mekong river valle...

It Takes a Village

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Below are excerpts of our friend Natasha's heartwarming journal entry about meeting Lao children. I feel as though I am missing that maternalistic gene that most women my age seem to possess. I do adore my niece and nephew. I have a few c...

Working in Vang Vieng

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Today, we watched a guy fall out of a tuk-tuk because he was so high and/or wasted he couldn't control his body. Then, some of his friends (in a similar stupor) staggeringly dragged him and themselves across the street to their hotel. Elsewhere i...

Downhill All the Way

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Tyler: As we exuberantly freewheel down the mountain we've spent the last two days climbing, we spot a cyclist on the other side of the road, huffing and puffing his way up in the opposite direction. As always, we stop to chat, sharing informat...

Misty Morning

Monday, February 14th, 2011

A chill wind whips through the streets this morning, carrying with it a white mist that swirls and eddies about our feet like the slinking of a cat. Overnight, the dusty market town of Phou Koun has been cloaked in a thick fog that is so dense in ...

Up, Up and Out

Sunday, February 13th, 2011

After a fried rice and fried noodle breakfast this morning, during which a very pregnant mama kitty yowls non-stop at us for food (we obliged), we hop on our bikes to ride out of town. Just like it was the day before yesterday, this road, dubbed b...

Samson Zoom H4n: Review & Repair

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

In January of 2010, I bought my first sound recorder: a Samson Zoom H4n. At the time, I knew essentially nothing about field recording—I selected the device based on the recommendation of several musician friends. I didn't think of it at the time...

The Big Climb: Part Three

Friday, February 11th, 2011

7:30 PM / Tara » 73km ridden » 1955m climbed » 1325m elevation The velvet black sky above us is strewn liberally with stars, all twinkling and dancing like diamonds around a brilliant crescent moon. The cool darkness of night is the ultimate com...

The Big Climb: Part Two

Friday, February 11th, 2011

3:00 PM / Tara » 60km ridden » 1230m climbed » 600m elevation Every second of this climb is full and rich with experience. My emotions swing wildly from pure joy at the slightest breeze, to complete hopelessness and despair at the screams coming...

The Big Climb: Part One

Friday, February 11th, 2011

4:30 AM / Tyler » 0km ridden » 0m climbed » 300m elevation The alarm sounds, it's shrill, infernal beeps rending my cocoon of sleep asunder. As the pitch black of early morning seeps into my consciousness, I am disoriented and confused. I only ...

Climbing Prep

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

A few days ago, we rode motorcycles north from Phou Khoun to Luang Prabang. The mountainous north/south highway we took is also on our cycling route. Tomorrow, we'll be retracing some of our steps, as we head south on the same road towards Vienti...

Morning Kitty

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Pete and Natasha; but not forever. As it should happen, they'll arrive in Vientiane around the same time we do. We have one more rendezvous left! In their absence, they've asked us to feed the cat who has visited th...

Satellite Internet: BGAN Explorer 110 Review

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Background Before we left on this adventure, I made a commitment to my clients that their level of support wouldn't change while I was abroad. I bought our BGAN Explorer 110 from Globalcom in October of 2009, just before we went to Tunisia, thin...

Luang Prabang, A Few Photos

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Back in Luang Prabang after a whirlwind week of motorcycling, we're spending some time resting, journaling, and hanging out with Pete & Natasha before we part ways. Here are some from photos from our time in "second largest city of Laos", one ...

The End of the Road

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Today, as we pack our motorcycle one last time, ready to embark on a final day of adventuring with Pete and Natasha, I'm feeling quiet and introspective. As we ride, I'm appreciating the beautiful mountain scenery, grateful for the adventure we're...

Dinner on the Wild Side

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

It is much later in the evening when we venture into town for dinner. It seems we've waited a bit too long, as everything is closed—except one dimly lit wooden shack. While inspecting the buffet dishes outside, I notice the plate of deep fried ra...

Riding With Flags & Walking With Machetes

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

When I was a kid, we would go on camping trips every summer with my Dad. We'd leave for a week or two at a time, and we'd pull our kit on an over-loaded snowmobile trailer behind a maroon Nissan Maxima. My Dad was really proud of his increasingly...

Big Old Jars

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

After my riding lesson yesterday, Tyler took the helm, and we kicked it down all the way to the large-ish town of Phonsavan, which is famous for its Plain of Jars. If the description in our guidebook's list of "things not to miss" is right, the at...

Learning to Ride a Motorcycle in Laos

Friday, February 4th, 2011

With a twist of the wrist, I jolt suddenly backwards, certain that the motorcycle beneath me is about to go screaming forward, throwing me off like a bucking bronco. Terrified, I release the throttle and come to a jarring halt, lurching forward, h...

A Thousand Villages

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

The longer we spend in the cool, verdant mountains of northern Laos, the more deeply in love with them I fall. I relish the twists of the curvy mountain roads, and I savor the feel of my body hugged against Tyler's back as we lean in sync, in harm...

Riding on the Rooftops of Indochina

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

If I only had one week to spend in Southeast Asia, it would be here, in the mountains of northern Laos on a motorcycle. If someone asked me a month ago what I thought about riding here, I wouldn't have had much to say beyond "sounds fun!" Now, I ...

Down the River

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

A cacophony of cock-a-doodle-doos rouse me from my slumber at 7AM this morning. While everyone else is sleeping through the racket, I throw on some clothes to go for a walk, heading towards the pier to ask what time the boat leaves. As I stroll a...

Cave Hunting Again: Success!

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

While Natasha and Tara are hanging out in town, Pete and I have walked to the end of the village's only dirt road, and turned off into the the fields in search of a nearby cave. After numerous failed attemps at cave-hunting, my hopes aren't very h...

Afternoon in Muang Ngoi

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

After lazing in our hammocks and editing photos for a few hours, we're all hungry, ready to set off down Muang Ngoi's lone dirt road in search of food. There are plenty of options, as it turns out the village is sort of touristy—we decide on an In...

Boat To Muang Ngoi

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Bisected by a clear blue river and a smattering of colorful boats, flanked on either size by resplendent emerald mountains, Nong Khiaw boasts some of the most striking landscapes we've seen anywhere. It is hard to believe, but we're told the scene...

Cold Start

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Tyler gently shakes me awake when the skies are light enough to ride by. He and Pete have been up tending to our fire—without which sleeping would have been impossible. It's bright and early, six thirty to be exact, and it's time to hit the road....

Freezing in a Bamboo Shack

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Tara: "Tyler," I whisper, trying not to wake our friends. "I can't feel my toes. Let me in!" I'm trying to squirm my way under his legs for warmth, but he's enviably asleep and his leaden body refuses to budge. I let out a huge sigh and stare...

Wild Camping With Friends

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

A golden sun is sinking fast behind the mountains, urging us onwards in our futile attempt to reach the highway before dark. At the crossroads we're looking for, where dirt meets pavement, there is sure to be a guest-house. But the road ahead is ...

Dirt Tracks to Nowhere

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Tara: Brilliant blue skies stretch out above us, more heavenly than any magnificent cathedral's dome. The scent of woodsmoke (one of my favorite smells) drifts through the air, and I am filled with happiness, hugging Tyler as he pilots our moto...

Motorized, Again

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

I had trouble falling asleep last night. I must have lain in bed for three hours staring at the ceiling, thinking about riding motorcycles, feeling for all the world like a kid on Christmas Eve. I don't remember when I finally drifted off, but it...

Resting in Luang Prabang, Sort Of

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

The last three days have been intense. They kicked off with a truly awful ride through Hanoi, which lead directly into a nauseating and exhausting twenty-eight hour bus trek through the mountains of Vietnam and Laos. Immediately after, ready to...

Welcome to Laos, Part Three: Music & Petang

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Tyler: After the goat feast, the festivities continue with music and games. Behind our table is a long strip of dirt where men gather for a petang match, one of Lao's favorite past-times. It's a holdover from French colonization, known there as...

Welcome to Laos, Part Two: The Goat Feast

Friday, January 28th, 2011

When the soccer game is over, it's time for the feast! This party is special because our hosts are serving numerous traditional but rarely eaten dishes, all made from a single, freshly-slaughtered goat. We're honored to be included in the festivi...

Welcome to Laos, Part One: A Soccer Game

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Tyler: Bleary eyed and delirious with fatigue, after a full day (and then some) of bus riding, with barely a night's sleep between us, we carve ourselves out of bed this morning to join our friends. As we stumble around, fumbling to find shoes a...

A Very Long Bus Ride: Part Four

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

4:45 PM / Tara I feel like Frankenstein's monster, stumbling around groaning as I leave the bus during one of our many rest stops. My brain hurts and my stomach feels like death, but I find hope in the fact that we're almost there. While stopp...

A Very Long Bus Ride: Part Three

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

10:00 AM Our trek through Laos begins with a stop at a roadside restaurant for a noodle soup breakfast. Back in the open kitchen where we place our order, a woman and a girl dish bowls of the de-facto meal, while a mama cat and her scraggly kit...

A Very Long Bus Ride: Part Two

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

7:00 AM A dull light hits my eyelids, rousing me from my restless sleep. One night down, one day to go. Outside, the world is all steely grey skies and foggy mountain villages. For a brief moment, I regret taking the bus just a little. This ...

A Very Long Bus Ride: Part One

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

We've hardly been on the road an hour when our bus executes a wide left turn into a roadside restaurant parking lot. Lit up like a beacon in the night, the place has drawn a herd of giant coaches just like ours. They've all stopped here to fuel t...

Surprise!

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

I have a present for you! I think you're going to like it. Do you how I know? Because it's awesome and dorky, just like you! Can you guess what it is? No? That's okay. Are you ready to open it? Here it is: psst: y...

Done Waffling

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

With one week left on our visa, the question of what to do with the last of our time in Vietnam is looming. Normally, we stay in a country as long as we can, soaking up as much as possible. The thought of leaving early and "wasting" an entire wee...

Bus-Lagged and Weary

Monday, January 24th, 2011

I feel like a zombie this morning, bus-lagged and altogether weary. I've been drained by Vietnam's non-stop barrage of stimuli, and now find myself overwhelmed by the prospect of exploring her sprawling capital. We've just ridden eight hours to r...

On the Bus Again

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Tyler: After some long discussions and lots of hypothetical mapping, we've decided to catch another bus. This time, we're headed all the way to Hanoi. While we could likely ride there before our visas run out, it wouldn't leave us much time to ...

