This is what I am

Foodie. Book lover. Travel enthusiast. My travel experiences have been bizarre. Things just happen when you're exploring the world. The following stories are taken from my travel journals over the years. Some have probably happened to you, my fellow reader, others may be more than your imagination can handle. Get ready for a journey around the world.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Coffee Wars and a Bowl of Chowder Later...
















Seattle, Washington
September 18, 2009
Day 2 of Pacific Northwest Journey




I am now officially a Peetnik! A rather exuberant Peetnik, I might add, for what other kind of
Peetnik should you be?
Exactly.
Exactly.
Wait......
What’s a Peetnik? I know you are asking that question right now probably. And for good reason because unless you’ve been to California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, or Washington, (not necessarily in that order), you’ve probably never heard of Peet’s Coffee. They are selectively only present in the previous six states with California being it’s biggest playground. Shame really. It’s coffee for true coffee lovers. Founded by a dutchman in 1966, it inspired coffee enthusiasm using only the best beans in small batches and roasting them darker than the current contenders.
Fun fact! Peet’s actually supplied the great chain of Starbucks coffee beans for the first year in operation. So...if it weren’t for Peet’s who knows where the monster Starbucks would be??? Hmm...I wonder if the owners of Peet’s are wondering that too...
Well, well can’t change the past...but don’t you wish you could? I bet Mr. Peet was shocked when that little spawn whom he gave beans too suddenly erupted into a mega chain.
It happens...
But enough about that...enthusiast who drink Peet’s are known as Peetniks.
This morning I have been Peetniktized!! And it’s good...really good.
Try it next time, you’ll like it.


It’s another beautiful day here in Seattle, Washington! No rain! Praise the Almighty God! The sun is shining and its around 70F! Can you believe it? Neither can I. We have decided to take in one of the city’s most talked about attractions and also known as the ugliest building in all of Seattle, the EMP and Science Fiction Museum.

EMP, short for Experience the Music Project, is truly a very cool musical experience. I mean if it wasn’t, wouldn’t it be a tad disappointing? We go through the history of music in Seattle which seems to be a nest for musical talent. Kurt Cobain isn’t from the city (he was born in Aberdeen, we’ll get there later) but he made his music presence known here. Heart was here. The Grunge movement started here. Did I mention Jimi Hendrix - you may have heard of him? He is big in here! We observe several of his broken guitars which he had offered to the gods of music during his performance. Yeah, he was on drugs...BUT none can deny his outrageous music talent. The museum also has the history and development of the guitar - it’s come a looooonnng way. In the lobby there is a giant guitar tree? If that’s what you want to call it. It’s a two story vortex of guitars of all sizes, shapes, and colors - it’s phenomenal. Also, we get to see the one and only white studded glove of MICHAEL JACKSON! Yes, this is the resting place of the great performer’s glove until it is auctioned off later this year. But the coolest thing at this museum is upstairs. Visitors can make their own music video...FOR FREE!
Yes, folks. We made a music video.
Not once, but TWICE.
We played Twist and Shout, and because it was so much fun the first time, how could we not do it again the second time? I played the drums to I Love Rock and Roll this go around! Mom rocked out on the keyboard, Penny jammed on the electric guitar, and Travis did the vocals. Half way through filming, he remembered that the song was actually penned by a woman, Joan Jett, for those of you who don’t remember, and he had to fight to keep his composure when the lines: Said can I take you home / where we can be alone / An’ next were movin’ on / He was with me, yeah me, singin’ - popped up on the prompter.


You get the picture...We all burst out laughing afterwards. We bought a dvd and poster of our performances. So look for our band the Toasti Heads to come to a town near you. Just don’t expect him to perform another Joan Jett song. Once was enough for him.


Performing makes you hungry so after meeting up with some more good friends who are actually Seattle natives, Eric and Liberty, we take the monorail from the base of the Seattle Needle and head downtown. It’s a great feeling, flying through the city. I love the view! We are whizzing by buildings, watching strollers below. It stops at the mall and everyone is scrambling out. I look at Eric, “Don’t tell me that’s it!” (This was the first stop). He nods. It is it! What in the world? One stop on the monorail?? Ridiculously too short! Expand your monorail, Seattle! It’s fun to ride...

