I got a DM from a stranger on Instagram, “where do you live?” “Here.” I thought. “Everywhere and nowhere.” “Here, there, everywhere.” Currently, we’re enjoying life on a lake in North Dakota. We’re plunked in the middle of very rural farmland. It’s incredibly peaceful, quiet and still. We watched the full moon rise over the … Continue reading Everywhere and Nowhere →

We decided: final answer. We are leaving Wisconsin tomorrow. Because if we don’t, we may never. I can’t believe we’ve been living in our 7 by 14-foot cargo trailer conversion for six months now. The past couple months have been spent visiting friends and family. Slipping into various homes to shower, use the dishwasher, washing … Continue reading Passing Through →

Sometimes, I think I’d make a great cult leader. To be clear, it would be a fun, upbeat cult. With a splash of vodka in the Kool-Aid; nothing sinister. “But Kat, you’re an awkward introvert.” True. But there is something I want to shout from the rooftops, something I’d be shouting while spooning ladlesful of … Continue reading Follow Me… →

What do people want? I think about this a lot. I guess the answer is all around us. It’s the merchandise in stores. The cars on the roads. The services being offered. The rows of two-story track homes being built in yesterday's corn and cotton fields. But there has to be more, right? I ask … Continue reading Seeking →

The alarm sounds at 5:45am. A jumpy bouncy jingle, appropriately labeled “Retro Vibes.”   Chad spent five minutes the night before listening to all the alarm options, before settling. I knew how this one would sound in the morning: abrupt and jarring. It was. A better title would have been, “This won’t make waking up … Continue reading Moving Day →

In those moments where my brain feels like a whistling kettle, my favorite way to relieve pressure, take it off the burner, is to go for a country drive. Rain had been tapping on the roof of the trailer off and on, the outside skies a clumsy mess of clouds. I made some English breakfast … Continue reading Projection →

My favorite writing is when an author takes mundane details, frequently overlooked drab aspects of reality, and gives them a huge blast of attention. When done well, you’re walloped with a full sensory experience. A delightful new take on something you may have taken for granted, or never entirely noticed. I find myself grounded in … Continue reading Thoughts on the Go →

I tilt my head back and look up the tall mountain. There’s snow on the peak, it's the middle of July. There's a motionless big horned sheep. Down in the foothills I see a wolf, a coyote, even a bear. Deer graze in the meadow. “This is the closest we’ve been to nature in a … Continue reading Plugged In →

Like all aspiring-to-be-good banjo players, I headed straight for Alabama. A mecca in ‘murica,’ for the banjo playing sort. Actually, we’re here visiting family. We pulled our little home into the back yard, and settled on a thick patch of green grass under the big shady leaves of a towering maple. Our solar panel gets … Continue reading Slow Down →

Do you ever wonder if you’re worried about the right things? Some fears are deeply embedded, and when we finally manage to pry them loose, they look kind of silly. Like a fuzzy bald eagle chick, all feet and beak. Other fears, things that could happen after years of bad habits, or all the things … Continue reading Real Freedom →