A Walk in Huế

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

It's another somber day in Huế, a perpetual dusk of sinister silver skies and drenching rain that comes in fits and starts. During a brief lull in the foggy drizzle, we leave our cozy hotel room and start a sightseeing tour, walking towards the hi...

Where to?

Friday, January 21st, 2011

It's another grey day; rain pelts at the windows, and outside on our little balcony, all of the gritty, dirty clothes we hung out to dry are no doubt soaked through. Neither of us can be bothered to look, much less deal with them. We're staying i...

Mizzle-y Day

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Mizzle is a term used in Devon and Cornwall for a combination of fine drenching drizzle… …it is known for being capable of soaking you in a matter of minutes, and the feeling is best described as if one would stand under a Fire Brigade fine n...

Hai Van Pass

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Tara: On this trip, we've observed more times than we can count that hungry cyclists are two year olds, who cannot be trusted to make good choices. In a prime example of this truth, Tyler rejects the idea of turning around to find food after our...

A Puppy On A Bed of Silk

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

I met a puppy today, curled up in the arms of a little Vietnamese girl. They were stationed at the entrance of a grand Chinese meeting house, ready to welcome guests inside. The hall itself was okay, but by the time I got there, I was over t...

Art Tea

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

With Tyler hard at work in our hotel room, I've bundled up for an afternoon of solo sightseeing. It's my favorite kind of weather for photographing old, aging places: grey and cloudy, not quite raining, but with a slight dreariness that throws int...

Hội An Lantern Festival: Part Two

Monday, January 17th, 2011

In a small cobbled park, situated between a pair of buildings in Hoi An's old town, a crowd has gathered. People shout and laugh raucously, while a man announces something in Vietnamese through a car-battery-powered PA. As we work our way through...

Hội An Lantern Festival: Part One

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Every fourteenth day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An puts the complications of modern life to rest in favor of a romantic, nostalgic celebration of a quieter era. Once a month, instead of playing host to noisy scooters, the old quarter is reserved f...

Tailored

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

There is only one thing more ubiquitous than the colorful lanterns hanging everywhere in Hội An: tailors. Every second building in the old town is a shop overflowing with fabric, just waiting to be hand-crafted into a one-of-a-kind garment. In fr...

Nightfall in Lantern City

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

From its famous Japanese covered bridge: …to the smattering of lanterns everywhere: …and candle-lit food stalls overlooking the river: This town is almost too quaint and colorful to be real. Hội An is like some kind of Disney v...

Street Food in the Rain

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

Under heavy gray skies, a steady drizzle bounces off the conical rice hat of a roadside chef—she is sitting in front of a cauldronful of embers and ash, tending to an array of pork skewers. As we take a seat next to her, she turns them one by one,...

Sightseeing in Historic Hội An

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

It is grey, drizzly and downright cold outside this morning, but the weather suits me just fine; the somber mood it brings about lends even more character to the ambiance of this already atmospheric town. In order to explore the history-steep...

All Alone in Hội An

Friday, January 14th, 2011

For the last two years, every time we've made friends with anyone, we've had to part ways almost immediately afterwards. In fact, before Pete and Natasha, we'd only twice had the good fortune of being able to spend more time with the cool people we...

My Kind of Town

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

As we stroll around town, talking, laughing with our friends, and getting caught up on the last few days since we hung out in Da Lat, it is quickly becoming apparent to me that I am going to feel right at home in Hội An. It's my kind of town, seem...

Arriving in Hội An

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Gritty and dim, under an overcast early morning sky, we've arrived at just the right time to witness this historical town coming to life. On narrow streets filled with dark wooden homes, we cycle into the heart of Hội An; a living, breathing relic...

A Night on the Space Bus

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

A few days ago, we came to the realization that cycling the entire length of Vietnam was not only unappealing to us, thanks to the non-stop traffic, but also infeasible due to the duration of our visas. So, having made it to the coast as planned, ...

I Want to Go Italy

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

When we were in Tunisia, barreling down the road towards Douz in a louage, we shared our van with a cute pair of Italian guys who had flown over for a week's vacation on a whim. Lorenzo and Giovanni, fresh off the plane from Milano, knew little to...

Down the Misty Mountain

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Tyler: As we round the bend of our last (uphill) switchback this morning, we're greeted by an ethereal vision in the distance: a swirl of fast-moving white fog drifting across the road. As we approach the hanging mist, the chill clouds rush arou...

Morning in a Mountain Village

Monday, January 10th, 2011

I'm not sure how early it is, but I'm ready to go. As I clumsily dislodge myself from the hammock, all knees and elbows, I leave Tara curled up like a burrito in the netting, dead to the world. After I've padded around camp gathering twigs for a ...

A Long Cold Night

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

As the sun sinks into the horizon, coloring the sky a rusty shady of red, the temperature plummets with alarming speed. Crap. Why oh why did we send home our tent, and why oh why did I just send home our long underwear as well? Just a few days a...

Free Camping Again

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

Pedaling away from the tiny mountain shop, we round yet another bend, revealing a foreboding indication of more climbing: there is another wide, sweeping curve of a switchback before us. Well, I guess that little village wasn't at the top after al...

It's All Downhill From Here

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

We're mentally prepared for an easy day of coasting, excited to reap the rewards of our labor. But as we cycle out of town, a freakishly steep hill looms before us, and I am caught off guard. I thought we were leaving the mountains—why are we sti...

Motorbike to the Falls

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

At the behest of Pete and Natasha, we've rented a motorbike this afternoon. They did a loop in the mountains around Da Lat a few days ago, and hearing their story convinced us we should head out for an adventure of our own. This will be the secon...

Trying Betel

Friday, January 7th, 2011

In Vietnamese there is a saying that "the betel begins the conversation", referring to the practice of people chewing betel in formal occasions or "to break the ice" in awkward situations. Wikipedia, Betel Before we arrived in Bangkok to...

Hằng Nga Hotel: Da Lat's Crazy House

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Hằng Nga guest-house, more affectionately known as Da Lat's "Crazy House" is a totally bizarro hotel designed by the Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga. She built it after receiving her PhD from the University of Moscow, and being heavily influenc...

Da Lat Market Fun

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

This morning, in a slumberous daze, my flickering eyelids open, and I find myself face to face with a stunning view. A raging sky of fiery orange and bruised purple obliterates the last remnants of my sleepiness, luring me out of bed and onto our ...

Our Process: Automation: Journal Photos

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. As of this writing, our journal contains approximately eight thousand photos, distributed over eight hundred and five published entries. We store this ever g...

Working in Da Lat

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Yesterday, after a windy ride up our eight hundred meter climb into Da Lat, we were spared a long, drawn out hunt for accommodation. Just a few minutes after arriving in the city, we hit the lodging jackpot: Le Phoung Hotel, a new construction rig...

Climbing to Da Lat

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Stepping out of our guest-house, the chill bite of an early morning wind blows in our faces, sending up an army of goosebumps. Our exhaled breath is white like cigarette smoke, and this means one thing: we've finally left early enough so to have s...

Coffee Country

Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

The ride out of Bao Loc this morning is a lovely one. Instead of starting the day with switchbacky mountain climbs, the early part of our route is full of easy rolling hills. As we pedal through the winding picturesque scenery of coffee plantatio...

Happy New Year

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

I love ringing in the New Year. Not so much for the booze and parties, but more as a set time to reflect on my life, and make sure I'm heading in a direction that is meaningful to me. Tyler, on the other hand, is pretty irreverent about holidays ...

Climbing to New Year's Eve

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Figuring out what the problem is, and making a plan to do something about it helps a lot, but at the moment, there's not much we can do to execute our solution. For the time being, we'll just muscle on, grinning and bearing it, even as we're passe...

What's Wrong

Friday, December 31st, 2010

If we were toddlers, we would be dragging our feet, whining "I don't WANNA!" this morning. Since we're all grown up, we seethe quietly instead, and force ourselves out for another ride. As the day progresses, our inner toddlers win out just a lit...

On Noise & Nature

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Being on the road today felt more like a chore than a grand adventure. Keeping my sour mood in check was a grim mental battle, and it was a fight which I found myself losing for the majority of our ride. I feel like a broken record complaining ab...

Armpits & Brothels

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Visa extensions in hand, we're finally ready to leave Ho Chi Minh City. After nine days of waiting, we're feeling fresh and ready to explore once more. Unfortunately, very little about this day turns out to be enjoyable, as Vietnam boasts the mos...

Day One Without Coffee

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

Before this trip, neither of us liked coffee all that much. Actually, we had a mild disdain for the stuff, mostly centered around the fear of becoming dependent on a substance for something as basic as waking up in the morning. In spite of oursel...

Vietnamese Funeral

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

It sounds like a brass band is playing inside our room. The horn section is so eye-poppingly loud that the musicians could very well be hiding in our mini fridge, or playing from the shower stall. A flick of the curtains reveals a band on the all...

Ho Chi Minh City's Taste of the World Festival

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

Exhausted from our Củ Chi tunnel adventure (mostly tired out from the ride there and back), we're enjoying some peace and quiet in our hotel room. By the time night falls, the noise of a party outside is clearly audible in our room. We're not ...

Riding a Motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

Our destination for today is the Củ Chi tunnels, an elaborate network of underground Vietcong hideouts, used heavily in the War of American Aggression. There are two sites open to visitors: the first is about 50km north of the city, easily accessi...

A Skype Christmas

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Pleasantly full from dinner, and feeling joyful about our unexpected visitors, we come home to our hotel room with a renewed sense of peace. At last, it's late enough for our families to be awake (we're twelve hours apart). Now we can call them o...

A Christmas Dinner Surprise

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Back in our quiet, sterile hotel room, we're feeling positively alone and bleak about the state of the world. As we're busy entertaining comforting fantasies of flying home to be with family, imagining ourselves knocking at our parents' doors, sho...

On Family: The Cost of Adventure

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

There is a price to be paid for following our dreams. This morning, while our loved ones halfway around the world are tucked into their beds, sleeping on the night before Christmas, a quiet melancholy has swept over our little hotel room. Righ...

Our Process: Google Maps & GPS Tracks

Friday, December 24th, 2010

This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. Throughout our trip, I have saved our GPS tracks nightly. My plan to maintain one unbroken line, showing every road we've ridden for the entirety of our adve...

Our Process: Automation & the GSDB

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. When we left on this trip, neither of us had an inkling that we'd be documenting our adventure in such exhaustive detail. The original idea was simple: a fli...

Hein and Luang

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

We've been loving the variety of Western food available in the city. Our favorite for the last few days has been a red-and-white decorated pizza and salad bar buffet, called Pepperonis. There is bad pop music pumping into the bright and cheery es...