We have decided to combine two great local places to create out lunch. Beecher’s Cheese shop and Pike’s Place Chowder both located downtown at Pike’s Place Market - the official hub and most

recognized place of the city. Beecher’s makes their own cheese. You can watch a humongous vat filled with cream, enzymes, and salt churning and curdling into delectable, mouth watering cheese...They have all kinds of cheeses that can be sampled. I try one spotted with green peppercorns. AHHHHH!!!! They have fresh macaroni swimming in different cheeses and tremendous grilled cheeses on their takeaway menu. My group orders the flagship - a grilled cheese with their original cheese, arugula, and fresh tomatoes - holy moly is it delicious. We carry our hot wrapped sandwiches down the cobblestone road, across the street covered in street performers and shoppers, and head down another alley where Pike’s Chowder is turning out a variety of chowders. We order the sampler: a

seafood chowder, a salmon and dill chowder, and the traditional clam chowder. The six of us get tables on the street and watch the locals strum their guitars as we get lost in food heaven! The salmon chowder is my favorite...It’s fresh and the dill compliments it perfectly.


We decide to walk off our lunch around the market. Pike’s Market is world renown for its variety of fish, fresh produce, local crafts, and
beautiful flowers. Anything under the food sun can be found under its roof and proceeding tents: King Crab legs, monkfish, boysenberry jam, habenero and jalepenos jelly, apples, oranges, chocolate covered washington cherries, and chocolate linguine (I tried it, and it’s delicious). If you think of it, it’s probably there.



At the main fish monger, we taste fresh smoked salmon and watch as each order is placed the fish are thrown from one end of the booth to the other.
Impressive!
Eric again dashes my excitement by telling me that they throw the same fish every time. The men aren’t actually throwing the freshly ordered fish. There is a “throw fish” just like there is a sample lotion, a sample fragrance at department stores.
Thanks, ERIC!
I guess this makes sense, after all, would you want to buy the sample lotion or a fresh lotion still in the box??? Yeah exactly...
We admire the rows and rows of bright flowers. It’s one of the prettiest groupings of flowers i’ve ever seen. The colors are overwhelming, the variety leaves you lacking for nothing. Mom runs off like a rabbit that sees something shiny down one of the alleys and Eric and Libby chase after her. Travis, Penny and I decide to take a seat in the park that overlooks Elliott Bay on the north side of the market. The view is stunning. From where we sit on our bench, we can see Highway 99 and the Alaskan Way - cars are whizzing by on both. Traffic can be ridiculous here. On the other side of the road is the boardwalk that feeds all of the piers and the cruise docks. There is a massive cruise shipping up the bay now towards the Pugent Sound and most likely up towards Alaska. Seattle is the hub for the Alaskan cruises. Thanks be to God because it’s a sunny day we can see the mountain! Southwest of us, to our far left, we can see Mount Rainier; it’s peak covered in snow. The three of us sit here in awe and praise the Lord for our view. It’s culture, water, road, and mountain all in one sweeping glance.


We get a text message. Libby has found my mom, and guess what, it’s time for coffee!!
Eric’s favorite coffee shop in all of Seattle is Caffe Vita in Capitol Hill, what I like to refer to as the “edgier” part of town. Now keep in mind, all of Seattle is edgy, so you can imagine what Capitol Hill is like...
Yeah...
I ask Eric what I should order and he recommends a tall extra hot vanilla mocha, so I order 2 - one for me and one for dearest mommy who despite being in coffee country still only says to get her whatever i’m getting or “just something good” when asked what she would like to drink.
Ah, mom...


The vanilla mochas are phenomenal! The espresso tastes different than the espresso we had earlier at Peet’s. Where Peet’s was dark. This coffee is perhaps even darker. It definitely has a kick. It punches you in the mouth when you sip it and has a bit of a bitter taste when it goes down. MMMmmmm. This is what espresso is supposed to taste like. Caffe Vita is relatively new on the coffee scene. The company started in 1995 and consists of five cafes and a roasterie making it strictly a local’s venue. This is quintessential Seattle because yo
u can’t get these beans anywhere else making it divine in my opinion.
I mean who wants something that everyone can have, right?
We again sit, sip, and people watch. The people don’t disappoint. Anything from girls in fishnets and mini skirts, to a fat asian man in an all silver body suit walks by. Mohawks, sleeve tattoos, little dogs, and loads and loads of people who have chosen the opposite of a heterosexual
lifestyle walk by.
I’m not profiling.
I swear...
It’s entertaining to say the least, and why else do you travel, but to sit, sip, and observe other people’s cultures and ways? I mean I didn’t fly all the way out here to look at donkeys and goats, I can see that at home.



