Another site...

I found a fun site - http://burntmarshmallows.ning.com/. It's all about camping - you can read and post blogs and share photos!

Challenges

Life has been filled with some pretty challenging things lately. In the midst of it, I realized that it would be very easy for me to give up and to slip into middle aged complacency. That gave me a start, so I'm going to start to fiercely recognize some desires I still have. One entails a masters degree in museum studies. The other ~ my body. So, I have decided to start training for a journey through Wilderness Travels that goes to the base camp of Mt. Everest.

The wonder of it is, to train, I am doing a variety of things - I've pulled my ballet shoes back out; I'm starting a zumba class tomorrow, and best of all, I'm climbing mountains. This past weekend, my sister and I started out with nearby Viking Mountain. It was later in the day, so we hiked to the fire tower and then to the Blackstack Cliffs...not long trails, but the chill air was wonderful, and the brisk walk got our hearts pumping. The autumn scenery was fabulous.





Blackstack Cliffs
"I'm sittin' on top of the world."

One of the next trails to take...

Blue Springs Reenactment

Out West

One of mine and Emily's jaunts ~

Appalachia

And then, here am I. Part of a vastly beautiful and slowly decaying world.











What shall we do next?

Wilmington

I have a definitive kinship with Wilmington. It started during the training trip this time last year, and it has done nothing but grown this go-around. The work is satisfying, the company brilliant, the food insatiably satisfying...and the brooding river sets the scene for all. There are coffee shops and carriages, used book stores and Italian gourmet shops, art galleries and weekly wine tastings. I've never seen a place where you so easily become enmeshed in the scene.

This week has been so needed. My coworkers/friends and I have talked about books, movies, politics, current events, trivia, philosophy, travel, parks, archives...so stimulating and outside my usual scope. I must remember to be larger.

Ahhh...

Back in Wilmington, NC. One of my favorite places ever. What do you think of my room two streets up from the Cape Fear River?