Slowing Down

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Early in our adventure, a break for more than a day or two gave us cabin fever. We traveled slowly but consistently, with a momentum to "get there" to keep us going. But these days, we're feeling like we "got there", we've arrived, and if we like...

Saigon's Alleys

Monday, December 20th, 2010

There is a second city hidden inside District 1 of Saigon; it is an extensive network of back alleys, twisting narrowly behind and between the borough's buildings. This sprawling microcosm is home to hundreds of people, businesses, and restaurants...

Into Ho Chi Minh City

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

Today, we'll be cycling into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, and this morning, we'll have to face the grating music: it's highway time. The traffic-free rice paddy paths we've enjoyed for the last two days can't get us there. Procrastinating the i...

Riding in Rice Paddies

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Tyler: Along the highways in the Mekong Delta, often less than a hundred meters from the road, there are peaceful dirt and gravel paths carving through the quiet villages of Southern Vietnam. Winding through tranquil palm forests, striking rice ...

Language Lessons & Boiled Chicken

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Finding food at the late hour of 9PM is proving to be difficult in this small, Mekong Delta town (of which we don't even know the name). After a thrilling day of engaging cycling, we are overtired and very hungry, trudging around town, searching f...

Mekong Delta Bike Paths

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Bolstered by a colorful market experience, and a steady succession of friendly smiles from local cyclists, we're having a spectacular morning. But, after less than twenty kilometers on the road, the excruciating off-key symphony of Vietnam's horn-...

Vietnamese Market Morning

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Tyler: This morning, determined to keep a positive attitude, we take to the teeming roads of Vietnam once more. Now mentally prepared to let the chaos wash over us, the constant dance of dodging people and oncoming traffic is actually pretty fun...

Working in Sa Dec

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

We wake up this morning with zero desire to travel. A peek outside reveals a grey sky with 100% chance of heavy showers. On a more positive note, we really like our hotel room, and the great restraunt across the street. Since we're having such a...

Culture Shock

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Tyler: It is 8AM. We are in the middle of packing our panniers and ferrying them to the lobby, when two women march through the door of our room. One of them, carrying a cleaning bucket and looking annoyed, waves a hand in Tara's face, fanning ...

Far From Home: Part One

Monday, December 13th, 2010

Tyler: The day begins with an early morning departure from our beachside bungalow, and a speedy ride across the island to the port. The ferry back is mercifully smoother and faster than the one in, and we are grateful to avoid another bout of se...

The Food Game: Fruits of Southeast Asia

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

Yesterday evening, after our squid fishing excursion, we walked home by way of the night market. On display were the heaps and heaps of colorful fresh fruit that we've come to know and expect in Southeast Asia. I realized, as I bought a red ...

Squid Fishing

Saturday, December 11th, 2010

Fishing boats are a ubiquitous sight on the beaches of Phú Quốc. During the day, they're either anchored just off shore, or packed in the harbor. The rag-tag fleet of colorful, hand-built vessels take to the water almost every night. In the proc...

Dinner at Le Deauville

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Hours after our island ride comes to an end, after several journals are written, we're beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. So, in a totally cliché romantic move, we go for a long walk on the beach which ends at Le Deauville restaurant. We'...

Peaceful Ride on Phú Quốc

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Tyler: The sound of waves lapping against the shore rings in another sleepy morning at our beach side bungalow. As the sun rises, we slowly rouse ourselves from a deep slumber, gently awakened by the warm light filtering in through the bamboo sl...

Phú Quốc Fish Sauce

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

We've heard that Phú Quốc island produces the highest quality fish sauce in the world, so we've decided to pay a visit to the nearby Hung Thinh fermentation plant. Our maps of the surrounding area are very poor, and we're not sure exactly where it...

Postcards from Paradise

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

This is the first entry in a series of e-postcards for our friends and family. Hovering on the cards makes them flip over, showing the picture on the other side. It'll work, but it won't look cool in Internet Explorer (the worst browser ever), so...

Morning Light

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

As if the quiet, empty beaches, and crystal blue water of Phú Quốc aren't captivating enough, we awaken to find that our simple bungalow and the mosquito net around our bed have been transformed into this: Good morning, magical fairy land! ...

Ferry to Phú Quốc

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

"Your passports, your passports!" the man shouts, speeding over to us on his scooter. We're loading our bikes on the ferry to Phú Quốc, heaving them over a railing at the front of the boat, but I turn around to see him approach, lifting his helmet...

Vietnamese Food

Sunday, December 5th, 2010

I had inkings that Vietnam might deliver some stellar eating, especially after we spent a few days with my friend Tony's Vietnamese grandmother in Berlin. Last night, Tara's barbecued pork was easily the most flavorful dish either of us could reca...

Hello Vietnam

Saturday, December 4th, 2010

According to my GPS, we've arrived at the road leading to Vietnam: it is a dusty red track with no signage whatsoever. Feeling dubious about this intersection leading to an international border, we ask a nearby food seller for directions. I'm exp...

Farewell Cambodia

Saturday, December 4th, 2010

This morning, as we leave to embark on our final ride in Cambodia, a fierce wind is gusting in from the east. Exchanging grimaces, we fight to build momentum on the colonial-house-lined coastal road leading to the border. Thanks to the strongest ...

Pepper & Crab

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Kep, a quiet fishing town on the southern coast of Cambodia, sprawls out lazily along the shore over a few kilometers, nestled in the low places between steep green hills. The town's seawater is a little murky, and the beach isn't terribly invitin...

Pete & Natasha's First Ride

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Natasha: Every time we take a long bus ride to get to a new tourist destination, we gaze longingly out of our tinted windows as we pass the things we really want to see – stuff like small villages bustling with activity, and roadsides full of Cam...

Kampot Cruising

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Yesterday, we cycled over one hundred kilometers on less than four hours of sleep. As a result, we were so exhausted by the time we made it to Kampot that we fell fast asleep at the early hour of 7PM, practically nodding off in our dinner of fried...

The Long Ride to Kampot

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Tara: Having been on the road for so long, it's easy to lose perspective about why we travel the way we do. Or maybe it's just a string of really long cycling days that has me a little less than enthusiastic about pedaling lately. In any case, ...

Molly

Monday, November 29th, 2010

The salespeople in Cambodia are generally cute and sweet, and they use it to their advantage. They are often so friendly and warm that it's a pleasure to buy from them, even when you're not looking for anything. Somehow, I find myself saying yes ...

Day at the Beach

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Though we've spent several relaxing days in Sihanoukville, we haven't really done it's famous sandy shores justice. We usually get bored at the beach, losing interest soon after our swim in the ocean is over. Today, Pete, Natasha, Maggie and Trav...

Meeting Friends

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Tara: Back in college, I had the best roommate in the whole world: Jess. It was nearing the end of my freshman year when we decided on a whim to room together during the upcoming fall term. At the time, we didn't really know one another that we...

Threaded

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Tyler is busy working at the hotel, when I don my bathing suit cycling gear and head out for a short, two-minute walk to the beach. I've barely set foot on the sand when I feel a skinny arm wrapping around my shoulder, guiding me over to a reclini...

Hilly Day to Sihanoukville

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

6:00 AM Mist is hanging, draped over our bungalow-studded hill like a spider web. The early-morning cool beckons us out of bed, and gets us moving. We have yet another near-100 kilometer day ahead of us, and we want to most of the riding before...

Picnic Resort

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

After ninety five kilometers, we stop at what looks to be the only place halfway between Kampong Spoe and Sihanoukville: a tattered array of rustic bungalows on a hillside, entitled Picnic Resort. We're exhausted, in the middle of nowhere, and it'...

Riding in the Cambodian Countryside

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

The skies are overcast this morning; the refreshingly brisk weather is a welcome respite from the likes of yesterday's steamy ride. As we cycle into the countryside, further from the dust clouds of Phnomn Penh's dirty sprawl, the roadsides are tee...

Heat & Tragedy

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

A fur-lined hoodie. Seriously? A freaking fur-lined HOODIE?! As I shout to Tyler, my voice barely audible over the noise of the traffic, I can barely reconcile what I'm seeing with reality. Here I am, cycling out of Phnom Penh, sweating my sw...

Street Food in Phnom Penh

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

The evening after our visit at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, we hit the streets, on the hunt for some good food. We settle on this place: I love how sanitary and hygienic the whole operation is! I wonder what a food safety inspection from...

Cambodia's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

This afternoon, we are going to learn about Cambodian history – specifically the horrific genocide led by Pol Pot in the late seventies. As we roll up to the entrance of Tuol Sleng (Strychnine Hill or Hill of the Poisonous Tree), the Khmer Rouge's...

Cambodia's Bon Om Thook... (Or Not)

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

We're feeling quiet, ready for an evening inside, when we see fireworks light up the night sky from our hotel window. It's the opening night of Phnom Penh's Bon Om Thook, Cambodia's annual Water Festival, celebrating the end of the rainy season. ...

Making Calendars

Friday, November 19th, 2010

I've been busy making our 2011 Photo Calendars this afternoon. In the process of looking at the thousands of photographs we've taken, I find myself pleasantly side-tracked, suddenly steeped in our stories, awash in the rich memories evoked by each...

Buying Food in Cambodia

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

I have one mission for the afternoon: find food. Preferably, a meal which isn't comprised of rice, noodles, or mystery meat. While Tyler is hard at work in our hotel, I ride off in search of a market. On the way, I stop at each intersection to p...

Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part Three

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

We slow to a stop in a small village; everyone but us has departed already. As the conductor helps us safely lower our bikes from the platform, we're a bit confused. We're certainly not in Kompong Chnang, and our GPS shows that we have a long, lo...

Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part Two

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Tyler is standing behind me, next to the conductor, holding our bikes upright – I'm scrunched on the platform in front of them, trying to maneuver myself off the broken slats and onto some of the strong-looking wooden beams beside me. With so litt...

Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part One

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Our captain is a bronzed, lithe, shirtless Khmer man in a loosely fitting baseball cap. We are crammed together on his dilapidated locomotive, with dozens of other passengers, our huge bikes, and a heavy crate of frozen fish. Sporting a proud, ra...

Electricity in Rural Cambodia

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Less than 20% of rural households have access to grid-quality electricity services. Almost all people in rural areas use firewood for cooking, kerosene for lighting, and lead-acid rechargable batteries for household appliances. Energy use is in...

The Water Buffalo Song

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

Dear children of Cambodia, You are all so frigging cute! Thank you for your smiles and ceaseless hellos, they make our long riding days so much better. As we bike by you, and your families' water buffalo… We can't help but think o...

