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Thoughts Entries

Misty Morning

Tuesday, September 20th, 2016

Every once and awhile, our homestead is visited by a churning, swirling blanket of fog. Sometimes I can see it rolling in over the mountains to the West; other times, it seems to emanate from our land itself. The mist moves quickly, settling into l...

Blueberry Picking with Erik & Radha

Sunday, July 17th, 2016

This morning, we drove an hour over the mountains to spend a day with our friends, Erik and Radha. The visit was a marvelous one, replete with deep conversation, dappled sunshine, and idyllic summer activities. We explored Putney's farmer's market,...

Missing Felix & Nadine

Thursday, June 9th, 2016

About a month ago, I was sifting through old journal entries and found myself sucked into Tyler's and my German adventure. As I read through each day, from our arrival in Munich to our departure from Berlin, I was filled with emotion about our frie...

Life Summit 2016

Friday, April 1st, 2016

We recently held a “life summit,” a semi-regular event where we sit down to review our life plan. We've canonized our hopes and dreams in a document that starts in 2008 and currently runs to 2026. Most of the time, reading our plan is a life-affirm...

Winter Water Setbacks

Sunday, February 14th, 2016

When I first started writing this post a few days ago, I was going to talk about how wonderfully forgiving and resilient our house is. How even when it gets really cold, our cottage is cozy, snug, and easy to heat. How our straw bale walls and R40 ...

Thunderous & Wild

Monday, January 11th, 2016

I was walking through our woods today, on my way to meet our neighbor Hercilia for our daily walk. I had my head down, being careful not to trip over rocks and fallen logs, when I heard a thunderous noise that sent tremors through my body. When I l...

A Table

Sunday, January 10th, 2016

I'm not sure why we held out for so long, but I am happy to report that we finally bought a table for our little cottage! About a month ago, I headed to Boston to pick it up from IKEA, and then I spent an hour the following afternoon assembling it....

Reconnecting: New Years in Charleston, Part Three

Friday, January 1st, 2016

This morning, a large group of folks left to explore the USS Yorktown, a battleship from World War II. Tyler and I were among the few with little interest in naval history and a lot of interest in cozy couches and novel-reading. We opted to stay i...

Reconnecting: New Years in Charleston, Part Two

Thursday, December 31st, 2015

This morning, I awoke early and greeted my friends—the few who'd arrived already—with hugs around the breakfast table. It was so joyous to be reunited with everyone again! Then Julia and I went for a walk on the beach, which was approximately a 20 ...

Reconnecting: New Years in Charleston, Part One

Wednesday, December 30th, 2015

Every December 31st for the past seven or so, my college friends have rung in the New Year together. During the first of these reunions, Tyler and I were riding Habib in Tunisia; during the second, we were pedaling through Vietnam. The first and on...

Christmastime is Here

Sunday, December 20th, 2015

As I sit in our warm, cozy cottage, my thoughts wander to what life was like a year ago. This time last December, I was learning how to build kitchen cabinets, and the house was a total disaster area. We'd recently moved in (despite the house's unf...

Welcome, November. Welcome, Mountains.

Sunday, November 1st, 2015

Hello, November. Sometimes I have trouble with your ever-encroaching, increasingly ominous darkness. It makes me want to curl up and hibernate from the first of your days to the end of January's. Mercifully, our woodland fills me with a sense...

Bon Voyage

Thursday, October 29th, 2015

We're so excited! Our dear, dear friends and adventure buddies Pete and Natasha are leaving in just a few days to start their little road trip to, oh you know, Patagonia. Despite the fact that we only see each other once or twice a year, this feels...

Cleaning, Clearing, Merging, Purging our Stuff

Sunday, October 4th, 2015

Tyler and I spent most of the weekend on an autumn cleaning mission. We started by organizing the ever-growing collection of remnants from completed projects that were scattered about our land. Pieces of plywood, rigid foam insulation and all manne...

On Time

Sunday, September 27th, 2015

Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight. Elizabeth Akers Allen As I grow older, I have become increasingly troubled by the rate at which time seems to pass. My late mathematician grandfather used to say that this shift in velocit...

