We Caught the Wanderfoot...

After spending about 2 years in Central New York literally planting roots (and growing some awesome veggies too!) we've decided to leave the area.  Though the lakes are unparalleled in their beauty, the local apple and maple sugar traditions are mouth-watering, and the proximity of family is comforting, we're getting itchy feet.  The crisp leaves of last fall signaled the slowing of the seasons followed by the long, not-for-the-faint-of-heart winter. Then the first thaw of spring and impending summer spurred the desire to create, grow, and explore.

We are very proud of our experiences and accomplishments in CNY.  To see the transformation of our soil and the presence of earth worms where there had been none before.  To see the food we grew and preserved last summer still providing us our meals today.  We learned that what we put into it, we got out of it.  And we put a lot into this area--we learned to embrace the winter and found deep enjoyment in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in bitter cold and biting wind.  We sat out in the spring, snow still on the ground, bundled up under the stars to finish the 12+ hour boil of our first season's maple syrup.  We got blisters, sore muscles, dirty nails, rough hands, sun burned backs, and red necks.  And we discovered that we loved it!

But we've been working only with annuals, planning and producing for the season without permanence and we're ready to move on to perennials. We're not just talking about plants either! It's a tough to decide whether to nurture something with patience or just let it go.  Sometimes we see a lot of potential for this area to bear fruit in the future, but it's just not for us right now.

So, we've decided to move on to greener pastures.  But first, we're off on another adventure!  On June 22, 2011 we fly to Bangkok, Thailand where we'll spend 3 months traveling in the region.  In addition to Thailand we're planning to visit Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.  There will be ancient temples, secluded mountain towns and postcard worthy beaches.  We're going to eat food that burns our faces off.  We're going to be cultural sponges, out of our element, just soaking it all up.  And just like we usually do we'll write about it here.

It may seem crazy to leave the supportive family environment we've been living in, where we've had the ability to test out our green thumbs and save up some money.  We've got good jobs where we work short hours and make good money.  We're quitting and traveling instead of waiting and saving. When we get back from our trip we're moving to Asheville, NC, a city we've only briefly visited where we know next to no one.  We have no job prospects, we have no living arrangements made, we have no Southern accents.  But all those things are easily obtainable (except for the accent, that's going to take some work and a whole lotta beer).  As far as we can tell, Asheville is a great city and the perfect place for us--progressive, locally focused and vegetarian friendly.  A small city swelling with art & culture. A slightly warmer climate with a longer growing season but still the beauty of all four seasons.

So, call us crazy, but the way we see it, life is short...and the world is wide!

Post your comments, give us recommendations, suggest wacky things for us to do, and follow all our travels here.

xoxo, S&M