Author: Lisa

The 6 things that are keeping me inspired right now

The 6 things that are keeping me inspired right now

It’s hard to stay inspired. I’m working on a book about our trip (it’s going to be more of a how-to guide and less of a memoir) but I promised myself I wouldn’t give in to the old cliche and complain about how hard it 

Lucifer Falls tries to steal our souls!

Lucifer Falls tries to steal our souls!

“Why don’t you climb up on that ledge to take a photo,” Paul said. “That way you’ll cut out all that stuff in the foreground.” I mumbled a response about how I kind of liked the stuff in the foreground, but what I was thinking 

Small town living is good for my cooking

Small town living is good for my cooking

I’ve been pretty down on small town living so far. I thought I was ready for a small town after Chicago, but going from a city of 3 million to a town of 1,700…it’s been a bit of an adjustment (even when you forget all 

Hooray for Beaujolais Nouveau and Red Feet Wine Market!

Hooray for Beaujolais Nouveau and Red Feet Wine Market!

Today is the third Thursday of November! Today is the day that Beaujolais Nouveau emerges from the temporary storage rooms of French wineries and makes its way around the globe, bringing joy to wine lovers (then leaving them with terrible, terrible hangovers on the third 

Lisa’s favorite place(s)

Lisa’s favorite place(s)

The question we’re most often asked is: “What was your favorite place?” This question is impossible to answer, because we didn’t have one favorite place. I usually reply by listing a few places I loved, then pretty soon I find myself throwing out just about every single 

So, I’m trying to think of a clever title for this post about gorges near Ithaca…

So, I’m trying to think of a clever title for this post about gorges near Ithaca…

That’s what everyone says, right — “Ithaca is Gorges.” We have, at last count, three items in our (downsized) house that bear those three words. You can’t go anywhere here without seeing these three words stamped or printed or carved on every object imaginable. The 

Bathrooms: A How To Guide

Bathrooms: A How To Guide

Why is it that people feel the need to post signs in restrooms telling you how to use the bathroom? We spotted so many — here are some of my favorites. 1. Rest area in Oklahoma: 2. Passive-aggressive note in a coffee shop in northern 

The Ultimate packing list: what you need (and don’t need) to live in a van for a year

The Ultimate packing list: what you need (and don’t need) to live in a van for a year

We’ve unloaded our van and turned it back into a normal passenger vehicle. It’s terrible. It seems so strange to drive around in a normal minivan — I imagine it’s similar to how you’d feel if you dyed your bright blue hair back to black 

Our collective photo-assisted memories

Our collective photo-assisted memories

Upon hearing of our impending move to the Ithaca area, one of our college buddies shared a story from the New York Times about the decline of the college bar scene in places like Ithaca. According to the author, students aren’t drinking less, they’re just 

Fall in the Adirondacks

Fall in the Adirondacks

Once, I asked my Dad why he and my Mom had decided to live where they did — in the middle of nowhere, upstate New York. He responded: “The Adirondacks.” Our visit this past week reminded me why I was satisfied with that one-word answer.

Home Sweet…Trumansburg?

Home Sweet…Trumansburg?

It’s official – we finally have a place to call home – a real apartment, not a bedroom on wheels. It’s got walls, doors, a few sinks, a fridge. A stove that doesn’t fold up into a suitcase. A roof and a porch. It even 

My favorite touristy thing in London: Westminster Abbey

My favorite touristy thing in London: Westminster Abbey

I love cemeteries. Not modern cemeteries so much — they feel too sad, too fresh and recent. I’m happy in old, old cemeteries with elaborate sculptures and tombs and overgrown plantings. Places like Père Lachaise, Montmartre Cemetery, and the Catacombs in Paris, the Unitarian Church’s cemetery