two weekends ago, luke & I went on a float trip with his coworkers from the bakery. it was incredibly relaxing, full of delicious foods, warm weather, & a few good reads. along our trip, we rested our canoes on the shore & found a beautiful, old, & abandoned cabin atop a ridge. the cabin was surrounded by lush plants & trees; it still had a working water spout!
now, reflecting on the trip, I wish I were still there, napping on the banks & enjoying fresh sugar snap peas & hummus. life has been hectic & frustrating at times. I am looking forward to this sunday when I will move all of my things from my car & into my new home. still, I realize, having a home to call your own is something I most often take for granted. I am so thankful for all of the beds & couches I have slept on this week; it has definitely been a growing experience for me.
love,
natalie
almost a month ago, a friend & I drove about an hour out of town & down many dirt roads to a farm belonging to her grandparents. we sat outside, among the wildflowers & hummingbirds, & talked until the late afternoon. her grandfather, before we left, insisted that we each take a bag of his homegrown salad mix from his garden & I couldn’t resist.
it was incredibly peaceful, being out on the farm. and as it gets closer to graduation, I sometimes wonder where luke & I will end up. next spring, we will start the process of applying for the peace corp. but after that, will we travel to another state, perhaps oregon? will we continue our lives in columbia & make a permanent home here? & will we decide to live out in the country & create a farm together? or will we decide to make a small plot in the city & still enjoy the small pleasures of riding bicycles to the library & market?
there is still so much time, but I am always wondering. I know that wherever we end up, it will be good. one of my favorite things about luke is his hard work in pursuing his dreams. i see that now in him as he works at uprise bakery. so, I am sure that luke & I will continue to foster these spirits for a life of simplicity, of traveling, of making a home & serving Him.
love,
natalie
{images from here. go & visit- it’s delicious!}
with family emergencies, working full time, floating along the river, & assembling wedding invitations, there hasn’t been much time for any blogging. life is hectic, to say the least. but- i am so happy despite all of these changes. floating left me feeling relaxed & ready for these next two months.
in less than two weeks, i will be moving into a tiny home in the woods, with a friend, for a month. i hope for many meals on the hardwood floor, to wake up & spend my mornings on the porch with a cup of coffee, & to actually finish a book & start a new one.
in less than six weeks, i will be mrs. freeman. our tiny wedding will be over, but we will be in the blue ridge mountains, enjoying nice walks on the farm & delicious, local food.
in two months, we will be moving into our new home & starting daily life. there will be lots of love, i just know it.
love,
natalie