Dinnertime has now arrived and for tonight we are headed to Tacoma, a quick drive south of Seattle, on the southernmost part of the sound. Tacoma is jokingly the resting place for the castoffs of Seattle, but whatever - I want to see this for myself. We have dinner reservations at Indochine, an asian dining lounge to be exact at 7:00. It’s only 6:30, so we decide to head across the road, carefully avoiding the trolleys, to walk around the park dedicated to the works of Chihuly, perhaps the greatest glass artist of all time. I am overwhelmed, for in front of me are giant, and I mean giant, glass sculptures in all colors. We walk over a bridge and overhead is a display of glass in the shape of fish and seaweeds and anemones. It’s underwater overhead in glass...Impressive.

We continue along and there is a wall with sections and each section containing a glass sculpture in the shape of flower vases, animals, and indiscernible shapes in every color imaginable. It’s overwhelming! I want to buy a piece until I learn that they are thousands of dollars...yeah i’ll pass.
With my art in, it’s time to fill my stomach. Indochine does an amazing job. It’s a fusion of all the asian cultures shoved together. I gobble up peanut flavored chicken, pad thai, and spicy beef with chopsticks and finally have to make myself pull away from the table in sheer ecstasy. It’s by far one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my entire existence.
That’s 20 years people!

It hits me at the table, how tired I really am. I’ve had a busy day: I made two music videos, rode a monorail, ate chowder, tasted and tested samples of the coffee war raging in Seattle for the coffee kingship, saw giant glass shaped piraƱas, and devoured an asian meal. Geez!
Penny looks at me, “What are we doing tomorrow again?” She is enjoying the fact that I’ve planned everything and she is simply tagging along, exploring, and tasting.
My eyes double in size as I realize what I have ahead of us tomorrow. I fight back a yawn, “Oh, we’re only hiking Mount Rainier.”


Bed first please! Mountains to come...



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Times of Seattle

Seattle, Washington
September 17, 2009
Day one of the Pacific Northwest Journey

What color is that? Red? a burnt red gone terribly bad? Whatever color it would be considered its making me laugh. It’s making me laugh ridiculously. Of course, the laughter may be a result of being awake since 4am this morning, flying across the country, conquering a busy airport and going through the tedious car rental process. And now the requested SUV doesn’t look very SUV like. In fact, I’m not sure what you would consider a Ford Flex. Box like and awkward are the adjectives that come to my mind instantaneously. My travel companions for this trip are having their fits of laughter too. Dearest mother doesn’t know what to make of this Ford Flex. She is tempted to run back and tell Hertz she wants a proper SUV, but I dissuade her. Penny Martin is bent over laughing, and Travis, her husband, and our designated driver for our Pacific Northwest road trip is just trying to get all of luggage loaded properly. I jump in the front seat being I am the designated navigator and pull out my road map and dearest Amelia - the GPS. This is a serious undertaking, we are going to traverse across two countries, two states, and an island! And no such undertaking should be taken without the proper equipment.But first things first.All journeys must begin with a base, and our base is Bellevue, Washington just east of Seattle. It’s quieter there, and there aren’t as many crazy homeless people running around as there are in Seattle.
!!!!!!Did I just say that?
Yes, and you’ll see why.
We deposit our bags at the Silver Cloud downtown Bellevue and head towards Seattle for some food. Yes!!! Food. Our stomachs are growling. It’s been a while since any of us have eaten. So Seattle what do you have for us in the food department? We choose Salumi for our first meal located between the train station and Pioneer Square. It’s a tiny little place only big enough for one wooden table that seats about eight. None of the chairs match. Herbs and clusters of multi-colored peppers hang from the ceiling next to what I am assuming is a pig that will most likely be eaten in a few days. The place boasts fresh cured meats, artisan breads, soups, and all kinds of homemade herbed sauces. Oh, did I mention that Mario Batali’s sister is running the place?
Yeah, that’s a huge plus.I order a roasted lamb sandwich topped off with red peppers on ciabatta with herbed mayonnaise. Need I say more? I will. Just one word.Delicious.Travis get the same thing, but mom and Penny opt for a mixed bean soup with kale, carrots, onions, garlic and herbs all mixed in. I swipe a few spoonfuls of it causing my eyes to flutter. Two older Italian men are sharing the table with my group, and from the looks of it, they know Miss Batali. She seems like she makes friends with her regulars. There is no pretension present despite her brother being one of the lords of the Food Network and boasting Gwyneth Paltrow as one of his best friends. The only kind of snobbery found here is one for the quality of food. But can you blame her? It’s certainly paid off. Bourdain featured Salumi on his show, No Reservations. And if anybody knows the real deal, he does. And obviously I do...With full stomachs, we venture to the center of Pioneer Square and take in the totem poles. Each pole depicts a story of the India tribe it represents, but more about those later. Right now, it’s time for the most important activity that someone can possibly do while in Seattle, Washington.
Drink Coffee.
Starbucks coffee that is. After all, this is the birth place of the world famous coffee chain, and what trip would be complete if we didn’t sit down and have a moment of silence while we indulged in the nectar of life? Caramel machiatto in hand, we start people watching. One thing that comes to attention is the variety of people here. Artsy, sophisticated, preppy, grungy, classic - all can be found by just sitting, pausing for a moment, and watching. Seattle is synonymous with melting pot. The variety of people is evident with one sweeping glance. Body piercings, crazy tattoos everywhere, clothing used in unimaginable ways - people here are very EXPRESSIVE.