Riding in Cambodia: A Day in Pictures

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

While we are really enjoying our time in Cambodia, there is one thing we would change: the long distances between accomodation. With no tent, we're regularly cycling much further than we'd like (100-120km) in a single day. This morning, we have a...

Slow Boat to Battambang: Part Three

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Tyler: I am digging through our backpack for some food, when our friend Genevieve stops by. She's excited to inform me that there is an enormous praying mantis on the railing at the back of the boat. As if I didn't think Genevieve was cool enou...

Slow Boat to Battambang: Part Two

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Tara: After a nail-biting ride through the streets of Siem Reap, we make it twelve kilometers to the ferry port, bikes fully intact. As soon as I emerge from the truck, it's show time – women carrying baskets full of food and water descend upon ...

Slow Boat to Battambang: Part One

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Tyler: It's another 5AM morning, but we're not cycling to the temples for a change. Instead, we're sitting on the front step of our hotel, waiting. We could have easily ridden to our destination, the boat dock for our sailing to Battambang, but...

Aki Ra's Cambodia Landmine Museum

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

On our ride home from Banteay Srei a few days ago, we took a break from our idyllic pastoral surroundings, and paid a visit to the Cambodian Landmine Museum, founded by a former Khmer Rouge child solider, Aki Ra. An estimated four to six milli...

Temples of Angkor: Stall Number Seven

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Off we go, past Bayon, and then Chao Say Devoda and then Ta Keo, until we reach our favorite temple, Ta Prohm. It's fairly busy at the moment, but we're happy to cycle by all the people, and breeze past all of the hawkers wanting to sell us things...

Temples of Angkor: Angkor Wat

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Today is the last of our three-day entry ticket to the Temples of Angkor. We're biking in later than normal, hoping to see Angkor Wat without the crowds. Since most tourists come here for sunrise or sunset, we're told it should be quiet under the...

Temples of Angkor: Sleepy Afternoon

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Back on the trails, we find this tiny little out of the way temple that isn't even on our map! There, we succumb to the inevitable and take a nap. It becomes apparent a bit later that we weren't the only ones dozing off! The rest ...

Temples of Angkor: Ta Prohm

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Khmer architecture is, in a word, epic! This morning we drag ourselves out of bed at 5AM and race to Ta Prohm, passing up food stalls and another sunrise at Angkor Wat. Hoping to get there before the crowds, we pedal hard. By the time we arri...

Apsara & Shadow Puppets

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by puppetry. I even worked for a short time making massive props and puppets in London at Emergency Exit Arts when I was in college. So, when we were first planning our adventure, I was naturall...

Temples of Angkor: The Road to Banteay Srei

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Tyler: After exploring Bayon temple, we cycle northwards in the Angkor Thom city complex, passing the enigmatic Prasat Suor Prat towers. There are twelve of them, mostly identical, and nobody knows what they are used for. As well, they don't sh...

Temples of Angkor: Sunrise at Bayon

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

It's 4:45 AM as we cycle away from our hotel into the darkness and the invigoratingly cool pre-dawn air. Though we're still groggy, fighting to keep our eyes open and our legs spinning, the rest of the world is remarkably active. Many Cambodia...

Crossing Paths

Friday, November 5th, 2010

For as much time as we choose to spend out in the world interacting with people, and as public as we make our lives, we've both found ourselves steadily growing more and more introverted as the weeks and months of this adventure fly by. As a resul...

Artisans d'Angkor Silk Farm

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Saving the temples of Angkor for tomorrow, we backtrack sixteen kilometers out of town in order to see the free Artisans d'Angkor silk farm and workshop. I love most anything that involves crafts and textiles, especially when it's a behind-the-sce...

Hello, Sir

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

We're taking a day off, letting our aching muscles recover from a long day yesterday. Tomorrow, we start our three day tour at the temples of Angkor. In the meantime, we're checking out the city on our unloaded bikes. I can already tell ...

Collecting Cambodia

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

The first few days in a new country, we grab every English speaking native we meet and beg them to teach us some basic phrases in their language. Though we have a phrasebook, there is no substitute for hearing a word first-hand. Then, we experien...

Crossing to Cambodia: Part Three

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

When we're not completely blown away, our hearts bursting from our overwhelming welcome into Cambodia, we're doing more mundane things, like getting our internet situation sorted. When we pass a mobile store, I run inside for a game of charades wh...

Crossing to Cambodia: Part Two

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

A sculpted stone archway overhead bids us welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia. As we pass under its imposing grey carvings, we are keenly aware that we've entered a very different place. Poipet feels old and scruffy, worn down and rough around the...

Crossing to Cambodia: Part One

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

We enjoy border crossings – the crowds of people, the incomprehensible mix of languages we barely understand, the resulting confusion, and even, the waiting in line. All tied up in the excited chaos is the knowledge that after the crossing, someho...

Our Process: Why We Write

Monday, November 1st, 2010

This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. Why do we write? We write to capture our lives, to record our adventures, to share with our family and friends, and maybe, to leave a legacy for our children...

Making for Cambodia

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

We're heading east, making our way towards Cambodia this afternoon. Before we take to the highway, we stop at the local market so I can satisfy my budding smoothie obsession. Today, it is a neon-green, melon-flavored concoction, with orange and y...

Four Part Harmony

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Any time we go out to eat in Thailand, whether at a street vendor or somewhere a bit fancier, we can count on there being four containers at our table, each with their own little spoons. When we paid a visit to my Thai Uncle, this was one of the f...

Slowly Going

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Thailand is lulling us into a comfortable laziness. Our desire to see the world has somewhat been put on hold, not because we don't want to explore, but simply because life is so great right here. Yes, of course we could leave, but why would we w...

Our Process: Photography Workflow

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. One of our favorite places to be while traveling is behind the lens of our camera, capturing the people we meet and the colorful landscapes we ride through. ...

Working in Dong Khi Lek

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Stopped for a few days, we're enjoying the peace and quiet around the palm-lined property of our hotel. There's a temple nearby whose meditative music drifts in on the breeze, giving us a pleasant soundtrack as we work on our various projects. ...

Our Process: The Evolution of Our Journal

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

This essay is the first in a series of "behind the scenes" entries in which we will detail the daily processes involved in producing our journal. In addition to being a record of our gradual progression as documentarians, we hope these entries may...

Rainy Ride & Comfort Again

Monday, October 25th, 2010

This morning, I inspect the door of our rented camo tent for the final time, scanning for any awful bloodthirsty creatures that might be lying in wait. Deeming the exit safe, I jump out of our musty accommodations and immediately begin a check to ...

Chasing Waterfalls

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

Tara: It is with immense relief that we cycle away from our second dingy bungalow, heading towards the Park's exit. First, we're going to see some waterfalls, and then, we're outta here. However, when we arrive at "Orchid campsite" where the tr...

A Little Worse for Wear

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

Tyler: Tara's first order of business this morning is running down to the visitor's center to buy breakfast, iced coffee, and most importantly, muslin leech booties. With new protective armor, we're going on our first-ever hike in the jungle tod...

Into the Jungle: Part Two

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Tyler: At the entrance of Khao Yai Park, we fork over a whopping 400 baht ($13 US) each. Normally, there is fee for bicycles too, but the guards waive it for us with a wink, a friendly smile, and a bemused look about our choice of transport. It...

Into the Jungle: Part One

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Tara: Under the ugly flickering fluorescent lights of our dingy National Park barracks, I gingerly take a seat on the questionably clean bedsheets, and survey our home for the night. These overpriced accommodations are a complete dump, but I am ...

Relaxing at our Bungalow

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

We spent a quiet day in Nakhon Nayok checking out the markets, drinking iced coffees, and eating tasty street food. We're really enjoying the relaxed pace of life here in Thailand. It is almost too easy! Tomorrow, we'll either ...

To the Bungalow

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Without the constant mental mantra of find water, find food, find a free-camp running through my mind, I find I am more relaxed. Here in Thailand, there is abundance. Food is plentiful, in the form of vendors and markets generally only a few step...

Leaving Bualuang

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

After a dry night, the main thoroughfares in and around Lopburi are fairly passable – much of the flood water is now well on its way to Bangkok. Many of the secondary roads in the area are still pretty wet, though, and our chosen route out of town...

Lopburi's Monkeys

Monday, October 18th, 2010

During a lull in the rain this morning (it has been pouring non-stop since we got here), we rode to the center of Lopburi to see what the town is most famous for: wild monkeys living a life of luxury in the middle of the city: They roam the ...

Apple Pie for Ad

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

Dad, it's like those things in the freezer!" Boss exclaims, after watching us prepare a homemade apple pie. "Nah man," Ad replies, "this is the real deal!" It has been years since Ad was able to enjoy a real apple pie. So long, in fact,...

Flooding in Lopburi

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

Thailand is currently in the midst of the worst flooding the country has seen in decades. Ever since we arrived, the rain in Lopburi has been unrelenting. Thankfully, both our hotel and Bualuang are on high enough ground not to be affected (so fa...

Bualuang Restaurant Kitchen

Saturday, October 16th, 2010

In a bright, airy room, with windows overlooking the garden, the family gathers for lunch. Normally, everyone eats separately, but today is special; it's Sansanee's father's birthday. While her Dad, the The Four Star General, is busy celebrating ...

Thai Food Feast

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Being waited on hand-and-foot gracefully is not our strongest suit. Invariably, it involves numerous rounds of awkward back and forth – us reflexively insisting on doing everything for ourselves, then relenting when we realize that we're spurning ...

My Thai Uncle

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

So, I have this Thai uncle. His name is Ad. Over the years, I've asked numerous times how some guy from Thailand became a part of my grandparents' funny Jewish family in central Illinois. Each time, I've been met with a jumble of unclear st...

Photo Calendars for 2011

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

It's that time again – we just spent a pleasant couple of days sorting through old and new photos to compile these five calendars with some of our favorites. Here we go! A Bicycle Calendar buy now Bicycles, bike parts, bicyclists… from G...

A Day in Ayutthaya

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

What a luxury it is, to sleep in a wide, clean bed, and to wake up tangled in a pair of warm, floppy arms. This is what I think as I extricate myself from Tyler's embrace, now padding to the window, bare feet creaking on wood, listening to the sou...

Sprinting to Ayutthaya

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Our first real cycling day in Southeast Asia begins with a farewell breakfast from our favorite local vendor. Every time we returned from sightseeing this past week, he waved us in like we were a fighter jet, and he was the flight deck crew. Thes...

