Nashville, despite the brief time we had, treated us so well.
Your Broad,
Dacy
The drive from Atlanta to Nashville was uneventful, if not a relief. Our previous day in Atlanta had been stressful and unfortunate. It was nice to go to bed that night and just hit reset. By the time we made it to Nashville, the sun was starting to dip down. Ellen had reserved a camping/glamping site on a private plot of land. And I gotta say, as the sun crept closer into the horizon and we drove away from civilization, I started to worry- I didn't tell anyone about this camp site, no one knows where I am, Ellen and I have literally no weapons on us or knowledge of how to take care of ourselves in the wilderness. I could tell Ellen could tell I was starting to freak out. The directions took us farther and farther away from civilization, the darkness stretched deeper and deeper before us, the moon loomed above us in mock knowingness. By the time we reached the dirt road leading to the AirBnB, I was on edge, repeating 'this isn't right, I don't know about this, this isn't right'. It wasn't my most graceful or gracious moment and Ellen handled me well. The owner of the glamping site turned out to be a really nice guy and even though I was still wary of the situation, I started to settle down. It turned out to be such a lovely magical spot. We settled in and then wound our way back down to civilization to eat the best BBQ. You step out of the car and the smell of sweet sweet meat and sauce just surrounds you in an envelope of goodness. Take me back to that! We didn't even have one full day in Nashville which was a true shame. We happened to go on the weekend of the Country Music Awards, so the streets were jammed with drunk cowboy hat and boot-laden men and women. It was sort of a shame because it was so crowded, but also really interesting to witness. Country music is not my jam, so it was sort of amazing being in the thick of a North American culture of which I know nothing. The best part of this leg of our trip was the quiet night we had sitting in front of our glamping tent. No lights, no music. We didn't expect it, but a glint here, a flash there and then all around us: fireflies. It was beautiful, unexpected, and magical. I won't soon forget the way fireflies appear and disappear in bright flashes of electricity. Twinkling stars whose light doesn't have to travel light years to reach us. No pictures because there was just no way for us to capture the beauty.
Nashville, despite the brief time we had, treated us so well. Your Broad, Dacy
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I went on vacation to England in JANUARY and I am just getting around to posting more pictures. This particular day at Botany Bay was a lucky sunny day, but still so so cold. I don't know if my body has ever been more confused than it was being at a beach with icicles for feet! But it was a great little beach with looming white cliffs and a bunch of crazy jellyfish just chillin in the sand. Not sure if they were dead or just waiting for the tide to take them away again. Now that I think about it, should I have been more concerned? Anyway, here are the pictures, which are a little on the blue side for some reason. More to come, as always,
Your Broad, Dacy On a cold, windy, and drizzling January/February day trip to London I trudged up the hill that led to the Horniman Museum and Gardens. It was a weekday and the museum was brimming with school children running about, causing a ruckus. I didn't take but one picture inside and it came out poorly anyway. But I feel like the pictures of the surrounding area came out quite nice. It was a pretty day despite the drizzle and it ended with new friends and oversized beers at a Bavarian bar. Sigh. It looks so beautiful even if it does look cold. I realized today that I'm actually missing the cold/winter. California really doesn't have a winter, which I know a lot of people say, but you really just don't notice until you experience a winter/season change. And Spring is about to sprout in England! The clumps of pollen, the greenery, the increasingly longer days! Take me back and let me bask in the English sun with a cider.
Your Broad, Dacy Pictures from December/January. Buildings, nature, my animal, lights. These pictures are a taste of home, a reminder of where I am now and how lovely it can be just to be (even when I'm pining for being somewhere else). Also, I've somehow come to be a participant in Long Beach Zine Fest. My dear sweet amazing talented friend has offered part of her table to me and I shall do my best to create small works for eyes and minds to feast on. It's scary/exciting/crazy and I hope all my visions can come to some sort of reality. We'll see on April 24th if it all works out!
