In a cottage, by the sea, where the soft wind blows...

I am sitting on a porch, in the morning light, with a soft breeze blowing. I know some of you are confused...I left London on Saturday to move to Vietnam...what am I doing in Massachusetts?

The New Englander in me always longs for the sea, the area where I grew up. I try and get back every few years to see family and friends and experience all those little things that are deeply woven into the fabric of my life. I am here for a week, an interlude, before heading to Vietnam on Sunday.

I will stop in frequently to post...apologies to those of you who follow me via email. You may get more than usual from me this week. :)

If I am lucky...I may inspire one or two of you to travel to this part of the world...it is pretty special to me...I will tell you the where and how in upcoming posts.

At the moment, unwinding is in order and it all starts here...in a cottage, by the sea, on a porch, where the soft wind blows...

I have very specific requirements when I look for a holiday rental near my hometown. A cottage first, but not just any cottage..it has to have an essence of my childhood...and that goes back a fair bit.

I like simple...the flip flop kind of simple..where beach sand follows you in and treads gently under your feet. A cottage is not a cottage without a porch. My earliest and dearest memories of a summer's porch go back to my grandparent's cottage, where I happily curled up with my favourite Nancy Drew books (that girl knew how to take on an adventure). The more chairs the better as that is where family collects. Conversation seems to flow freely and happily when you mix words with glancing views out to the sea.

 I am always intrigued by the owners of the cottages we rent. 

Each little treasure is like turning page of an open book. 

I wonder who has come before us and who will come ahead of us.

One of those quirky things that is always on my mind..

This is what I was waiting for last week..this is what got me through those scores of boxes

and pages and pages of paperwork that never seemed to end. A porch with a view.

We are boating family...over the years they have come in all shapes and sizes. 

The dock to our cottage is waiting.

My boating days are more along the kayak variety. 

This is where I find peace. We hire them for as long as we stay...

They are good for the soul.

Signing off from my morning porch break... my kayak awaits. :)

Back soon..so glad you can travel with me!!!