Lunch Break

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Sometimes, when we're working, we forget about eating. After several hours of writing and editing, I'm usually the first to notice my stomach making strange sensations. Tyler, though, hardly notices when I grab our wallet and slip out the door of...

Bangkok Canals: Long-Tail Boat Tour

Saturday, October 9th, 2010

Tyler: At our friend Neisha's suggestion, we've booked a trip on the rivers and canals around Bangkok. Normally, our guide leads twenty or more people on this tour, but for reasons unknown, we are the only people with a booking for this particu...

Night Riding

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Leaving the tranquil Wat Pho, we return to cycling in Bangkok's bustling city traffic. As we make our way towards the hippy/backpacker ghetto of Khaosan Road, I get a little disoriented. We've been told getting lost in Bangkok is a top number one...

Wat Pho

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Swinging a leg over my bike, I am instantly awash in a joyous feeling that permeates our rides in Bangkok. Biking in this city is fun! This morning, under the benevolent gaze of Thailand's dweeby-looking royalty, observing us from their huge, dec...

Errands in Bangkok

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Tyler: One, two, three upshift, four, five, six, upshift, seven, eight, nine pedal strokes and I am passing cars already. My unladen touring bicycle is a featherlight rocket, powered by calves delivering torque meant for a machine well more than...

Riding to Bangkok

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

We're cycling again, feeling carefree and happy as we pedal out of our airport hotel, heading to a more centrally located hostel in downtown Bangkok. We're in a new place that smells of flowers and frying garlic, with foodstalls on every corner se...

A Welcome Change

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Together, we rip into our bicycle boxes like they're giant Christmas presents, throwing scraps of cardboard and tape and plastic wrap in a big pile in the corner of the room. Tyler spends the morning re-building our machines, while I reorganize ou...

Flying to Bangkok

Monday, October 4th, 2010

We're groggy and tired, bouncing around in a taxi that feels like it could be a louage. Our driver hums along to the radio, while every joint in the body of his rickety van creaks and squeaks and complains about its old age and neglect. Out of th...

Neisha & Rob

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Every so often, we have the good fortune of meeting people with whom we connect immediately. Try as we might, we've thus far been unable to ascertain exactly what is required to bring about this experience, but when it does, it is unmistakable. A...

Tumen Ekh: Mongolian National Song and Dance Ensemble

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

This evening marks the third time we've set off with Neisha and Rob to find the theater where Tumen Ekh performs. Jake, one of the Mongol Ralliers that gave our cycling friends a lift in the steppe, has all but demanded that we see the show. He i...

Rest at Last

Friday, October 1st, 2010

It took five days of non-stop activity, but we've managed to sort through everything! Our car has been donated to the Mongolian government, our tickets to Bangkok are booked, and our bicycles are packed and ready to go. With all of the logistics ...

Making Boxes

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Looking at Air China's website this morning, we learn that the total linear measurement of our bike boxes (length + width + height) must be equal to or less than 180cm. Not quite sure what to make of this, Tyler grabs our tape measure and starts r...

Ulaan Baatar's Gandan Monastery

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

I was pretty disappointed by Ulaan Baatar's Gandan monastery. Between the hawkers trying to sell us cheap crap, the strong warning in our guidebook about pickpockets, and the monks texting and talking on their cellphones during the chants, I spent...

Finding Boxes

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

My goal for the day is a deceptively simple one: find cardboard boxes. We've already failed at this once. Yesterday, we asked at the local outdoor supply shop, a camping outlet, and the huge State Department Store, all in vain. If I can't find c...

Lightening Our Load

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

We've just noticed that our tickets to Bangkok with Air China allow a maximum of 20 kilograms in checked luggage per person. After calling around, we've definitively confirmed that the overage fee per kilo is $20. With bicycles that weigh in exce...

Decisions Made & Friends Missed

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Stumbling out of the restaurant and into the darkness, bellies stuffed with delicious stir-fry, we are more than a little relieved we decided not to backtrack our entire journey to the UK. If we had, we'd be leaving in an hour, driving through the...

Back to Basics

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Back to at the car park, Tara is busy journaling. Striding in to meet her, I can hardly believe we've done it! Cheering, high-fives and a recounting of the last few hours ensues. Then, as much as I want to collapse and call it a day, I get to wo...

Turning in the Keys, The Fate of LRC: Part Six

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Pulling into a parking space at the customs building, I feel like I am fourteen years old again, taking our beloved but very sick family cat to the Humane Society to be put down. Walking into the brick building, I am holding out hope that the hard...

Farewell, The Fate of LRC: Part Five

Monday, September 27th, 2010

We have less than two hours to get back to our hotel, fully unload our car, and drive the LRC back through the busy traffic to the custom's office. We race outside to hail a cab. Just seconds later, a car screeches to a halt and tells us to get i...

Mongolian Customs, The Fate of LRC: Part Four

Monday, September 27th, 2010

It is Monday morning, and we're about to see if we can give our car to Mongolia. Tom from the Adventurists has told us to go to the customs office, so that's where we're headed. "Okay, get psyched up", I say to myself. It's going to be one of th...

The Black Market

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Tara: After our morning meeting with Tom, it's pretty clear there is nothing we can do with our car at the moment. It's Sunday, and all the offices we need to visit are closed. What we can do is take some time to relax. Sitting inside with a h...

Options, The Fate of LRC: Part Three

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Tyler: This morning, we head to Ulaan Baatar's backpacker hangout, Café Amsterdam, to meet with Tom, the founder of the Adventurists. He lives in Mongolia organizing the Mongol Rally six months out of every year, and when it comes to dealing wit...

Rocking Out

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Now that we have some semblance of a plan involving our car, we're able to enjoy ourselves a little. The team is holding a beard competition! After the elimination stages, only two members remain. The final round will be put to a group vote. ...

False Start, The Fate of LRC: Part Two

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Now that we've reached Ulaan Bataar, we have a daunting list of logistical issues to solve. Though it would be nice to celebrate the end of our Mongolian road trip, get back to journaling, and regain some semblance of a "normal" routine, it doesn'...

The Loving Hut, The Jimny Saga: Part Ten

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Eeveryone sleeps in today after the triumphant party celebrating the success of the Jimny. Nearing noon, we all pack up and head into town to pay the local mechanic a visit. Unfortunately, when we arrive, we realize that Richie and Freddie have f...

A Guitar String, The Jimny Saga: Part Nine

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Over dinner we discussed options. We're not going to leave Richie and Freddie out there in the desert, but the question of what to do for them still remains. For now, we're thinking that one of the teams could go pick them up tomorrow, or at leas...

Back to Tarmac

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

We've heard reports that a paved highway begins four hundred kilometers from the capital. Some say its smooth all the way to Ulaan Bataar, while others say the surface is patchy, potholed, and intermittent at best. We're not sure which of the rum...

Absurd, The Jimny Saga: Part Eight

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Knowing they'll have to travel extremely slowly, Richie and Freddie set off a good three hours before the rest of us today, hoping they can make some headway before we catch up to them. In the meantime, we start the day as usual: a leisurely paced...

Wheels Falling Off, The Jimny Saga: Part Seven

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

We've been killing time waiting for the Jimny to arrive, but eventually we have to face facts. They are not coming. What in the world has happened to them? Someone suggests we take the motorcycle to find them. Wanting to get the show on the roa...

Bad Moon Rising

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

With the Saxo's exhaust repaired, we're back on the road. Before us, a spaghetti-like sprawl of dirt tracks stretch out as far as the eye can see. Behind us, a billowing cloud of dust obscures the air. Each member of the convoy has arbitrarily p...

Obstacles

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

When we started thinking about buying a car and driving it across Siberia, we had a rough time getting reliable reports as to the conditions of the roads. It seems silly, but back then we weren't even sure if crossing Russia was possible without a...

Uncertain, The Fate of LRC: Part One

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Each day closer to Ulaan Baatar brings us nearer to a potentially difficult decision we'd really like to continue ignoring: what to do about our car. We're currently weighing the pros and cons for a bevy of less-than-ideal options, because at the ...

Farewell to the Swift

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Matt and Tom gave it their best shot this morning, but the Swift's bent connecting rods couldn't be repaired. When they went to make arrangements to leave their car with the Mongol Rally, they discovered another Suzuki Swift at the drop point. If...

Exploratory Surgery

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

None of us are deterred by the fact that we have no idea what we're doing. Today, we're going to tear apart the Suzuki Swift's tiny three cylinder engine. Maybe, just maybe we can repair it, or find the parts we need to get it running. If not, a...

Together Again

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

We need cash to pay for another night at our cozy hotel. So, I leave Tyler hard at work in our room, and head outside to search for an ATM. I seem to recall seeing a bank nearby, but I can't figure out where it is. My solution to this problem, w...

Recreating History

Friday, September 17th, 2010

The majority of our day was spent in bed, uploading and sorting a month's worth of photos. When we weren't busy with that, we were slowly recreating history, digging ourselves out of a twenty-four journal backlog. We're going to be feeling the ef...

Into the Great Wide Open: Part Three

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

We spent a lot of time mucking about in sand this afternoon. Even if the rest of the drive goes smoothly, making it to Bayankhongor today is going to be difficult. Tara calculates that I have to keep our pace safely between 60 and 80 kilometers p...

Into the Great Wide Open: Part Two

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Being free of this sand pit lasted roughly five minutes. While we were able to maintain humor and perspective the first time, this is too much for both of us. Composure is lost. Curses fly. We are exhausted and upset but it doesn't matter. The...

Into the Great Wide Open: Part One

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Our life has become a Choose Your Own Adventure book. This morning, as we flip to a new chapter, the one where we drive across part of Mongolia alone, a twinge of sadness overcomes me. Waving goodbye to the early risers of the team, I think about...

Something to Learn

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

We start the day making apple-almond rice pudding, and cinnamon French toast for our friends. The morning feast is a huge success! As Tom (a saint) washes a mountain of dirty dishes, we receive our morning Mongolian visitor. He is on horseback, ...

Leaving Altai

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Tara: I've read that there is a market in Altai, right next to our hotel. As a visitor, I can't see how you'd ever discover this without being told. The only telltale sign is an incomprehensible voice yelling over a distant loudspeaker outside ...

Repairs in Altai

Monday, September 13th, 2010

With the Jimny dealt with, Tara and I go driving in search of a hotel. She is feeling the aches and fatigue of impending illness, while I need a quiet place in which to work. We eventually stumble upon a nice clean hotel on the outskirts of town,...

