a novel

It happened suddenly - but I guess that is what you get for living in Virginia. One day I was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean and sweating in my tank top and shorts as we explored Assetague Island. And next thing I knew,  I had a scarf around my neck, a wool sweater, boots and jeans on as I drove to to the Mountains for a day in Harrisonburg. The leaves are changing, I'm remembering what cold feet means (plus the benefit of extra food rubs from Matt that comes with them), and feeling like tea in the mornings. Its rather sudden - I sometimes like my seasonal changes a little more gradually. But it feels right. Summer this year has been amazing, a time of sun and water and reading silly, powerful, feminist or simply indulgent fantasy. A time for planning and evaluating, for weddings and dreams. For putting many, many miles on my two door red car. For living in the moment and indulging my free time. For lots of BEing. But fall is here now - and I am ready to buckle down to bein...

This weekend I booked my one-way flight to Beirut, Lebanon. The count down until my average adult life, with normal job, rent, groceries, responsibilities, etc transforms to 3 + months of travel, exploration, and new experiences is 108 days. (4 months didn't feel so long...it feels longer now that I know the day count). I've had the dull bug the past week, ready for that end of August change that has been around as long as I can remember (probably since I went to preschool 20 years ago). Knowing that I have to wait another 108 days for that change is not very exciting....  ....true... true... it's a bit of a wait. But what an exciting adventure it will be. Exploring places so important to the world, to your story, to the modern worlds religions and cultures and conflicts. Lebanon, Turkey (TURKEY!), Jordan, Palestine/Israel, and Ireland.... And yet, I need to live the next four months. Focused on Richmond, and my friends, and my roommates, and my job (though not ove...