When I was growing up, most of our summer vacations involved a two-day drive—from Huntington, Best Virginia to Wytheville, Virginia to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina—a week in the ocean-front Hartford C Motor Inn, then two days to travel back home. Yep. Two days each way. Don’t laugh. My dad was that driver. The summer after […]
Ireland 101: 12+ Travel Tips for Enjoying the Emerald Isle
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, friend! Today I’m offering up travel tips for the emerald, patchwork-quilt island known as Ireland. Specifically, the southern region. First and foremost: Pack a high-quality rain jacket. Maybe even test-drive it in the shower. Because the weather in Ireland can be super rainy. Unless you visit in May or June, their […]
Scotland Versus America: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
You can tell I’ve fallen in love with a city (or country) if I pick up a real estate publication for the area. If I wanted to move there, how much might a house cost? Over the years, I’ve considered Bruges in Belgium, Sanibel Island in Florida, and San Francisco. And now, Scotland. Shall I […]
Scotland: A Whole New (Make that, Old) World
Last week I flew to a remote village in Scotland for a women’s “listening and hiking retreat.” The website applecross.uk.com describes the area like this: “Between the mainland mountain masses and the Island of Skye lies the Applecross Peninsula. Home to just a couple of hundred people, and accessed by only two roads, the Bealach […]
Lessons from The Thousand-Year Flood
Beneath the photo of her flooded home, my friend DeeDee’s June 23, 2016 Facebook status read: “One day can change everything.” My heart sank. Over the course of more than a year, via Instagram, I watched DeeDee and Bobby Lewis build their dream home on the banks of the Elk River in Clay County, West […]