Showdown, The Jimny Saga: Part Six

Monday, September 13th, 2010

It has already been a trying day for Richie, Freddie, Charlie, and Tim. But, the drama isn't over yet. Thankfully, getting the Jimny off the truck proves much easier than loading it had been. As the guys shell out a whopping $270 for the twelve ...

Leaving Early

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Tyler: A glimpse of our "old life" appears this morning when we leave camp alone, headed to Altai before most of the team wakes up. I've been leaving my work unattended for the last week – I need a day or two to catch up with the jobs that have ...

Loading in the Night: The Jimny Saga, Part Five

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Tara: Matt has agreed to stay behind with Freddie. We are driving back to camp, feeling like a pair of medieval horse messengers, carrying news from one village to the next. As we rush to reach home before the sun slips below the horizon, Tyler...

On Cars

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Tara: I've never been the least bit interested in learning about the inner workings of a car. In fact, they always seemed mysterious and scary to me. Until recently, fixing them was certainly outside my realm of possibility – that's something s...

The Rock Tumbler

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

Tyler and I have talked many times about how this trip has been one gigantic exercise in personal growth. All of our silly idiosyncrasies, the many niggling things we do to get in our own way, and a multitude of habits which we could improve upon…...

Dry and Dusty

Friday, September 10th, 2010

I'm not entirely sure where the boundary begins, but I'm pretty sure we're in the Gobi desert. What started as intense mountain scenery has transformed into flat, rocky desert, complete with sharp, pokey shrubs, and numerous full skeletons of the ...

To Hovd

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Tyler: We awaken with joy this frosty morning, overcome by an intense sensation of relief. We're still incredulous about the bizarre circumstances which reunited us – it will be well into the evening before we're through exchanging wide-eyed loo...

Back to Ölgii

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Glorious morning views are waiting to greet us as we reluctantly crawl out of our warm sleeping bag today. Yellowing fields stretch far and wide around us, hugged by a series of awe-inspiring mountains. Our camp is nestled near the lake in this s...

Mongolian Hospitality

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Light is fading fast as we drive off-road, over green fields towards our host's ger. Pulling up next to the round white homes, we are welcomed enthusiastically by a man we've never seen before. Perhaps he is the brother of our host? He has two a...

Dead Doblò

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

The roads of Mongolia have claimed another victim. Just a few minutes ago, Mette's red Doblò had a collision similar to our own—some unseen obstacle smashed into the underside of her van. The exhaust system survived, but it seems the motor didn't...

Slow Start

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Nobody is in a hurry to get moving this morning. In fact, when I rouse myself from a comfortable night's sleep around 9AM, everyone is still cocooned under their down comforters, or wrapped up like pupa in their mummy-style sleeping bags. I le...

Morning at the Border

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

My nose feels like an ice-cube this morning. The rest of my cramped body is, thankfully, much more inhabitable – safely wrapped in numerous layers of clothing and sleeping bags. It was a group effort last night, staying warm and comfortable. If ...

Rallying Together

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Well, it looks like we'll be spending the night at the border. Locked in on both sides, with no real identification, now in the dark of night and a swirling blizzard, what else is there to do? Luckily, we're among friends. As all we pile in...

Border Crossing & Blizzard in No-Man's Land

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

The wind is blustery and wintery, whipping through the mountains and flying across the plains as we head closer to Mongolia. It smells like snow. As Tyler drives, I realize I've missed this particular seasonal odor and the chilly expectations tha...

Towards the Edge

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Our breath hangs in the air like clouds this morning as we emerge from our tent and notice the white horse still quietly sharing our camp, munching away on grass now laced with frost. There is something almost mystical about him, something unearth...

Number One

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

We've seen some truly incredible landscapes on this adventure. Over the last year and some months, Mother Nature has served up wonders like the Amalfi Coast, the fjords of Norway, the Swiss Alps, the Italian lake district, France's Verdon Gorge an...

Back on Track

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

With a reluctant squeeze, we left our little puppy friend to frolic in the flowers and sleep in the shade. We packed our LRC, and headed back the way we'd come, driving past the same scenery for the fourth time at least. This time, though, we rea...

Working at Lake Teletskoye

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

We started our day looking for information about Uchar Waterfall. Our investigation turned up some interesting news: the falls are very young, just a few hundred years old, and they were only discovered about twenty years ago! Also among the fact...

To the Cabin

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Back when we were planning our trip, Russia was this mammoth lumbering place I wasn't excited about visiting. Tyler always wanted to go, but I saw the vast landmass as something to "get through" in order to travel from my comfort zone of the roman...

Backtracking

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

This morning, we continued our drive through the Altay Mountains, enjoying the scenery of Chuisky Trakt for a second time. After passing the spot where we turned around yesterday, we felt a bit better. Even though we've been behind the wheel for ...

Camping on the Katun

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

This morning, our car caught the fallen evidence of changing seasons – it is getting more autumny here in Russia by the day! Amidst orange leaves drifting softly to the ground, we left our farm field free-camp, and pointed our trusty LRC in the di...

The Way to Mongolia

Friday, August 27th, 2010

As Tyler journaled this morning, I began doing some research about the next phase of our road trip: the Altay region of Siberia. As I did so, I noticed that Chuisky Trakt, billed as one of the most beautiful roads in Russia, winds through the stun...

Stuck in the Woods

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Tyler: We'll, it was bound to happen eventually. Off-roading through the forests and fields of Russia in a tiny hatchback isn't exactly the most prudent plan (but it sure is fun). While piloting our LRC on a muddy road through the woods this mo...

Morning Chai

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

It is a chilly grey morning. Heavy clouds hang overhead, threatening rain. Even so, we pack our camp at a leisurely pace, paying no mind to the potential deluge. Once everything is in order, I direct Tyler through our field of car-high grasses, ...

Things We Don't Know

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Two years ago, the sheer number of unknowns regarding this adventure were mind blowing. We had no first-hand knowledge, no experience, and honestly, for all of our preparation, no idea what we were doing. Instead of letting this get in the way of...

MobilityPass: Global Internet & Cellular Service

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

MobilityPass claims to offer cellular phone and internet access with a single SIM card in more than 100 countries– they also advertise free incoming calls for many of them. Wanting to provide the best possible support for my clients, they were one...

In Search of Rest

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Tyler: Our goal this morning is simple: get to Omsk and check into a hotel. We've had enough excitement in the last 24 hours to last a month (okay, not a month, but at least a few days!). It has been eight nights since our last shower, and we a...

Fire on the Border

Friday, August 20th, 2010

I messed up when publishing our previous entry, Racing Through Russia's Heartland. It is fixed now! Tyler: While making our way back to the highway leading into Omsk, we spot a grey plume of smoke in the distance. I'm excited, because Russ...

Racing Through Russia's Heartland

Friday, August 20th, 2010

It is a sleepy day in Siberia. A recent series of several time-zone crossings have disoriented me a bit, and I find myself battling odd patterns of sleep and wakefulness. This, combined with a quiet emptiness about the land we're driving through,...

Are We There Yet?

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Last night, another pesky cop pulled us over. During the time we'd normally spend searching for a safe place to sleep, we were patiently doling out our paperwork, tapping our feet surreptitiously, and waiting for him to surrender. As he fumbled a...

Yekaterinburg

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

We're on a major road in the outskirts of Yekaterinburg. The main highway has morphed into speeding city traffic – Tara is navigating as we make our way to the city center. "Okay," she instructs, "You're going to turn left in two hundred meters… ...

We're In ASIA!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

I'm driving to Yekaterinburg while Tara sits in the passenger's seat, reading to me about the busy city from our Trans-Siberian Railway guide. Even though we aren't on the train, we're inordinately pleased to be using the book every time we pick i...

Home in the Woods

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Yesterday, we left the Kungur Ice Cave and headed eastwards, driving until dusk. When we spied what looked like a tractor's path snaking into the hills nearby, we pulled off the main road with high hopes that we'd find a good place to call home fo...

Kungur Ice Cave

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Destination: Kungur Ice Cave. With an epic-sounding name, and the mystique of being located in what one would think is the middle of nowhere, we spent the morning entertaining fantasies of arriving to explore the vast, icy reaches of a publicly ac...

Distractions

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Tyler: I possess a strange affinity for taking unassuming vehicles to places where they might not belong. For reasons I can't really articulate, I was ecstatic about driving off-road in our trusty little econobox this morning. Maybe it is an ad...

Friendly Russia

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

It seems that anyone who has traveled far and wide eventually comes to the conclusion that no matter where you roam, people are very much the same. Having heard variations of this idea my entire life, I had some vague inkling of its merit before w...

VIGILANCE!

Friday, August 13th, 2010

We milked our expensive hotel stay for all it was worth, working in the lobby on their wireless internet connection for most of the morning. After we published a few entries, we struck up conversation with an Indonesian journalist. She was here r...

A Brief Walk in Kazan

Friday, August 13th, 2010

We woke early today, and headed into the city for some sight-seeing. Off to the Kremlin we walked, along a canal and past several churches. Tyler was excited when we saw an onion dome which was only partially constructed; he wondered if this was ...

Parental Controls

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

This feature was removed during website upgrades on November 8th, 2012. If you are a parent or teacher who would like to use it, please contact me and I would be happy to re-implement it. If you are a parent or teacher who is sharing Going...

Into Kazan

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

More and more, Russia is reminding me of Romania. In both countries, back-aching manual labor in the fields is the norm, and yet old and young alike seem to spend much of their days quietly resting on benches, watching the world crawl by. They bo...

Down for the Count

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

When I am writing, I sometimes imagine that we are talking to our families, to our friends, or maybe even to ourselves in twenty years. Occasionally, I like to pretend that our future offspring will read this one day and think, "Mom and Dad are so...

Russia's Golden Ring: Suzdal

Monday, August 9th, 2010

The tiny town of Suzdal is purportedly the home of more than one hundred architectural monuments (and fifteen monasteries too). We're still a little unclear on what actually constitutes a monument, but all of them are packed into the space of a fe...

To the Swimming Hole

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

We start our morning by returning to Hundertwasser: Coffee & Blah Blah Blah to enjoy a few more cappuccinos. Not exactly eager leave our climate controlled surroundings, we procrastinate, putting off our departure into the scorching day. Inst...

Camped on the Volga

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

We slept in this morning, awakening when Russia's heat wave gathered enough steam to smother us inside our tent. After yesterday's accidental twelve hour marathon of sight-seeing, we wanted to take it easy. The plan was to drive to Kostroma, our ...