Across the square is the starting point for the underground tour, a behind the scenes look into the underbelly of Seattle. However, while making it across the square, we are accosted by a homeless woman.
“Ma’am, ma’am, ma’am,” She hustles up to my mother. “Ma’am you look like Farah Fawcett.”
I must admit, great technique. Butter them up and then -
“Ma’am, can I have some money to buy me a subway. I would really really like a subway.”
My mother hands her a dollar, much to her dissatisfaction.
“This won’t buy me a footlong!” She exclaims and stalks away.
My mother looks at us, and we watch the woman as she heads from bench to bench, table to table around the square asking everyone to support her subway craving. She runs into homeless man and suddenly they start yelling at each other. A breach of territories perhaps?
We enter Doc Maynard’s Saloon, the start of the underground tour, fleeing the scene before anything ugly happens.
We are ushered underground to a forgotten world of saloons and bank vaults of the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Underneath Seattle, lies another full level of the city unknown to the walkers above. Inside, we get a brief history of the start of Seattle. Because of the location of Seattle, we learn that the city struggled with the incoming tide causing there to be terrible problems with the sewer system. People actually drowned in some of the “mud pits” because they were so vast. In 1889, a fire started causing twenty-nine city blocks to burn down. The city was rebuilt using money from the gold rush and prostitution. Yes, the great city of Seattle was built on prostitution! The mayor of the day, realizing how much money was being spent on prostitution by the miners, imposed a tax on all the ladies of the night, causing the cities income to skyrocket!We are shown old bathtubs, wallpaper, and pictures dating from over a century ago. It’s an unforgettable, entertaining, and enjoyable history lesson.

Back on ground level, we head to Elliot Bay Bookstore, the largest independent bookstore in Seattle. And indeed it is massive. There are three stories of books of every different topic imaginable. The store has an old home library - like feel, giving it a more unique experience than your average massive bookseller chain.

Sleepiness is beginning to hit us, but we decide to have one more meal before turning in. We go to Ivars down on the bay for $.75 clam chowder. Yes, a cup of chowder is $.75! It’s on special while we are here. (It isn’t always this cheap, so don’t get your hopes up that you can come to Seattle and eat cheaply, we were blessed with this treat.) A trip to Seattle wouldn’t be complete without indulging into the seafood side of things. After all we are surrounded by the Elliott Bay and the Pugent Sound, and the Pacific Ocean is only just over the Olympic Peninsula. So it goes without saying that fish abound in this area making it a perfect way to end the evening. The moon is shining out on the bay. Again we were blessed and got a table facing the water in the packed restaurant. God is truly looking after us! We talk about our day: Salumi, our encounter with the homeless lady, the underground tour. We are all looking forward to what tomorrow will bring, but as of right now we are all thankful to God that we made it in safely and that we have a super comfy bed to crash in very very soon.

Tomorrow, we’ll see what Seattle will bring...
ZZZZzzzzzz

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Hadrian, how are you?


Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland region, England
October 2007


In the middle of nowhere, I became overwhelmed by God's design and His diversity. I am in the North. No one is here...except for God. He created this land...




