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Category: North Carolina

What I Did & Spent on a Solo Weekend in Asheville & the Great Smoky Mountains

I really, really needed this trip. I needed to get out of town, to put on my pack and walk into the woods. I needed to spend a few hours in the car, music up and windows down. I needed to be alone in the woods, to take myself to dinner, to drink new beers, […]

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This week I reset my life. Turns out, being out o This week I reset my life.Turns out, being out of the country for 16 days is exhausting. Still, I’m exceptionally thankful I was able to visit Finland & experience Normandy again. This week, I:- came home & finally ran into a pilot I know along the way - handed out a few goodies I got in Finland, including licorice & meat paste- had a great lunch at Morty’s with a good friend - spent time with one of my nieces - prepped the stock tank pool & went for a small-sized soak - saw some good cats - went on many early-morning dog walks Currently, I’m:- watching Shrinking- still reading Buckeye - building van cabinets- pretty pleased with the bird life in my backyard
I thought my last trip to Normandy would be my one I thought my last trip to Normandy would be my one and only — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But there I was again, back in France, back in Normandy and back on that beach.My time there started at the Château de Vouilly with public affairs professionals and new friends, including one who gave me an exceptional gift: an image he captured of 29th ID historic reenactors on the beach. I also watched my friends, peers and leaders explore Normandy — the beach, the headstones at the Normandy American Cemetery, and the return of more than 20 WWII veterans to France, including one making his first trip back at age 107.At 6:30 a.m. on June 6, we marked the sacrifice of the Bedford Boys, those 19 men who perished in the surf and sand, men from the same place I was born. We celebrated a reenlistment and a promotion, supported a few more ceremonies and then I took a longtime friend, newly arrived in Normandy, to see the sights he hadn’t yet seen.We visited the Normandy American Cemetery and found the still-missing Hoback brother on the Wall of the Missing. We visited the German dead and noted the stark contrast between the cemeteries, and remembered that those buried there, though the enemy, were so often just young boys doing what their nation required of them.Finally, we ended in Saint-Lô to honor Maj. Thomas Howie, the Major of Saint-Lô. Shortly after promising “See you in St. Lô,” Howie was killed by shrapnel. The next day, when his men entered the devastated city, his flag-draped body was carried on the hood of the lead jeep, fulfilling his promise and making him the first American into the liberated city. We know these stories because of the war correspondents who told them — Andy Rooney, Ernie Pyle, Robert Capa, Ernest Hemingway, Walter Cronkite and so many more, whose words and images were sent from Château de Vouilly where I’d started my week. To stand in those places again — as someone born in Bedford, as the granddaughter of a WWII veteran who came ashore on Omaha Beach D+6, as a Soldier and as a public affairs professional — was an exceptional part of this final chapter of my military career.
This week, I fell very much in love with Finland. This week, I fell very much in love with Finland.I:- had two very different and very exceptional meals in Helsinki - finished reading Yesteryear (3/5 - premise = great, approx. 100 pages too long, felt pretty meh about the ending)- didn’t watch a single bit of television - ate a lot of cinnamon buns - walked a lot - had a fantastic time playing musical bingo at a Irish Pub in Kouvola - didn’t fight a single goose - checked a few birds of my bird list - did not sauna because my tattoo is much too freshCurrently, I’m: - in Paris- preparing myself for another busy week- missing Claude and the kitties- reading Buckeye - in desperate need of a massage #sundayreset
Y’all, I got so much shit done this week. I’m pret Y’all, I got so much shit done this week. I’m pretty pleased with myself & now, for the next many days, I’m in Europe.This week, I:- tackled nearly everything on a robust to-do list - had an 8-hour layover at O’Hare - set up an auto feeder so my tuxedo cat would stop throwing empty food bowl across the room- did not finish The Hounding because I left it in my living room with 30 pages left to read - got a new tattoo, courtesy the very talented @dana.does.tattoos Currently, I’m:- in Finland - real tired - reading Yesteryear & enjoying it minus a few wine-related inconsistencies- getting ready for bed at 8pm local time- obsessed with the expandable puff tote I got from @onequince - missing my dog
This week was busier than I wanted it to be. I: – This week was busier than I wanted it to be.I:- celebrated the completion of my 23rd year in the Army - drank a good bit of Sauvignon Blanc- finished the first season of Shrinking (♥️)- ate mulberries fresh off the tree in my back yard - gave up on front yard grass for the 6th consecutive year - finished reading the Heart’s Invisible Furies (5/5 ⭐️)Currently, I’m:- reading the Hounding by Xenobe Purvis- prepping the stock tank for pool season - packing for work trips to Finland & France - trying to figure out how to spend a day in Helsinki - beautifying the closet and basement doors in the entry of my 100+ year old home - thankful to have kept two hydrangeas alive for multiple weeks

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