Before I even introduce myself and this blog I have to apologize for the domain name. I really can spell (for the most part) but I am coming in to the blogging world much later than most people and all the good names were taken. Not a great start, I know, but I promise I will make up for it with a well thought out purpose behind the name and a reason to keep you coming back for more.
I am a working wife and mom of two young boys. I almost described myself as “average” but decided not to, because our life really isn’t typical and neither am I. My favorite color is black, I’m a plant geek, a bargain hunter, a social media addict and I enjoy photography even though I refuse to take the time to actually learn how to properly use my camera. I married a fifth generation farmer. The majority of people probably don’t realize what being a farmer’s wife entails, but trust me, I will enlighten you. It’s the backbone of this blog.
Farming isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. I’m on my own to parent, work full time and manage a household (pay bills, cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, etc.) the majority of the year. It can be overwhelming to say the least and I have had a hard time coping with the stress. I’m not sure how other farm families make it work (if you are one, please share!!) but I imagine a good support system is key. For me, getting out of the house as much as possible has been my therapy.
I’ve always been outdoorsy. My Mom frequently tells me about my first camping trip when I was a few months old and how she hiked to the highest point at Ohiopyle State Park with me strapped to her back as a baby. As an older child, I became quite the animal lover and naturalist. My favorite things by far were worms. Bird nests were a close second. I was given a lot of freedom to explore and play as child so my love of nature has had a long time to grow. Naturally (pun intended), I want my kids to have a similar experience so we spend a lot of time outdoors, even if it is just a trip to the park on the way home from daycare.
Recently I came to the realization that we always seemed to go to the same places over and over, and although nature is constantly changing, I was getting bored. I have lived in Delaware for over 15 years and have been to most of the popular locations like Killens Pond State Park, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the Delaware Seashore, Lums Pond State Park, White Clay Creek State Park, etc. I thought I’d pretty much seen all that Delaware has to offer.
I recently re-joined Instagram and came across the hashtag #delagram and saw some gorgeous photos associated with that tag. As I looked at those photos I saw a lot of locations listed that I wasn’t familiar with so I decided to look them up. This led to the revelation that there was SO much more out there to see and do. As I delved deeper and deeper in to the rabbit hole that is Google, I ended up with a list of over 20 places in or near Delaware that I wanted to visit ASAP! I decided to create a virtual bucket list and have since made it my mission to not only visit all of these places, but to document our experiences there and share them with you so that you may be inspired to check them out for yourself.
Another integral part of my mission to encourage every single one of you to see the beauty in every day things. No matter where you live, I promise you there is something beautiful to be seen right outside your door. A leaf changing color in the fall, a dew drop on a blade of grass, a patch of bright green moss, a caterpillar munching on a leaf. Take a closer look, you never know what you will find!
Julie Stafford says
Lovely.