Wild Grape Jelly

Thursday, September 24th, 2015

When Tyler and I felled a small sapling to make room in our orchard for a pear tree, we discovered a whole mess of wild grapes tangled in its branches. I was thrilled about the unexpected bounty and felt no remorse about removing them. Grape vines ...

The Adventure Cycle Touring Handbook

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015

When Tyler and I first began dating and planning our big bike tour together, we bought two books: Lonely Planet's Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (which was a bit premature, and thus we never used it) and the bible of all bike touring books, The Adv...

Autumn Approaches

Thursday, August 27th, 2015

There was a peaceful lull in activity after our workshop. I could exhale, long and slow, and sit a spell on a proverbial porch (someday we'll have a real porch). It was only July, and I felt like a schoolchild with the freedom of seemingly endless ...

A Weekend in the Northeast Kingdom, Part Four: Bread and Puppet

Saturday, August 15th, 2015

Back in college (a decade ago, somehow), I majored in sculpture. During that time, my art was inspired by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Julie Taymor, the Weta workshop, and Bread and Puppet Theater. Once, I made a gigantic fabric sheep*. In another a...

In the Woods

Saturday, July 25th, 2015

I recently found this in our draft journal entries. I have no idea why I didn't publish it back in July of 2013. Here it is, for posterity, two years later. This morning, I will assemble a concrete form for the timber frame workshop we ar...

Strawbale Workshop, Day Seven

Sunday, July 19th, 2015

Quite suddenly, the end of the workshop is upon us. There's a lot of hustle and bustle as everyone kicks into high gear this morning, recognizing that we have just one workday to get as much plastering done as possible. Tyler and I hope with all ou...

Journal Stats

Saturday, July 11th, 2015

As of this writing, we've had this journal for 2,748 days. Since then we've published 1,409 entries. I'm honestly shocked to say that in the aggregate, that means we've written something once every two days for the last 7.5 years. We're pretty dang...

On Needing to Travel

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. Mary Ritter Beard I realized shortly after writing my entry about needing a vacation that this trip is fulfillin...

On Being Warm

Sunday, November 2nd, 2014

...and mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap. There was a time when I didn't know why on earth the people in "The Night Before Christmas" were wearing hats to bed. After living in a ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

A Freak-Out Kind of Day

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

Lately, building a home feels impossible. Even so, I keep slogging along, not out of hope or excitement or joy, but because I feel shackled to the task. It doesn't feel like I'm living out my wildest dreams, it's more like my life is being held ho...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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, ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. ...

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 & Death

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Yesterday, just as we arrived off the boat from Nong Kiaw, we watched wide-eyed as three little piglets were being slaughtered. They lay on the ground, their throats slit, warm blood pooling rapidly into the dirt. It was hard to watch the little ...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

Something's Got to Give

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Tyler: We couldn't bear to leave our tent this morning. Safe and warm in our secluded forest free-camp, listening to the constant patter of water pelting our rain fly, all motivation to start the day eluded us. The skies were dark and unwelcomi...

The Finisher Finishes

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

While we've been waiting in Belgrade for our replacement sleeping mat, I've been working on a baby hoodie for our new little nephew, Elijah. Tyler, as usual, has been programming for his clients. When we weren't totally engrossed in our projects,...

Welcome to the World!

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Our thoughts are with Amanda and Paul (Tyler's older sister and her husband) today as we celebrate the birth of Elijah Paul Noskowiak. We wish we could be there with you! All our love from Serbia, Uncle Tyler and Auntie Tara ...

One

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Wow. I cannot believe we have been gone a year! This time last year we were just arriving in Scotland, and I remember thinking to myself as we put our bicycles together in the airport, "what the hell have I gotten myself into?!" A little lat...

On Finishing Things

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

For the past few months I've been working on a baby cardigan for Tyler's sister, Amanda. I rarely follow patterns but I decided it would be best to have one for this project if I wanted it to be really nice for the new baby. When I picked the pat...

Family Remedy

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Last night I went to bed with a hurty, swollen feeling on the left side of my neck, but I didn't think much of it. When I awoke this morning, I felt wretched. When I tried to talk, it sounded as if I had a pillow shoved down my throat, and felt l...