A horse is staring at me, almost mocking me as it slowly, deliberately chews a piece of hay. It snorts, "Wake up sunshine."
I narrow my eyes in annoyance. It's 8 o'clock in the morning, and I am exhausted. Yesterday's activities were exhilarating and yet extremely exhausting. Isn't that funny that almost all of the most exhilarating experiences are the most exhausting?
This horse is just outside my window directly over my bed at the little bed and breakfast where we have bunked in for the night, and isn't what I expected to wake up to first thing this morning. Of course, everything that's happened to me since I have arrived has been beyond my expectations. Yesterday is soaring to the top of the best experiences of my entire life...my entire life! What did I do? I visited a wall. Yes, a wall! But this wasn't just any wall; this was Hadrian's wall. My limbs are aching from yesterday's trek, but they are also aching to go back. I'm standing here staring at a horse and dying to go back to climb a wall. What's happened to me?



Maybe it's the air, or maybe it's the landscape, or maybe it's the fact that I drove for miles and miles and didn't see another human being, but whatever it is, there is something about the Northumberland region of England that grabs my attention and just won't let it go. Driving up here yesterday from the great city of York (which is another story all in itself) the city life gave way to a world of hills with the dominant population being sheep. The hills slowly got bigger and I noticed an earth mound running parallel to the road. Eli and Sophie, my two friends that actually live here, and whom I've come to visit, told me that that little mound was Hadrian's Wall.
"You're kidding!" I exclaimed. "There's absolutely no way that that is the great Hadrian's Wall."
Forgive me, but quick history lesson for those of you are asking what's so important about Hadrian's Wall - the former twenty foot wall was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian around AD 122 to form the furthermost northern boundary of the Roman Empire with it's main goal being to keep the spirited Scotsmen from raiding Roman homes and villages. Soldiers were posted at milecastles along the way to keep an eye on all the surroundings. Massive ditches were even dug on either side for more layers of protection, for there were these people called the Scots that the Romans didn't want in their lands. So, I had all of this in my mind as I drove up here, but now all I was seeing was an earth mound. I suppose two thousand years will do that to you.
"Are we going to stop?" I asked them.
Eli looked back at me smiling, "Soon enough, trust me, you'll want to wait."
The mound slowly got bigger. Height and width. From the earth mound emerged moss covered stones stacked tightly together. The road continued to follow it closely winding through this idyllic countryside of rolling hills and countless sheep. We left the wall briefly to go check into our bed and breakfast which like almost all of them up here is a working farm. Bed and Breakfasts are the only option for accommodations in this area so don't expect five star hotels if you're coming for a visit.
But why would you want to? Up here, it's all about the simple things, all about embracing life, all about the lovely pigs...
Luxurious accommodations keep you in bed watching television. Up here you are meant to
be outside breathing in fresh air, taking nature walks, and rediscovering self.
Tucked away in a little valley with massive hills rising proudly behind it, a two story home is in the center of a bustling farm. A little stream runs gently through the middle of it. Stacked stone fences section off different vegetables gardens from one another. Pigs wallow in the their sty, a dog hurries along, and a horse neighs his welcome. It couldn't get any better than this. Inside the cozy cottage, we were ushered up a narrow flight of stairs to two minimalist bedrooms by a kind, elderly woman. Mother and I dropped our bags in our room and hurried back outside. I was hungering to see more of this wall. There had to be more left of the Roman's great legacy. Driving again, we passed a pub, and a few other farms, but the threat of over population definitely wasn't a problem up here. People were scarce.
We pulled next to a lake just as dusk was approaching. On the other side was a giant rock structure.

I now knew why we waited, for in front of me was a skeleton of a former milecastle. I ran towards it around the lake and up the hill. After catching my breath I quickly lost it again for a completely different reason when I surveyed the scene surrounding me. I was in a rock square abutted to the wall which was gaining height. From where I stood on the top, I could look down and see the lake and the three tiny figures of my companions whowere hurrying up the
hill to catch me. Taking in a deep breath of the cold, clean, refreshing air I spun around embracing the scene. There was nothing but miles of hills and sheep in sight. On my far right, just on the horizon, I could make out a huddle of cottages with smoking silently escaping from their chimneys. A shiver ran through my body at the thought of the fire. My adrenaline rush was wearing off and I could feel the cold creeping in, but cold weather had never stopped me before. Tucking my giant black scarf tighter into my jacket, I eyed the wall. A thought came into my head and I acted on it before my mom could object. I jumped up onto the wall and smiled down at Eli, Sophie, and mom just as they were rounding the corner.
"Get down from there! You can fall!" My mom said just as I had suspected.

