place Archives - Page 2 of 113

place

September 17, 2014

Summertime in the South

I believe in summertime in the South— humidity so thick I can’t breathe, sweat that runs down foreheads, backs drenched with whole rivers of it, Chilton County peaches, charcoal grills fired up in every backyard, softball, baseball, sandbars on the...

September 3, 2014

What Makes Home, Home

A few years ago, I got divorced. We had to leave the house where our kids grew up, a house we’d worked on for 13 years. We transformed it from a worn 1931 era house, to a warm, comforting cottage....

August 26, 2014

The Bridge

The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge spans opposing realities on either side of the Hudson River. The city of Kingston, the original capitol of New York State, was burned by the British and resurrected by IBM to be a technological hub a couple...

June 30, 2014

Rain in Appalachia

I believe that there are ideal ways in which we all learn, but that we are all capable of learning in many different environments. I believe one of the greatest things we can do for our students is, get to...

June 3, 2014

American by Birth; A Global Citizen by Heart

I’ve met dozens of American expatriates who defied tradition by leaving their towns, families and friends for the experience of living and working abroad. In the name of maintaining a life as a global citizen, they have missed grandma’s pumpkin...

June 3, 2014

The DNA of Place

I believe that the DNA of place resides in my being. It’s more than just “I come from outside Chicago.” My ancestor’s home nearly four hundred years ago is forever a part of who I am today. I believe that...

April 18, 2014

Appreciating Time Spent Alone

I believe in spending time alone. I am not advocating isolation or even suggesting distancing oneself from friends or family. Instead, I am encouraging independence from constant company. As an only child, I grew up playing by myself. I would...

April 18, 2014

Singing in Your Car

I believe a great way to relieve stress is to drive around and just sing your heart out regardless if you know how to sing or not. Every single night around sunset I take a thirty-minute drive by myself to...

January 29, 2014

I Believe in a Good Handshake

Handshaking is an essential part of greeting new people, or people you already know. Whether it be a clammy and cold handshake or brief and weak handshake, there is a certain art to it that shouldn't be taken so lightly....