Settled in Rethymnon

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Our ride yesterday was a quick 20km jaunt into a ferocious headwind. Knowing we only had a short way to go made the wall we were riding into mostly a non-issue. The brief struggle ended, quite pleasantly, at the quaint hostel in the center of the...

It's All Greek to Me

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Tara is unofficially our designated communicator when it comes to foreign languages. That isn't to say that I don't speak; in fact, I try really hard! I'm not shy about using the phrases I know, but sadly, my brain doesn't seem to be wired for le...

Sick Day Observations

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Though I woke up feeling a lot better than I had last night, Tyler insisted we take a day of rest so I could fully recover. We passed the morning and afternoon laying together in our tiny, smaller-than-twin bed. Tyler spent the time programmin...

Birthday Success

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Yesterday, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do on my birthday. While the best parts of the day weren't even on it (an early morning phone call from my brother, Lian, the sweetest voice-mail of Tyler's little brothers and sisters singing...

Control

Friday, January 1st, 2010

I am by nature, a planner. This at times clashes with the fact that there are ceaselessly a multitude of "loose ends" and unknowns before us as we travel. Improving my ability to relinquish control is something that I've had to work very hard on ...

On Home

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

…while going to sleep in our haunted hotel room: Me "Do you miss Kerkennah a little?" Tara "Yeah." Me "Me too." Despite a rough week of feeling cooped up and generally stuck in "waiting mode", we were both ever-so-slightly sad to leave Ke...

Stranded on a Desert Island

Monday, December 21st, 2009

We just found out our wheels have been sitting in New Jersey for the last twelve days. Nice work US Postal Service. We've now been on Kerkannah for more than two weeks. The first week was very enjoyable; we did lots of sightseeing, and I had a s...

Why We Are Here

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Tara and I recently re-watched Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boormans', Long Way Down. It was both exciting and rewarding to see again. Having now traveled through many of the places they did, we were often exclaiming, "We rode right by that!" as we ...

Happy Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Tara Sometimes it seems odd that we should be out in the world going ever onwards, when my instincts tell me it is time to hole up for the season and hibernate. The coming winter and approaching holidays make me a little nostalgic and homesick. ...

Touched

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Most days the first thing Tyler does is check our email. This normally mundane task of ensuring that nothing has blown up at work has now become the highlight of our morning! As kind words pour in from around the world we've been taking turns rea...

Changes

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

Since our last really crappy cycling day (on Elba), we have thought and talked a LOT about what we need to ensure our trip stays enjoyable rather than devolving into ceaseless hard work. What it really comes down to is giving ourselves permission ...

Thank You

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

We often forget that people actually read our journal (outside of family anyway). We're really just trying to document the physical and emotional journey we are taking together. After a rough couple of days, feeling a bit down and isolated, it wa...

How We Did It

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

I wanted to sit down with Tara and document how we got where we are today before it became a distant memory. As it turns out this was a great idea; it was incredibly difficult to remember accurately all of major events leading up to our departure....

Room to Breathe

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

For the past month or so, Tyler and I have taken turns having breakdowns and then supporting and encouraging each other through them. Tyler mainly worries about the massive workload he has to complete for all of his clients. I on the other hand ...

Reflection

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Before planning this journey a year seemed like a long time. It isn't. As the days and months fly by I have really come to realize what a short time we have here (on earth). There is so much that I want to do, so much I want to learn and so much...

Around the World in 80 Days

Saturday, January 10th, 2009

Icannot believe our trip is only 80 days away. Sometimes I think about this whole process as being similar to pushing a boulder (not sure why you'd need to push a rock, but whatever…) It felt for awhile like we were pushing the boulder very slowl...

Gardening on the Road?

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

Right before I moved to Minnesota, I started growing potted plants and was pretty fiercely bitten by the gardening bug. (just a little advice for anyone thinking of moving in the near future: I suggest cultivating your green thumb after you are se...

Going Slowly: Biking & Baking

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

When Tyler suggested we change the name of our website from "advriding" to "goingslowly," I heartily agreed. Going Slowly fits our trip much better than Adventure Riding does. For me, this trip is not about being hardcore and adventurous, and I p...