I smiled at her and explained that actually it was between three and four feet wide up here and that I was fine. She rolled her eyes and starting walking towards the sheep that were huddling together on the field. They carried more interest to her than the wall. It stretched on for miles and on out of sight. The total length from one coast line to the other is around eight-four miles. I knew we didn't have time for that, nor strength and energy most likely, but a quick hike couldn't hurt any of us. Eli joined me up on the wall and we continued along taking in the countryside, taking pictures, and sharing thoughts of what had probably passed here around the milecastle. What kind of stories the soldiers must have had. Countless stories of bloodshed are recorded between the Romans and the Scots who didn't like the Romans being up here one little bit along with stories of escape attempts by the English who didn't like the Roman rule. I almost felt like the silence was taunting me with countless stories to learn.


Something was bothering me, something wasn't making sense. I wondered aloud where all of the rocks had gone. If this wall had been twenty feet tall, and was now only hitting four on average, where had all of the extra rocks gone?
"Farmers," Sophie explained.
I found this more than ironic. Farmers were the culprits. The rocks that had hemmed in their ancestors now made up their barns and land dividers. The wall of the great Roman Empire was now sheltering horses, chickens, and pigs. A lot of things had changed in two thousand years. So many stories over this history saturated land...


The dusk was quickly turning into the night. Twinkling lights from the pubs and farms dotted the horizon taking the place of the curling smoke stacks and creating a scene of absolute serenity. The low whisper of the wind was only infiltrated by the "bahing" from a herd of sheep and their shuffling along the field.
"The sheep! The sheep just jumped!" Mom yelled suddenly breaking the peace. Mom had been following them closely along the path trying to get as close to them as possible, but never close enough to touch. Apparently she had scared one so much, it had jumped flat hoofed up into the air. Our laughter rang forth and echoed across the land.
We followed the wall over the hills, the climbing became steep and the wall got higher. It was close to seven feet now. The darkness however was too much. Reluctantly, we had to turn around, and change our history search to a beeline for our bed and breakfast. It was only then that I had noticed the growling of four stomachs.
We discovered that we weren't the only travelers staying here. Another family had come up to see what they too might discover. From the kitchen, we were served delicious rustic food in a cozy dining room for fifteen at maximum. The quiet, cozy homelike atmosphere of the bed and breakfast was growing on me. We finished the evening in the living room by a wood fire with old records playing in the back ground. Nothing can beat that...


This morning, I'm amazed at myself. I touched history yesterday, well, more like I climbed history yesterday. I imagine the countless stories of bloodshed, deception, greed, love, and turmoil that has passed over Hadrian's Wall and now...now it's crumbling. The feeling, however, that there was more there, more to be discovered, more to know still lingers in my mind. The voices of history are crying out for their stories to be told!!



Ok...I admit it, I can be a little dramatic...
So on to simpler and more realistic things. I look back at my horse watching him eat his hay. I'm hungry. Thankfully, they are serving breakfast downstairs in thirty minutes. I can't help but smile at my new friend who is still standing at my window watching me and wonder what I will discover in this idyllic forgotten land. I mean after all where else have I woken up to a horse staring at me?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Can flat be dramatic?

Indiana


October 29, 2009


Can flat be dramatic?


Usually "dramatic" is given to landscapes such as sweeping mountain ranges, cascading water falls, or roaring oceans. Not flat...


Driving through Indiana, everything is flat. Everywhere you look...miles and miles of flat. No mountains, no water. The only thing is endless miles of CORN, endless miles of golden corn. Now before you yell, "Boring!" I beg of you be a little open-minded, for it is far from boring. So what then exactly?
Charming?
Daunting?
Dramatic?
Yes, yes, and yes.


So it's family road trip time! Yes, the four of us are taking a road trip together. It's me, mom, dad, and brother Teddy. Road trips are bonding times for us. We share family memories, stories, and lots of mochas. McDonalds has brought monopoly back so hey even more reason to stop at America's favorite fast food chain. If you know me, you know I don't love McDonalds, but remember that on a road trip, family votes comes before individual, and while their mochas aren't starbucks, it' still caffeine - the nectar of life.Yeah...


