“Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.” ~ Tennyson

How welcoming our home feels right now. We are just back from walking around the pond and we’re happy to be surrounded by warmth again. It’s one of those raw and cold November days. Last night’s mild snow has become today’s steadfast chilling rain.

It’s a good day to organize, pack, and write. Our departure is two weeks from tomorrow. We’ll be leaving before the snows of winter arrive—there are no storms forecast for the foreseeable future—and return long after the valley snowdrifts are gone. That feels strange.

I’ve built my life around the coziness of home fires; of time spent in the kitchen, at my desk, nesting in simplicity, and walking local trails. To be away for such a span, more than twice our longest trip, during this most uncertain time is interesting, to say the least.

The usual electric anticipation of an upcoming trip is muted, replaced by questions of safety and concern, of being a smart traveler in times when travel can be problematic.

Still, I remind myself why we are set…