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I love ME…I mean Maine!
After a busy month of work, hunting, and visitors, my parents and I jetted off to enjoy the easternmost state in the Union. We choose Maine because none of us had been before, and the idea of rugged coastlines, mountainous forests, and stunning fall foliage sounded like an excellent way to spend a week. Even as the plane circled the coast above Portland, I could see hints of reds and yellows in the trees.
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Waiting on Wapiti: a Lifetime Hunt for a Bull Elk
When every one else is getting ready for Pumpkin Spice lattes and scarves, my family welcomes fall in a different way. September is archery hunting season. Being part of a hunting family includes some oddities. For example, the first time I ate a steak at a restaurant when I was 10, I leaned over and told my mom the meat tasted funny. This is because I grew up eating elk steak and elk burger. One elk feeds my family for a whole year and it’s my family’s go-to protein. Additionally, I never went through the ‘where does meat come from?’ phase, nor the shock that beef comes from cows and…
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A Dream like Magic, A World Like Poetry: the Strange the Dreamer Duology
Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmare are two titles in a brilliant, poetic, and intriguing duology by Laini Taylor featuring a lost city, a librarian with a dream, and the half-human children of gods. This is the kind of book that haunts you...in every perfect way.
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Invictus: the Best Time Travel Novel I’ve Read in Ages
Invictus by Ryan Graudin is a brilliant non-stop adventure filled with sassy characters, sweet friendships, and high stakes. This is one of the best time-travel novels I have ever read.
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The Weight of Ink: A Feminist and Jewish Masterpiece
The Weight of Ink whisks you from the present to the past, and guides you on a path (paved by strong, intelligent women) through Jewish history and faith.
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Piranesi: Enter a World both Mysterious and Known
Susanna Clarke's Piranesi introduces readers to a word both mysterious and familiar as she weaves a spell of urgent discovery wrought with lyrical wonder.
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A Gem in the German Alps: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Springtime
2022 European Adventure: Part 5 of 6 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (along with being a mouthful of a name) is a beautiful town nestled in a valley in the German Alps. When deciding where to go after the lovely town of Heidelberg, all it took was one picture before I was hooked on Garmisch-Partenkirchen (just scroll down and you’ll probably feel the same). With low hanging clouds, jagged peaks, traditional Bavarian architecture, and a long history, this is the perfect European mountain town. Getting to Garmisch-Partenkirchen was another adventure, as train travel often seems to be (no splitting trains this time, which is a shame because we were ready!), but several long delays…
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The Red-Stone Ruins of Heidelberg Castle
2022 European Adventure: Part 4 of 6 Any one who knows me knows this: I am obsessed with castles. The German town of Heidelberg is home to imposing castle ruins rising above a red-roofed medieval town. It’s the medieval kind of castle, with towers and bricks and spiral staircases and looming walls. Palaces are the lacy, frilly, gold-gilt ones. That’s not what I’m about. I love fortresses, castles, bastions–anything that can be defended and, preferably, sports an imposing skyline. I can’t pinpoint a moment when my love affair with castles began, though I can guess at all the little pieces that influenced it:. Cair Paravel in Narnia. The Royal Palace…
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Highway to Heidelberg: a Must-See Stop on the Way Through Germany
2022 European Adventure: Part 3 of 6 Heidelberg is red-roofed, green rolling hills, river running through it magical. The next stop on my European Adventure is Heidelberg, Germany! I picked this place–I’ve been dying to go for ages. Actually, there are very few places in Germany that I don’t want to go. However, this one has been on my list since my Study Abroad program. And the reason I wanted so badly to visit Heidelberg is because of the beautiful castle looming above this town. However, this post isn’t about the lovely castle at all (the next one, here, is entirely about the castle!), but about the other amazing things…
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Amsterdam for Introverts like Me: How to Make the Most of a City Known for Weed & Sex
European Adventure: Part 2 of 6 The second stop on my Great European Adventure of 2022 with my friends was the city of Amsterdam. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. I’m not a city girl. I prefer small towns, nature vistas, farmer’s markets, and quiet streets. I went to Amsterdam after Delft (one such small, quiet town). When I stepped off the train into this big, bustling city, I was ready to say: “Screw it. Let’s go back to Delft!” Really, Amsterdam is just a another big city. Except it has canals. And it’s known for having Prostitutes and Weed Shops. Yay! (Please note the sarcasm). However, while those things…