Anyways


This was my first time in the Midwest. I have driven in this area before, but this was my actual first time staying here. So embarking on this road trip, I was overly excited, and curious. This was a part of the US I had yet to explore. From NC, we passed through Virginia (through which I slept most of the way - sorry, Virginians - it was 4am); West Virginia (got to see the beautiful capitol building in Charleston); oHIo (the flat land began there) and finally we reached Indiana! I had NO idea what to expect, nothing, nada, zippo! So when the landscape whizzing by me turned to golden corn fields dotted with gorgeous barns and silos, I immediately whipped my camera and my journal out. This was a quintessential American experience!
As we drove, the corn did not stop. It just kept on coming. (Now I knew why when I bough
t popcorn it frequently said, "Product of Indiana." What else were they going to do with all of those kernels?) The corn began to grow on me. The color was astounding: golden brown for miles. Farmsteads, made up of two storied farm houses surrounded by white fences with giant barns and silos looming alongside, kept watch over these golden lands. That was another thing that's beautiful up here: the barns! They were massive! and Beautiful. I was absolutely loving the barns. Art in their own way. They stood out defiantly amongst the gold in colors like blood red or gleaming white. Could it possibly resemble something to war of the barns? Red vs. White...which color holds more dominance in these lands? Well, i'll have to consult the Amish. We were in their territory now. It was nothing to be driving down the road and see a horse and buggy headed in my direction. In fact, they got their own lane along the roadway. Now that's power!


I've got friends in all the right places...not quite, but let's just say God has truly blessed me with friendships that scatter all over the world. We were invited to dinner by friends who live in Etna Green, Indiana on our first night in this great state. Having never been there before, we got their address and put it into our forever faithful gps after we checked into our hotel. Getting close, we turned down a two lane road lined with cornfields. We were in the country, only a few homes, barely any cars, no commercial buildings. This was a haven in it's own way.
WELL, suddenly my fair lady (the gps) announced, "you are no longer in a recognizable area. turn by turn guidance is now being suspended." My dad pulled to a dead stop, and we stuck our heads out of the windows. Yeah, there was nothing out there but corn.
We stared at each other silently for a moment. OK, time to go back to the old fashion way. Mom quickly scrambled for the address and we continued driving looking for the street. (I do own a road map.) Thankfully, it wasn't too far down the corn stalked lane. We turned down what seemed to be an endless straightaway. Corn again was strad
dling both sides of the road. Ok no need to panic or anything, but it was starting to get dark, and cell phone service was sketchy. And there wasn't a sign of civilization anywhere. I couldn't help but roll down my window and soak in the glory of this evening. Despite us being directionless and completely surrounded by nothing but corn, the feeling of being out there was beyond intoxicating. For a moment there was something thrilling about the thought of being lost. No panic, no worry. Just peace. Of course, maybe I wasn't worried because I wasn't driving.


Well, Dad didn't have to worry for long, the corn came to an end, and we spotted a mailbox. We turned into the driveway hoping and praying we had found the right house. I mean you never know and we didn't want to knock on a stranger's door in the middle of nowhere, we didn't want to scare us or them. We sent mom and dad to the door as the sacrificial lambs. Mom started laughing when the door opened and we knew it was the right house.


After the greetings, I stole away again to take in my surroundings. Across from their home was a flat open field. Drinking in the cool autumn air, a sense of peace flooded through me. My senses perked up and I noticed some

thing. The silence. Have you ever heard silence? I mean you aren't suppose to hear it, but you can. You can even feel it. It's such a powerful movement, for it's so rare to have that when its present you must take notice. It demands your attention.


An interruption...leaves just fallen from the giant walnut tree in their yard rustled down the road. I stared up at the naked tree with its bare limbs jutting out in every direction like a crazy hair style wondering what it looked like a month ago before it shed its brilliant colors. Now the only color was the red barn behind it. You know the scene wouldn't be complete without a barn. Like everywhere else it stood out in the landscape almost like a beacon of hope. With the cold and the darkness approaching, there was warmth and light there.


I turned and looked back out over the field. Clouds hung low in the quickly fading gray autumn sky. It was an open field, a giant open field, and it was breathtaking. It wasn't a vast mountain range and it wasn't a rushing waterfall, but it was capturing my attention all the same. This flat open field, like many I had seen all day was amazing me. Something so many would view as mundane was giving me sheer pleasure.


