Reblog: Why you should travel young

(read this) Why you should travel young

You won’t always be young. And life won’t always be just about you. So travel, young person. Experience the world for all it’s worth. Become a person of culture, adventure, and compassion. While you still can.

- Geoff Heith

This article would be just as necessary a read if it were called “Why you should travel. Period.”

I’ve been living in the same town in the same house for nearly a year now, and I’m starting to feel the need to ramble again. There are no current plans to uproot and move on, but articles like this make it easy for me to remember why I like to keep moving.

Is travel calling you, reader? What are your plans?

“Look Out Mama” Hurray for the Riff Raff

I tell you, I can’t wait for payday. First of all, I love paying bills.
(Lie. It’s April Fools Day, ha!)

In all seriousness, I am so excited to make my first music purchase in a long time.

This band, Hurray for the Riff Raff, is straight out of New Orleans–a place I desperately want to visit–and has a great country/cajun feel to all their songs. My new favorite*, their style gives me a nostalgic feel and a huge urge to start rambling again.
Check out their website and album, “Look Out Mama” here.

Thanks to my friend Natalie for posting this vid to Facebook a few weeks ago.

*No, still not out of my Ke$ha phase.

International Women’s Day

Women hold up half the sky.

- Chinese proverb

I am a proponent of women’s rights all over the world. Regular viewers (are there such things?) are familiar with my interest and work with artisans in Tanzania last year. It has been over a year since I returned, and I still remember what it was like to be there.

WomenCraft is a social enterprise that works with refugee-impacted, and some refugees, women in northwestern Tanzania. Closely situated to Burundi and Rwanda, the Ngara district was heavily affected by the refugee crisis (Rwandan genocide) in the 1990s. WomenCraft helped organize female artisans and assist them in marketing and selling their baskets around the country, as well as abroad. In addition, the org worked with artisans on literacy and mathematics training, finance and side projects, such as making soap.

Artisans told me, as well as others who have worked there, that the financial impact has allowed them become financially independent, giving them the ability to support themselves and their children.

I worked at WomenCraft as a marketing intern, photographing the product line, developing a more streamlined pricelist and other marketing materials, including newsletters and artisan profiles. I got the honor of photographing many of these women–my favorite aspect of my four short months with WomenCraft.

As much as WomenCraft has impacted these women, I would say their impact on their communities and volunteers with the organization is much great. I know that is cliché, but I can think of several times when I realized how respected these women became and how inspired I felt by their pride in their work. It made me proud of my own.

Artisans of Mubayange

Artisans of Muratabo

Ellie, design intern, and Mama Mpenzille, now Executive Director, discussing product quality with artisans

The daughter of an artisan, who was very curious about my camera

Geniva, Ellie, Mama Sarai, Edron and Mama Mpenzille weaving at the office

The dadas (incorrect Swahili for “sisters”) – Me, Vanja, Gloria, Breez, Ellie and Meghan

Marina + Ulay

A meeting between performance artists and former lovers/collaborators Ulay and Marina Abramovic. A good friend shared this vid with me earlier in the week. It’s worth passing along.

Home: Colonial Farm Nursery

Lacey and I putzed around Martinsburg last week and decided to make a pitstop at a random, lonely-looking nursery along Tuscarora Pike. There wasn’t much around other than seedlings, but, hey, the sign said, “Open.”

A few super nice ladies said we could roam freely, so we walked around the barren greenhouses and gawked at (and purchased) some succulents.

Here’s a little glimpse of Colonial Farm Nursery.

(This seemingly ferocious guard dog can be easily soothed with a good belly rub.)

A Journey: Rehoboth Beach, DE

My good friend Meg and I had a quick escape to Delaware back in October. At a point when we were both dealing with some issues (boys. my advice: just don’t.), we decided the best cure for frustration was the sand and shore.

We made fairly good time, leaving around 7 to bypass most of the rush hour traffic. The drive from Shepherdstown was smooth sailing, taking us only four hours.

Because we visited during the off-season, the beach was fairly empty and the prices around town were fantastic. A room at the Crosswinds Motel cost only $60 and parking was totally free!

We fit a ton of activities in on our 24 hour quest for relaxation: a visit to a lavender farm, a brewery tour, walking, lounging, eating, eating and more eating.

Here are some images of Rehoboth Beach proper:

Our motel room, left, and a view down the main drag of Rehoboth, right.

This taffy is delicious. This is coming from the girl who is exclusively a chocoholic.

Taffy, below, paired with some of the lovely “beach swag” that decorates many of the buildings in Rehoboth.

Meg in front of Penny Lane Mall, one of the many shopping alleys. There are so many of these–it felt like we ran into one everywhere we turned!

I love the colors and architecture styles Rehoboth has. These to images seemed to echo one another, as well as their location.

A view of the oceanfront hotels from the beach.

A pretty cute couple was napping on the beach.

The water.

Spaces: light

Monday brought sunlight and mild temperatures to my town, and the house played host to some beautiful happenings. I spent a good portion of the day spotting and photographing them.

Here are some images: