The Original Explorer
Every family has someone who quietly shapes the generations that follow. For me, that’s my grandma. She grew up in the mountains of West Virginia,…
Read the ChapterA journey told in chapters
Memoir Journal
An ongoing memoir organized by destination and volume — read at your own pace.
America the Beautiful
The Original Road Trip
The first time we made the journey to West Virginia and Ohio, I barely remember it because I was so young. What I do remember…
Read the ChapterWatch Out for the Critter
It was a few years later before I had a chance to road trip to West Virginia and Cincinnati again. This time I was probably…
Read the ChapterSummer Road Trips with Grandma
When I was in high school, I began venturing out every summer with my Grandma on her annual trips to West Virginia and Ohio. Each…
Read the ChapterGo Big or Go Home
The year Grandma turned 50, I remember we decided to get bold and planned a two-week trip, extending our journey into Arkansas and across half…
Read the ChapterThe Flooded Camper
Our trip started as usual, with us first making our trek up to West Virginia to visit Grandma’s friends, Paul and Barbara. They were always…
Read the ChapterUncle Dickie and the Doggy Disaster
The next morning we got up early to start our day, making our way to a nearby Huddle House for breakfast since most of our…
Read the ChapterGlass Hunting and Senior Discounts
When we weren’t spending time with family and friends, Grandma and I liked to visit a few local blown-glass manufacturers who sold to the public,…
Read the ChapterGrandma’s Camper Secret
This was our last evening in Huntington before packing up and setting off toward the family reunion in Beckley, West Virginia. The next morning would…
Read the ChapterThe Fall
A lot of our time in Beckley was spent with family, visiting various members who lived in town to catch up with them, and a…
Read the ChapterSour Tea
It was a long drive that took us through Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri before we finally arrived in Arkansas. This was the first…
Read the ChapterBreakfast at the ER
As we crossed the state line into Arkansas, we watched for the welcome sign. It proudly showed it was the home of our current president…
Read the ChapterLittle Baby’s Turn
During our visit in Arkansas, Little Baby was bitten by a spider. Well, we guessed it was a spider. What happened was we were walking…
Read the ChapterThe Long Road Home
Once we were on the road again, I pulled out our big map to get an idea of which way to go. Our route home…
Read the ChapterOne More Campfire
However, there were aftershocks from that trip. Once we got back, I spent the night on my Grandma’s couch since we got in late. One…
Read the ChapterJapan
Why Japan
The Japan journey began during one of the hardest seasons of my life. My husband and I started planning our trip to Japan while my…
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Our First Night in Tokyo
Our first night in Tokyo went by in a blur of lights, movement, and quiet amazement. We spent a couple of hours walking through Shinjuku,…
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Ukiyo — Living in the Moment
Our first day in Japan, I made Amin wear matching Tokyo souvenir shirts with me. You know — the winner from HeatherbugLiving on Etsy that…
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The Mountain, the Crosswalk & the Dragons
Day 2 in Japan. Amin booked us a day trip to Mt. Fuji, the highest peak in Japan. We’re technically a couple of weeks past…
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Temples, Markets & Magic Toilets
3rd day in Tokyo, we toured all over the place. It’s not hard to walk 8 miles a day. We’ve also been in the habit…
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Arriving in Kyoto
Today’s adventure was the equivalent of a “rest day” during our travels — though in Japan, even the slower days somehow still turn into unforgettable…
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A Day in Osaka
Just when I thought we were finally getting used to sleeping in, I beat the alarm and woke up at 6:30 a.m. Lord, I don’t…
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Bamboo, Gold & Gion
After waking up around 5 a.m. every day because our sleep schedule was completely confused, we finally managed to sleep in until 8 this morning.…
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The Gates of Fushimi Inari
Today was our last day in Kyoto. We got an early start, but not too early since we only had one place we wanted to…
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The Last Day
Our last day in Japan. I can feel home calling. We’re back in Tokyo, strolling through Shinjuku revisiting streets we walked at the very beginning…
Read the ChapterStay on the journey
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