So why? I had seen countless fields before, but I had never asked myself this question before. I had never really opened my mind to view it as dramatic before. In the past, I had simply glanced it over, ignoring it. But this open field was God's creation just like that giant mountain or the roaring ocean. It was another masterpiece by the greatest Artist of all.




So can flat be dramatic?


Yes, my friend, I think it most definitely can...
Happy traveling ~

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Amish give me a shock or two...

Northern Indiana, United States of America

October 2009

Spotted: Amish going above and beyond the norm totally shredding all of my thoughts and expectations concerning them as a group and/or people.

Ok, forgive me, but in my mind I have an idea of the Amish. I picture a very strict group of people who have completely shunned society and modern living. They live off the land: only eating vegetables from their own garden, drinking milk from their own cows, slaughtering their own chickens for dinner, and dressing simply in neutral or dark colors. Women wear dresses/skirts to their ankles and bonnets on their heads. Men wear big black hats, dark suits, and grow giant beards that santa claus would have in his younger days before the white took over. And of course, their only way of transportation is the old faithful horse and buggy.

BUT OH NO!!! Was I wrong! Well, it hasn't been the first time.

Here are a few of the encounters I had with the "Amish" this past weekend in Indiana.

1. In Walmart, I spotted an amish woman clad in dark navy skirt, white blouse and a bonnet. I watched her curiously. I didn't know the Amish shopped at Walmart. Was that allowed? Ok but here is what made my eyes bulge. Her cart was filled with two or three bags of Lays potato chips, cheez-its, and Christmas edition Little Debbie cakes!!! The little white tree cakes with red and green decorations. Umm...hello? Is that in any way natural?? I smiled broadly at her all the while my mind was racing with questions. I honestly wished I had asked her what possessed her to choose the Little Debbie cakes...I really do.

2. While at a gas station, a blue van pulled up and six or so traditionally dressed Amish men headed into the convenient store. Are they suppose to drive cars? Isn't that too modern? I guess not, they happily strolled into the store to pick up whatever their eyes lighted upon.

3. I witnessed two busloads of traditionally dressed Amish people heading into...the GOLDEN CORRAL! Ok...this totally shocked me. I believe I actually sputtered something similar to: "But...Wha...Wha What? But can they DO that??" I mean come on everybody, it's the Golden Corral! I'm sorry but I have to laugh...I never in a million years thought I would see them heading into a restaurant much less the Golden Corral. I shall now quote one of my friends, "The Amish have to eat too!"
Well, yes, they most certainly do, but what happened to those gardens growing in the back yard? Those chickens clucking in the coop? Those cows mooing to be milked? Just wondering everybody...I am simply wondering...

4. I did witness a more traditional Amish sighting with a twist. Driving down the road in the pitch black of night, and when I say pitch black, I mean black. No light except our car's headlights. We were in the corn back roads. Up ahead an orange light flashed...my brother and I freaked out. It reminded us too much of a scary movie we've seen. Well, it turned out to be an Amish family snuggled up tight in their horse and buggy, buggying it down the road lighting the way with orange hazard flashers on their buggy. Apparently, lanterns have gone out of style.

5. Again in Walmart, (on another day; isn't it funny that if you need something while traveling, the immediate go-to is Walmart?) a not so traditionally dressed Amish mother and her daughter (both shockingly bonnetless) snatched up two Halloween cakes from the bakery. The little girl looked down jubilantly at her cakes. Her excitement was so overwhelming, she almost licked the plastic lid...almost.

There were several more, but I think you get my point. Now please don't think I am knocking on the Amish. I am a firm believer that people should live how they feel they have been called. I believe God calls us all differently, and I know that some Amish families feel closer to God by living a simpler lifestyle and I fully embrace that. In fact, I salute them. I think it shows extreme self control to be able to live an Amish lifestyle especially with all of the modern day conveniences. Clearly some are choosing to embrace the 21st century evidenced by my spottings. I am simply sharing my amazement.

This goes to show that no matter what I expect from a place, people, or culture, I must always prepare to be shocked...just a little, and that's one of the joys of going to a new place and experiencing it.

I had a certain idea of the Amish when I set out on my journey, and I have a completely different view coming back. I guess I answered one of my own questions...

How open-minded are you?


More to come from Indiana...keep your eyes open.
Happy traveling~