I’ve lived in a number of places since getting married thanks to military life. One thing I’m astounded by is that after learning to love the rain in New Mexico, the PNW has taught me to love the sunshine in a way that I didn’t know it was possible for me to do. I’ve always been so heat sensitive that heat exhaustion has been a given for doing anything outdoors in summer since I was a child. And yet this place has taught me to cherish the warm and golden days for their rarity.
yes, I moved to the PNW 9 years ago from a very climate-crazy area (the Midwest..."just wait 5 minutes and you'll have different weather" is very accurate!) and now I relish the sun whereas before it meant 4-5 months of oppressive heat + humidity + sweating constantly. Now I almost feel like I have to use every single moment of those rare sunny days in the rainy season because who knows how long it'll be before we get another?!
Thank you, Careen! We are currently missing the sun a bit here in the UK, as well. :) I have been amazed at how much I miss the desert/arid places. The PNW is one of my favorite places in the world, though.
Mar 16, 2022·edited Mar 16, 2022Liked by Gracy Olmstead
Happy 1st Anniversary to Uprooted!
I love the feeling of smallness, when it is produced by nature. I live in British Columbia where there are giant forests, beautiful snow-capped mountains, and an immense ocean to the west. Inserting myself into any of these places I feel my insignificance, and have not yet lost the novelty of feeling spoiled that I get to see and explore these landscapes frequently.
I love the fact that though I ended up here more or less at random, for my children, this old house on a hill, with its broken-down barn, and seasonal creek, will always be home in the minds of my children.
One of my favourite things about Montreal is how people have conversations in multiple languages at once. I'll routinely speak English to someone who answers in French and we'll just happily go on like that, mixing both along the way. My wife's family throws Spanish in there for a triple language surprise. It's delightful.
My daughter will likely end up trilingual and I just think that's the coolest.
This is incredible, Matt. I just visited Portugal, and was so impressed by the way people routinely and easily switched from English to Portuguese to Spanish. I hope to continue practicing Spanish and French this year. Montreal sounds like a wonderful place. :) Blessings to you and your family!
Uprooted has meant so much to me. For years, I’ve struggled with my choice to leave northern Idaho and remain in the DC area, where my husband has always lived. I found Uprooted just as we made our first trip back to Idaho in some years and I again felt the push and pull of my old life and my current life. I do love where I live now - the option to travel easily, to connect with so many different kinds of people with differing opinions, to show my children many different places within a stone’s throw of our home. On the other hand, I also long for a smaller community and a greater sense of place.
Sorry, I do not have social media to help promote your beautiful book.
My joy in living in Colorado is that I can look and see the majesty of God's creation everyday with the glorious mountain peaks. The endless blue sky and sun that is so close and warm, just brings joy to any day.
Thank you Danielle! I don't mind at all, I love your comment and admire your resilience in staying off social media. :) I absolutely love Colorado—both it and Idaho have such lovely views, with "endless blue sky," as you say. Blessings to you!
I’ve lived in a number of places since getting married thanks to military life. One thing I’m astounded by is that after learning to love the rain in New Mexico, the PNW has taught me to love the sunshine in a way that I didn’t know it was possible for me to do. I’ve always been so heat sensitive that heat exhaustion has been a given for doing anything outdoors in summer since I was a child. And yet this place has taught me to cherish the warm and golden days for their rarity.
yes, I moved to the PNW 9 years ago from a very climate-crazy area (the Midwest..."just wait 5 minutes and you'll have different weather" is very accurate!) and now I relish the sun whereas before it meant 4-5 months of oppressive heat + humidity + sweating constantly. Now I almost feel like I have to use every single moment of those rare sunny days in the rainy season because who knows how long it'll be before we get another?!
Thank you, Careen! We are currently missing the sun a bit here in the UK, as well. :) I have been amazed at how much I miss the desert/arid places. The PNW is one of my favorite places in the world, though.
Happy 1st Anniversary to Uprooted!
I love the feeling of smallness, when it is produced by nature. I live in British Columbia where there are giant forests, beautiful snow-capped mountains, and an immense ocean to the west. Inserting myself into any of these places I feel my insignificance, and have not yet lost the novelty of feeling spoiled that I get to see and explore these landscapes frequently.
Thank you Sarah! This is beautiful.
I love the fact that though I ended up here more or less at random, for my children, this old house on a hill, with its broken-down barn, and seasonal creek, will always be home in the minds of my children.
I am always amazed by the fact that the random can become incredibly meaningful with time and care. Thank you, Mike!
Late to this but I will tweet about the book :)
One of my favourite things about Montreal is how people have conversations in multiple languages at once. I'll routinely speak English to someone who answers in French and we'll just happily go on like that, mixing both along the way. My wife's family throws Spanish in there for a triple language surprise. It's delightful.
My daughter will likely end up trilingual and I just think that's the coolest.
This is incredible, Matt. I just visited Portugal, and was so impressed by the way people routinely and easily switched from English to Portuguese to Spanish. I hope to continue practicing Spanish and French this year. Montreal sounds like a wonderful place. :) Blessings to you and your family!
Uprooted has meant so much to me. For years, I’ve struggled with my choice to leave northern Idaho and remain in the DC area, where my husband has always lived. I found Uprooted just as we made our first trip back to Idaho in some years and I again felt the push and pull of my old life and my current life. I do love where I live now - the option to travel easily, to connect with so many different kinds of people with differing opinions, to show my children many different places within a stone’s throw of our home. On the other hand, I also long for a smaller community and a greater sense of place.
Thank you so much, Maggie! This was moving and encouraging to read. Blessings to your family.
Happy Anniversary!
Sorry, I do not have social media to help promote your beautiful book.
My joy in living in Colorado is that I can look and see the majesty of God's creation everyday with the glorious mountain peaks. The endless blue sky and sun that is so close and warm, just brings joy to any day.
Thank you Danielle! I don't mind at all, I love your comment and admire your resilience in staying off social media. :) I absolutely love Colorado—both it and Idaho have such lovely views, with "endless blue sky," as you say. Blessings to you!