Your Broad, Dacy It's been nearly two weeks since my return from vacation. With jet lag and the inevitable happy/sad of post-vacation life, I've been a bit mopey. Life is tumultuous right now, full of looming changes and big decisions while somehow still feeling static and stagnant. When I look at the pictures below, they remind me of a time when I was possibly at my healthiest, The landscape inspired me to run, I wanted to go out and run just so I could see that bridge, feel the cool crisp air, hear the animals. These pictures remind me that even if I feel static and stagnant now, it doesn't mean I always will. It's possible that within a few months I'll be back by the river, running, inhaling all the beauty, exhaling all the bad. They remind me that not only is it okay to be alone, but it can be downright pleasant. I was possibly at my healthiest because I wasn't distracted by a bunch of things. I spent time really working on myself mentally and physically. Meanwhile, at home, being alone feels like there's a growing bubble in my chest that can burst at any moment. It's funny how perspectives can change. I need to keep in mind how I felt alone abroad and how I feel here. They can be similar, it's just in how I look at things. These pictures remind me that even though certain things are always there (the trees, river, and plants), they are always changing. Even the buildings, though they look as if they are unmoving, static, even those will change with each season. I may feel stagnant, but like the trees, the river, the plants, there are small changes happening to me. Right now. It just might take a while to see or feel that change. It was really nice to visit again and have some good lonely times at the Stour.
Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad, Dacy I should have updated while I was gone. I even took my laptop with me, but honestly didn't use it much at all. There was a lot of down time (like when I laundered all my pants at once and couldn't leave the house till they were dry), but there were also days that just flew by. Most of the time I felt so tired from train rides, walking, absorbing the cold, and being inwardly delirious with happiness. I forgot the simple joy of drinking ice cold water from the tap (and it tastes good!). Or looking out the window into a lush garden (even in winter the lawns are a vibrant green). I forgot how glorious the clouds can be, how open the fields can be, and how good their salt and vinegar sticks are. I forgot how nice it is to not have to add tax to anything- the price is the price and that's it. So easy. I forgot how good the bread is and that they keep their eggs at room temperature. I didn't actually forget any of this, but it was such a treat to soak it all up again. I had homemade scones for the first time (and they were delicious!). I had so many good meals, both home cooked and from restaurants. I walked and ran by the Stour. I took pictures. I saw old friends, made new friends, and got to know friends of friends better. I am spoiled by all the goodness. But now I'm back home and despite the inevitable sadness of vacation ending, I am ready to sleep in my own bed and cuddle my dog. I have pictures from before I left and pictures from my trip. Those shall be posted in due time. Here's just a few for now. Till next time,
Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad, Dacy These pictures are from my hometown of 30 years. Upon returning to California after six wonderful months abroad, I thought I might hate being in California. Untrue. I was sad, definitely. I missed England and traveling and my friends. But I had a renewed and unexpected appreciation for my home. It wasn't as classically beautiful and old, there weren't ancient cobblestone streets or fields of green stretching before me. But California certainly has its own unique beauty. Long Beach has a history of art deco-style which can still be seen in some of the architecture. My little dinky hometown, Bellflower, has its charms as well. Something about the vast urban sprawl of a suburban neighborhood can have its own appeal. On that note, however, let me be clear that while I appreciate home and all its charms, I certainly hope I get to travel as much as possible. And it's starting off a good year because today I have all the joy of going to the airport and hopping on a 10.5 hour long flight. England, I'm coming back for ya!
Your Broad (Soon-to-be) Abroad (Again!), Dacy You can tell I was born and raised in Southern California just from the title of this post. I can't help it, it just comes naturally, that infamous 'the' rolling right off my tongue. I did some brief looking around and found this interesting write up regarding an article about the 'the'. I can't say I agree with either the author of the article or the post, but it's something to chew on while I post these pictures taken en route to Santa Barbara to photograph a wedding. I wish I'd taken more, but we were a tad strapped for time and couldn't really stop. Some of these images feel very prehistoric (if you removed the obvious markers of man like the giant building in the last photo) and it makes me love California's coast just a little bit more. More to come, per usual.
Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad, Dacy Just some pictures from around Long Beach. As always, there will be more pictures soon.
Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad, Dacy I have always enjoyed the industrial skyline that Terminal Island offers up in place of the traditional landscape. Stacks of shipping containers, giant freighter ships, and the dirty isolated streets of a strictly industrial zone make up Terminal Island, which is nestled in between San Pedro and Long Beach. It takes two bridges to get to Terminal Island, but other than some beautiful industrial landscapes and a small yet touching memorial to the Japanese Fishing Village, which had every last one of its inhabitants sent to internment camps, there isn't much else. If you look up pictures of the Japanese Fishing Village and then compare them to what Terminal Island is now, it's a little heartbreaking. It used to be a thriving community and now the one restaurant/convenience store I saw was dangerously dilapidated and though the sign said open, looked very much closed. It's a wasteland now. . More pictures, more writing soon.
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DacyLimFrom Long Beach, CA to Canterbury, England and back. Archives
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