Russia's Beautiful Homes

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

Before coming to Russia, I really had no idea what to expect outside of some vague notions of Soviet apartment buildings, lots of blocky concrete structures and the endless steppe of Siberia. I was wholly unprepared for the beauty we see here on a...

Russia's Golden Ring: Yaroslavl

Friday, August 6th, 2010

We leave the Kremlin of Rostov, and hop in our LRC for some more driving. The next stop in our Golden Ring tour, turns out to be too big a city for our tastes. To do it justice, we'll have to spend a few days exploring it all. This means finding ...

Russia's Golden Ring: Pereslavl-Zalessky

Friday, August 6th, 2010

In spite of the difficulty, getting out of Moscow last night was an excellent plan. We're told the smoke, smog and heat (caused by the forest fires covering Western Russia) escalated to new levels of awful today. Apparently the haze is so thick n...

Absurd

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

We dismiss Evgeniy's wise warning about traffic, and our own rule about not rushing, and leave Moscow at precisely the wrong time. We've stayed in the city until five o'clock, and are now running around to drop off Evgeniy's key, buy groceries, an...

This is Elizabeth

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

When Tyler and Tara pulled up in their red Corolla, I was glad to see them, and impressed that they'd navigated their way through crazy Moscow traffic to my husband and my apartment. I didn't know Tyler that well. We're distantly related – I thin...

A Day in Moscow

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

This morning, Elizabeth taught me how to make syrniki, or sweet cheese fritters, for breakfast. She learned the recipe from her Russian in-laws, and as a fellow cooking lover, she was excited to share it with me. First, you open a block of...

Americans in Russia

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Tyler's cousin, an ex-pat working as a journalist and English teacher in Moscow, lives less than a kilometer from Evgeniy. They haven't seen each other since they were twelve, and we're all going to meet here in Russia! Unsurprisingly, a series o...

Objectification 101

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

This morning, while Tyler showers, our host Evgeniy begins earnestly instructing me on the merits of various breast shapes and sizes. As he scrolls through an online forum where Russian women regularly compete for prizes by posting photos of thems...

TGI Friday's on Sunday

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

This morning, Evgeniy came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested we buy a fishing pole to take advantage of all the lakes and rivers in Siberia! He and his wife Svetlana were planning on going shopping anyway, so it worked out nicely. Early thi...

Special Day

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Here we are, in Red Square, in Moscow. We can hardly believe it! The first thing we notice is not the giant statue of Lenin or the colorful oniony domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, however, but some of the tallest, skinniest woman we've ever seen, ...

Wild West: Moscow Bound, Part Three

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

We're on the M10, the only major thoroughfare between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Night is slowly descending. We've decided to cover another hundred kilometers or so before stopping to find our first Russian free-camp. We want to make our drive t...

Breaking the Law: Moscow Bound, Part Two

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Back at the car, a crushing front of heat pours from either side when we open its doors. Cringing a bit, we roll down the driver and passenger windows, crank open the moon roof, and crack the rear windows as far as they will allow. None of it is ...

Palaces and Kremlins: Moscow Bound, Part One

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

It is another sunny, smoggy day in Russia. We pack up and leave Aleksandr's apartment in the morning as he's heading out for work. We shake hands and thank him for having us, and he wishes us all the best on our journey before walking towards the...

Photos from St. Petersburg

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Tara and I are both grappling with a bit of Russian culture shock at the moment. Figuring out the most healthy manner in which to approach the shockingly overt misogyny and racism we've encountered here is proving to be a little difficult. It has...

Heat Wave

Monday, July 26th, 2010

St. Petersburg is currently setting all-time records for heat. We're not enthusiastic about going out this morning, but we need to get our visas registered. Though we have three business days to complete this required task, we've decided we're no...

Russian Border Crossing

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

I had butterflies in my stomach as we left our free-camp this morning. As Tyler drove, I made doubly sure that we had every thing in order. Passports, drivers licenses (international and US), car registration and insurance, all accounted for! ...

Long Time Coming

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

This afternoon, we cleaned and packed the car while Matias and Mia and prepared the family for a wedding. Once everyone was in their Sunday best, we bid them farewell. Yet again, we've made some great new friends, and once more, we are leaving them...

Hanging Out With the Hannus Family

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Our host Matias has a habit of signing up completely unprepared for long distance races. He isn't in them to win, just to prove to himself that he can do it! A year or two ago, it was a lengthy cross-country skiing event where he triumphantly too...

To Matias and Mia's

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Two weeks ago, our our wallet was stolen in Estonia. In thinking about the experience now, I can't help but shake my head about the events which preceded it. Just a day prior, I had griped about how our adventure had become too easy! The crushin...

Wallet Update

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Not much happened today, since we spent most of it sitting at Hesburger planning for Russia and working. We did get some exciting news though. Our driver's licenses, debit cards, and credit card are well on there way to meet us in Finland. Accor...

Christmas in July

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Santa's Village in Roveniemi, Finland was our big attraction for the day. Apparently, it rests right on the line where the Arctic circle begins. At first we were pretty disappointed, it was mostly shops selling cheap souvenirs and jewelery. ...

Time Lapse

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Last night, we taped our camera to the top of the car and set it up to take a time lapse series of the midnight sun. Around 4AM, I drifted just far enough into consciousness to remember our project. Excited, I promptly crawled out of the tent to ...

Coastal Drive to Norway

Friday, July 16th, 2010

In an effort to duplicate Swedish Pancakes from one of my favorite breakfast places in Champaign, I made crepes this morning, served with Lingonberries. My results were much smaller than the restaurant's due to the size of our saucepan. They were...

Saami Museum

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

We stayed at our hotel late into the morning, sleeping restfully in the novel darkness afforded by closed curtains. When we finally roused ourselves around 10AM, our overpriced, stingy hotel redeemed itself somewhat by providing a multi-buffet fea...

Amethyst Mining

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

We're falling into a nice routine with Finland. It goes something like this: swim in the morning, tear down camp, drive through beautiful pine forests, swim before lakeside lunch, enjoy said lunch, drive some more, set up camp, swim before dinner,...

Roadside Oddities

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Here we are, just drivin' through Finland, when we come to an abrupt halt because we've officially reached reindeer territory. There are loads of them, just milling about on the highway. Here they are, calmly oblivious to the incessant honking di...

Up at the Cabin

Monday, July 12th, 2010

The sun is intense in Finland this time of year. The flaming orb never leaves the sky, even at night. At our current latitude, sunset sort of occurs around 12AM, but it never actually gets dark. Then, around 3AM, the murky pink skies brighten ag...

Lake Hopping

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Today, we are making ourselves at home in Finland. We've ditched the itineraries we found online, and are simply winging it as we head north towards the Arctic Circle. Feeling as free as we did on our bicycles, we poke along, likely to the annoya...

Sandcastles and Lakes

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

Today, we left Helsinki and headed into the Finnish countryside. It was a relief to leave the expensive city behind, watching metallic cityscapes transition into woods and forest. For our route, Tyler found several driving itineraries from a Scan...

Picnic by the Lake

Friday, July 9th, 2010

We'd planned on spending some time exploring downtown Helsinki today. Mostly, we wanted to sift through the flea markets Tara had discovered during her research last night. We had no intention of buying anything, it just sounded like fun. So, th...

Back in Business

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

…continued from Where is the Wallet!? By now, the worst is over. Thanks to all of our parents, what could have been a massive ordeal has become just a small bump in the road. We pack up our things, feeling relieved, and head out to the car. Th...

Where is the Wallet!?

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Why, do you think someone is going to leap in through our window while we sleep? That was Tyler's response to my concern about opening our street-level hostel window last night. I eyed the two-foot-deep window sill dubiously, and, with the sligh...

Exaggerated for Effect

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

This morning, we left our quiet beach-side haven and hit the road north towards Cape Kolka. We'd read that violent storms of "biblical proportions" in 2007 had uprooted numerous giant trees and sent them scattering like matchsticks along the beach...

Pāvilosta

Monday, July 5th, 2010

I can think of few better places to spend a holiday than Pāvilosta, Latvia. It is quiet. There are only about eight blocks of houses in town, and most of them dead-end right into the sea. While Tyler spends the day programming, I leave to buy gr...

Working in Latvia

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

Most of today we spent working and writing. Once we got caught up (woo hoo!), we went for a walk on the beach. Right as we were leaving, my parents called. It was so nice talking to you guys! As I said on the phone, I have a feeling you wou...

Baltic Amber Road

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

I wake up at 7:00 AM to stifling sun, blaring techno, and a very grumpy Tyler. Hoo boy, is he cranky after a night of no sleep. We get to work packing immediately. Thankfully there is little but the tent to take down. As we remove the rain-f...

Hill of Crosses

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

When we arrived at Tomas and Jurgita's two days ago, one of the first things we inquired about was if there were any distinctly Lithuanian sites we shouldn't miss during our stay. After much hmmmm-ing deliberation (nobody thinks their own country ...

Another Adventure

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

This morning, Jurgita didn't go to work. Tomorrow, her husband Tomas will finish the last day at his forestry job. Why? Next week, they will pedal out of their driveway, heading south from their home in Lithuania towards Turkey, a trip two years...

Heaven on Earth

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

After a day of working, our hosts Jurgita and Tomas pack their car with food, bottled water and picnic supplies. Then, we all ride together, fourteen kilometers down the road to Tomas' parents' weekend cabin. As we step out of the car, we enter a...

Over the River and Through the Woods

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Tyler: Stopping to take photos is definitely easier when you're on a bicycle. But, we don't let that deter us. When there is no shoulder, we just hang our camera (or, if you are me, yourself) out of the car window to snap pictures as the scener...

In the Map

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Tyler: We leave Janka's apartment this morning, supplied with two big boxes of Polish chocolates, ham and cheese sandwiches, heartfelt hugs, and enthusiastic well wishes. As we pull away, waving wildly, Tara and I feel simultaneously overwhelmed...

Warsaw with Janka

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Yesterday, we received a nice comment from a Polish woman named Janka who lives in Warsaw. Though she wasn't sure if we would be passing through her hometown, she generously took the time to offer us a place to stay, just in case. Conveniently, w...

A Walk in Warsaw

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

By the time I woke up this morning, Tara had already gone running, tidied the hotel room, and planned our day of sightseeing in Warsaw. Wow! She picked a museum about Marie Curie, the old town, and a park where we might hear free classical music ...

On Running, Rest & Routines

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

What started as a simple desire to move my body, is slowly transforming into something much larger. I've decided that I want to love running. More to the point: I want it to be one enjoyable part of my now active lifestyle. While reading abou...

