I didn’t think I’d garden this year, but I just have to. I am experimenting and now growing food+ with 1) a small spot, outside our door mostly for fresh greens and herbs, 2) an indoor kitchen garden with herbs and microgreens, and 3) a 12’x4’ raised bed plot at a local community garden. Letting go of my 150+ square foot garden, my rich soil, and the rhythm tending it all in NC has been tough, but there is so much to learn and try in this new climate - and we’re beginning to enjoy something homegrown regularly now.

I decided to pay attention to the seasonal temperature shifts here (for gardening needs) by doing a year-long crochet project based on the temperature blanket idea. Crocheting is like meditation for me, and boy, do I need some of that with all these changes. But instead of a big blanket, I’m making a scarf, with each row color-coded based on the average temp of the day here in our new town. By January 1, 2026, I’ll be ready for the brutal cold with a new, cozy scarf!

I am only about an hour away from my grandparents now - getting to see them more often is such a blessing.

Also, my husband comes from a large family in this area, and we have been enjoying spending more time with my in-laws after being away for almost 18 years.

Finally, I am very much missing my family back in NC… this has been the hardest part of our move by far. But, on the bright side - they are a great reason to get back to my beloved NC mountains, and I’ll know my way around when I do visit!

Moving states was A LOT of work, and the adjustment hasn’t ended by far. Everything in the day-to-day is new somehow. Every time I go to do something here that I haven’t done since NC (like canning food, planting seeds. making art, buying the dog’s medicines, etc), it’s a bit of a task gathering tools and materials in the new home, and then adjusting to the process all over again in a new space.

We’ve been exploring the Metroparks and a few restaurants, too - but there’s so much more to try and do here in the Cleveland area.

It’s going to take time to feel fully settled, familiar and more connected here, and while I hope to feel part of the community eventually, I’m enjoying the overall newness, too.

We live in a more urban area than before - not something we saw coming, but that has been nevertheless fascinating and a fun, fresh chance to consciously engage with nature’s constant presence.

Here, we have herds of urban deer that pass through our yard regularly, seagulls and midge flies because we are now 6 miles from a Great Lake, and some gorgeous wetlands and woods for exploring just down the road. I’m learning about native animals, plants, history and the ecosystem of this area via books, online, and intentional observation with the seasons and landscape. It has become important to me to learn and love the land I’m living on, and I’m no less committed to that after moving to new territory.

In the last few weeks, I've begun preserving food and herbs again, making delicious bread loaves from fresh ground flour, fermenting veggies, and getting a smaller composting system in place. I’m finding my groove in the new kitchen space…