tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713524.post6798755654238845553..comments2023-10-29T03:58:05.452-04:00Comments on Casting Off: We keep waiting for your footstepsMelissa Jenkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671992975667465476noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713524.post-83933009676991144662010-02-17T23:17:41.150-05:002010-02-17T23:17:41.150-05:00Thanks for the comments, Rachael! I see you are i...Thanks for the comments, Rachael! I see you are in Taipei.... Lucky you. And lucky my friend Amanda--who gets to spend the next two years in Madagascar! (I'm working on a vast package, with CD and letter and hopefully candy. You might get it sometime this millennium.)<br /><br />I'm actually planning another vast camping trip and land-hunting expedition through Alabama in March, so thanks for the tips!Melissa Jenkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05671992975667465476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713524.post-33062362802222821782010-01-28T07:56:59.829-05:002010-01-28T07:56:59.829-05:00Hey Melissa! You quest for land sounds wonderful,...Hey Melissa! You quest for land sounds wonderful, and camping in the winter, brings back memories of our camping years ago in a deserted campground! I miss you dear one, and hope that you are well! I'm moving into my village tomorrow, starting to settle down for two years, so very strange to me! Write when you can, AmandaLamandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13253914663416140829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713524.post-64242809949639343282010-01-24T13:08:26.858-05:002010-01-24T13:08:26.858-05:00Hi Melissa,
I ran across your blog today and reall...Hi Melissa,<br />I ran across your blog today and really enjoy it. I've only read a few of your most recent posts but a lot of it sounds a lot like me. I also like your post on how hard it can be to be around your family and to constantly be reminded that you are still between step 2 and 3. Actually I've liked all the posts I've read thus far, they resonate with me and discuss the depth of life that I am not brave enough to post on my own sight. <br /><br />One of my favorite movies has a scene where this young lady was explaining that she was always moving around as a child and that she really like this old ladies life, who had always stayed in one place. In response the lady said "Well that's ok, some people carry home more on the inside." It is a phrase that has always helped me when I am bothered by not having a place to call home. So maybe you don't need to make an eternal quest out of finding a home and just realize that maybe you are already home.<br /><br />Give Alabama some time. I really grew to adore it. I enjoyed the people a lot but the land is where true beauty of the place lies. I grew up in Michigan and then went to UofA for school so I understand the experience of being an outsider. <br /><br />Now I'm still a little unsure of how your life works and if you are constantly camping and moving around or if you stick around in a place for a little while. If you are staying around Tuscaloosa for a bit and want to meet some cool people I would suggest going to the Downtown Pub on Friday nights. They have a club called the Druid City Drinking club and they are usually there on Fridays. They also have lots of other fun events. You can also check out this website. It will tell you all the different things going on around town. http://www.wellthatscool.com/ Also if you are going to stay in Alabama for a bit I would suggest you canoe the Tensaw Delta. It's absolutely amazing and they have a lot of nicely marked trails you can go on and place to camp along the river. http://www.outdooralabama.com/outdoor-adventures/bartram.cfm<br /><br />Sorry this might be too much information, you might not even be in Alabama by the time you read this, but I figured I would pass along the information just in case.Rachaelhttp://geotraveleradventures.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713524.post-11171199458235891292010-01-17T11:35:26.859-05:002010-01-17T11:35:26.859-05:00You know, I wrote this post before I had spent muc...You know, I wrote this post before I had spent much time down there, and I found all of the stereotypes about Alabamians to be wrong. So far, at least. I loved the people I met. They were gracious, kind, unassuming, welcoming. The thing I did find to be true was that things moved at a different pace down there, in the country, a slower pace. I could really get used to that.Melissa Jenkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05671992975667465476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713524.post-23660441426749251842010-01-17T09:17:46.877-05:002010-01-17T09:17:46.877-05:00Interesting thoughts on looking for and wanting to...Interesting thoughts on looking for and wanting to find a home, Melissa. (Two different things, you seem to be saying.) I wouldn't worry too much about being an outsider. I think what Alabamians object to in 'foreigners' is 'know-it-all-ness'. An interested, humble attitude,and willingness to work and pay your own way goes far. You may never be an insider, but you can be loved and admired and sometimes included, and that should be enough. <br /><br />I recently read (wish I could remember where) a quote that said, 'It is none of your business what other people think of you'. I've been turning that over, trying to decide if it is true. It is certainly a liberating thought.Ellen D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17941596839062612373noreply@blogger.com