Running Start

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

Last night, I told Tyler that I was feeling like a schlub. Our adventure has really changed how I feel about exercise; over the course of a year, I've grown used to lots and lots of physical activity! Since we started driving, I've missed moving ...

On Driving

Friday, June 25th, 2010

After more than a year spent living out of a bicycle (and writing about the experience nearly every day) many aspects of my worldview have changed so dramatically that I often find it difficult to relate to the motives of my younger self. The most...

A Walk in Kolobrzeg

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip (for me) is traveling to places I have absolutely no preconceived notions about. Poland is definitely one of those locales. Just as it was with Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania, I feel the same intangibl...

Working in Poland

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

We spent the majority of our day cozied up in the tent, pleasantly overwhelmed by what has become our typical rest/work day routine: responding to a zillion emails, writing, and programming. While Tara tapped out a few journal entries and responde...

Why Are You in a Car?

Monday, June 21st, 2010

The shortest answer to this question is: to drive across Russia! Here is the long answer: In the broadest terms, our plan for this adventure was to travel from Scotland to Malaysia by land and sea. As we plotted our route (originally intended...

Road Trip Begins!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

We spent our last day with Nadine and Felix checking off the final items from our to-do list. These were mostly our shopping-related chores. Namely, finding them fun T-shirts, and finding us the things we'd need for our little red car. The co...

Berlin with Friends: Day Three

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

It has been my desire for quite some time now, to have a relaxing, fun-filled Sunday like we would at home. Today, with the best company a woman could ask for, I got my wish. First things first, we rented bikes from our hostel. After driving aro...

Berlin with Friends: Day Two

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

We started the morning off with yet another excellent cappuccino from Felix and Nadine. Then, we all drove into Berlin for a day of sightseeing. Today, Nadine had a Plan. This was really nice; it feels like we're constantly organizing what to se...

Berlin with Friends: Day One

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Guess who came to Berlin to visit us? Our dear friends, Nadine and Felix! They drove six hours north from Munich in their big green VW Transporter to hang out with us for a few days in the city. Following a series of molasses-like traffi...

Driving Around Town

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

We said a heartfelt goodbye to ba noi today (little did she know she would be whisked off to the airport soon after we left, as a surprise birthday trip to Paris!) and hopped in our little red car. Our plan for afternoon was to find a nice cof...

Berlin with Ann

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

We were hot and tired when we finished packing our bicycles into the trunk of our new car. Back inside, we enjoyed glasses of cold water, and chatted with our friend Tony's aunt, uncle, and cousin who had stopped by to see us off. Before everyone...

Roadtrip Ready

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

This morning, we left ba noi's house bright and early, heading in the direction of the car dealership. This was it! We were about to get a car! It is hard to believe that this entire chain of events stemmed from a seemingly innocuous comment mad...

Goodbye, Blogger

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Goodbye, blogger! I have officially migrated all five hundred and twenty of our journal entries, and nearly two thousand comments to our own server. This journal is now stored in our database, and displayed with my new, written-from-scratch publi...

Puppet Museum

Monday, June 14th, 2010

We're saving most of our Berlin sightseeing for when Nadine and Felix come to visit in a few days. In the meantime, we're working (a lot), sorting out car logistics, and very occasionally venturing out into the city. Today, we took trip to see a ...

Working in Berlin

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

Today, we spent some time designing a new website for our road trip. It is going really well! As was the case when we made Going Slowly, there were some frustrating bits where we stared at the screen cringing. It's especially difficult for me, b...

Buying a Car in Germany

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Last night, after some hunting on mobile.de, we found a candidate car for our Siberian roadtrip: a 1991 Toyota Corolla from a single (retired) owner with 60,000km (37,000 miles). The asking price? A paltry €1,300! We promptly called the dealersh...

Cooking with Ba Noi

Friday, June 11th, 2010

Life with ba noi is good. She is a kind-hearted grandmother who enjoys growing orchids and pedaling away on her miniature stationary bicycle, among many other things. She also loves to watch Korean soap operas (dubbed in Vietnamese). Occasi...

Crank World Cycling Blog Honors: 2010

Friday, June 11th, 2010

We won Cranklisted's Favorite Commuter/Travel Biking Blog for 2010! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us! To see the winners in all of the categories, check out this post by Darryl, the friendly guy behind Loving the Bike and Cranklist...

To Berlin

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Normally, when we take any transport faster than a bicycle, we feel like we're missing out. Today, we were happy to watch the world go by without having to pedal through it. As we hurtled across the German landscape, we weren't pining away for an...

Just a Bike Ride

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

For the last few days, we've been taking some much needed rest. For us, this means cooking less, eating out more, "staying in", and leaving the camera behind when we go out. This welcome change of pace is definitely having the intended effect of ...

Dresden Thunderstorm

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

It rained on and off all day. Nice, warm, summer rain. This evening, we enjoyed our most dramatic thunderstorm yet! ...

Train to Dresden

Monday, June 7th, 2010

After a thoroughly enjoyable break in Bamberg, it was time to move on to our next destination: Dresden. So, this morning we packed up one last time from our three-night river-side free-camp, and rode back into town. When we reached the station...

Home from Work

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

After a relaxing day of working, eating ice cream sundaes, and enjoying delicious, cheap Chinese food, we cycle back to our riverside free-camp along a string of nice bike paths on the outskirts of Bamberg. It is a nice change of pace to arri...

Spargel!

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

This morning we packed up from our free-camp, commuted into town along smooth, shaded bike paths, and headed straight to McDonald's for work and lots of ice cream sundaes. When we're done, we'll scope out a promising Chinese restaurant for dinner ...

Sunny Sneezefest

Friday, June 4th, 2010

At long last, the day dawned bright and sunny. The inside of our tent was hot this morning! Off came our knitted hats, along with our tent's bone-dry rain-fly, but not before we donned our sorely neglected spandex riding shorts. If someone had t...

This is Nadine & Felix

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

We have decided to meet up with Tara and Tyler in Nürnberg. We have been missing them since they left Munich, and with a holiday coming up we will make good use of this possibility. They will be cycling from Rothenburg towards Nürnberg today, and...

Into the Woods

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Before leaving our pension this morning, I decide to visit one last thing before we leave Rothenburg—The Craftsman' House. This is the oldest building in town, dating back to 1270(!) and is now filled with antique goods, appearing as if it belonge...

Rainy Day in Rothenburg

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Surprise, surprise… more rain! Most of the day was spent warm and dry, under the covers in our big bed at Gastehaus Raidel. We did get up to go to breakfast though! When we descended the first set of stairs, we found ourselves in the awesome sit...

Manic

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Today was one of those days when the weather was so manic it was almost baffling. One moment it was sunny, and we were happily riding through quaint small towns… (…while eating really delicious cake from the only shop open on a Sunday. ...

Altmühltal Cycle Route

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Like every other night in recent memory, it rained heavily. This morning, our well-shaded forest free-camp was very chilly and very wet. Thanks to a perfectly timed downpour last night (which caught us unprepared, and lasted juuust long enough fo...

Fields of Green

Friday, May 28th, 2010

We packed up after eating a breakfast of hearty meusli, and hit the road at the late hour of 12:30. Our string of late departure times for the last few days continues. On the road, everything felt distinctly German. You know you're in Germany wh...

Leaving Dachau

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

We biked away from Dachau, once again at the late hour of 2PM. Feeling saddened from all we'd seen, we took to the German bicycle path leaving the site for a quiet, grey afternoon of meditative cycling. We wound our way through green fields,...

Leaving

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

It was difficult, and a little sad leaving Felix and Nadine's cozy apartment. I wonder if it will ever be easy to pick up and go again once we've settled in somewhere for a few days? Along with being bummed about leaving our new friends, we were ...

Working in Munich

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

This morning, we groggily shared a round of excellent coffee with our new friends Felix and Nadine. With a bit of caffeine to carve through the haze, Nadine departed to Däerr (an outdoors store in Munich), Felix to another day of government bureau...

Hiking in the Bavarian Alps

Monday, May 24th, 2010

After drinking some of the best coffee I've had in recent memory (hand ground by Felix, brewed in a shiny silver cafetiere, and finally dolloped with foam frothed in a French press) we made our way to the train station. At one of the station's bak...

A Ride in Munich

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

This morning we met Felix and Nadine at the "Rathaus Glockenspiel", a famous attraction in downtown Munich. Every day at 11AM and 5PM, the clock tower in the town hall comes to life with bells, chimes and animatronics. As we watched old...

New Friends

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

When we got back from our resupply mission yesterday, we had an email waiting for us from Nadine, a really nice cashier at one of the outdoors stores we visited. Before we made it back to our hotel, she'd visited our website and invited us to a ba...

Resupply Mission

Friday, May 21st, 2010

This morning we picked up some new supplies for our upcoming trek through Siberia. It was a freeing feeling, strolling around sports and expedition shops, having easy access to all manner of supplies. Our jaws dropped when we saw Ortlieb kit in s...

Vienna Vagabonds: A Train Story, Part Three

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

12:00 AM After trying to change our tickets to a middle-of-the-night train so we can sleep on the way, hopefully avoiding homelessness for the night, we find that the ticket office is closed. Looks like we're stuck with our 9:50 AM departure. W...

Come and Gone: A Train Story, Part One

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

4:30 PM / Tara After a long, cold, wet, hilly day of cycling, we arrive in Sighişoara and head directly to the train station. Tyler goes in to ask about tickets to Munich, while I stay outside to guard the bikes. I am soaked and shivering, cupp...

Farewell, Rainy Romania

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

With cartoon clouds, pixels as raindrops, and yellow, zig-zag bolts of lightning featuring heavily on the internet's forecast all week, we were less than enthusiastic about visiting the UNESCO World Heritage city of Sighişoara, our destination for ...

Sounds of Sibiu

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

I was roused this morning around 7AM by a raucous, twittering racket just outside our tent. The early birds in the trees surrounding us were tweeting and chirping so loudly they may as well have been in our tent. I felt like my eight year old sel...

120 Kilometer Day

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

As we were eating breakfast this morning (a heartier, double portion of yesterday's delicious sausage and egg feast), Lily informed us that today's weather was supposed to be "crazy". According to the forecast, thunderstorms and record rainfall wo...

A Walk in Braşov

Friday, May 14th, 2010

We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast cooked by Lily, the woman who owns Casa Timar. Along with her husband and grown son, she runs their family's cozy pensiune. This morning we exchanged stories about Italian travel while we enjo...